India is full of palaces, monuments and forts. Some are well known and well traveled and some are just off the beaten path. Some we’ve traveled thousands of miles to see and others we’ve stumbled upon. After the Taj Mahal you would expect a certain downward trajectory in terms of awe-inducing structures. A temple fatigue could easily set in preventing anything more than a jaded, “eh.”  That is certainly the case with cathedrals in Europe.

But here’s the surprise: there is no such thing as seen one Indian temple, seen them all. Each one (that I’ve encountered) is actually and truly unique. Marble or sandstone, Hindu or Muslim, symmetry or randomness, burnt umber or pearl. Even in the same city, there are often more differences than similarities.

One epic day at the Taj Mahal does not diminish the quiet, ocher, misty fort of Fatehpur Sikri. In fact, there is real joy in the contrast.