Taj Mahal

When I was a small child, my favourite Disney movie was Aladdin. I think I liked it most because I thought that out of all the Disney princesses, I most resembled Jasmine, with her long, dark hair and exotic clothes. Although I didn't know much about my half-Indian heritage, I knew I had a closet full of colorful shalwars, juttis and bangles which I could play dress up with, and that was close enough. 

Jasmine's palace was a large, marble, domed structure that resembled the Taj Mahal. Most children dream of visiting Disney World, where they can pretend they are living their favourite Disney movies and meet their favourite princesses, but I always dreamed of visiting the Taj, in that far away land, where I could roam through the gardens and live a fairytale life.

It wasn't until a few years ago that I very sadly realized that Aladdin was not set in India, nor were the characters even Indian. But, one can still pretend. The Taj Mahal stands majestically in Agra, and my visit at sunrise was as magical as I could have ever imagined. I didn't find Aladdin, nor did I ride a magic carpet. But I was able to roam through this iconic landmark of India, with the most stunning architecture and history, in the quiet of sunrise. And that, was close enough.