Sunrise…Sunset??

I have now witnessed a viewing of the Taj Mahal at both sunrise and sunset, and I am left wondering if I am missing something.  I’m not saying that the Taj isn’t amazing and majestic, it is.  But what about the sky.  I was told when I first arrived in Agra and was greeted by the tour organizer that I could go see the Taj at sunset, around 7:20pm.  That seemed like a brilliant idea.  It was crazy hot, so after 1.5 hours of sightseeing I was about done.  I thought about suggesting a beer in the 2 hours we had before sunset, but when the tour guide said sunset was at 6:30, I had no source to dispute.  He said we only had an hour and little did I know, the sight at Mehtab Bagh was really only for the viewing of the Taj.   There is a foundation for a building, but nothing was ever built.

So there we waited for an hour.  And then another twenty minutes.  He asked twice if I wanted to leave, but otherwise was very respectful that I should stay however long I wanted.  But I was waiting for sunset.  Bright, colorful sunset; reds, oranges, yellows, reflecting against the white marble of the Taj.  There was nothing.  The sun was slowly setting, and then at 6:45, we were told to leave.  So much for ever having a chance for viewing the now weatherchannel.com confirmed sunset time of 7:20.  I had waited for well over an hour to see nothing.  Sure I stared at this amazing building and took tons of pictures, but I could have been done and back to air conditioning in 15 minutes if I thought there was no real sunset.  For day two in Agra, a sunrise viewing had been suggested.  Of course, I am not a fan of anything sunrise, or morning really for that matter.  But I asked the guide, who in his broken English said there would be colors in the sky for sunrise.  So alarm set before 5, and at the Taj at 5:32 just after opening time.  But no colors, no beautiful sunrise.  I don’t regret going that early, the lack of crowds was great, for pictures and for the experience.  Plus it wasn’t as hot.  But where was my sunrise.  Is it too cloudy?  Or is this idea of a sunrise/sunset viewing just a tourist ploy?  I do have great pictures, even with a boring blue sky, but feel jipped of my sunrise/sunset.