The Taj Mahal towers above homes in Agra, India.

One of the highlights of any trip to India is visiting the Taj Mahal. I have several “favorite” pictures of the world’s greatest monument to love, and this one is no exception.

Right before leaving for India, I found out the Taj Mahal is opened up for a special “night viewing” coinciding with the full moon. No other lights are on, and the Taj Mahal is illuminated only by the light of the moon. I raced to purchase extremely limited tickets to this event, which the process was an adventure in itself. After getting my ticket, the tuk-tuk driver was going to return me to the hotel, but instead I asked him (at the very last minute) to take me to a different hotel. The top of that hotel has an affordably-priced restaurant and bar and is one of the best places to end the day in Agra. Indeed it was.

I snaked our way up several tight stairwells, through a kitchen and eventually arrived to a very open rooftop watering hole. In the distance was the Taj Mahal. It was the first time getting to stop and gaze at the centuries-old structure. Viewing the Taj Mahal is on so many people’s bucket lists, including mine.

I took a seat at a table and stared. I drank some beer. I had some snacks.

And I stared.

At one point, three local children clambered across rooftops to the wall surrounding the Taj Mahal. They didn’t try to jump the fence or throw garbage as they, too, just stared. It was a nice moment to know even the local children are mesmerized by the giant structure.

The above picture is taken from the front corner of the aforementioned bar. About the middle of the photograph are the three kids peering over the fence wearing black, white and purple shirts.

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