I asked myself: how could Ranakpur, a Jain temple made entirely of immaculate white marble, exist in this monotonous stretch of shriveled earth? Its pillars and walls, adorned with elaborately ornate carvings of humans and creatures, suggested otherworldly vision and ability.

I wanted to ask the keeper of its beginnings, how a monument of such grandeur could have been built in such unforgiving conditions.

But, I refused to give in to my curiosity. Sometimes, it is best, for the sake of memory, to keep a mystery a mystery.