Whenever the talk is about gifts inspired by love, the Taj Mahal is bound to come up in the conversation. The Taj Mahal of India has been recognized as the most fantastic gift of love for all time.
The Taj Mahal (“Crown Palace”) was built by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife and queen, Mumtaz Mahal in Agra, India. Mumtaz Mahal was actually the emperor’s second wife but it was a real love-match and the two were inseparable. The empress was his friend and confidante, and inspired him to acts of charity towards the weak and needy. They had fourteen children, and she died in childbed in 1630.
To preserve her memory, the grieving Shah Jehan decided to build the finest sepulcher or burial vault to serve as a monument of eternal love. It was said that the sad circumstances which attended the early death of the empress who had endeared herself to the people inspired all his subjects to join in the emperor’s pious intentions. After twenty-two laborious years, and the combined effort of over twenty thousand workmen and master craftsmen, the complex was finally completed in 1648.
The Taj Mahal is also regarded as one of the eight wonders of the world. It is built entirely of white marble. Its stunning architectural beauty is said to be beyond adequate description, particularly at dawn and sunset. The Taj Mahal seems to glow in the light of the full moon while on a foggy morning, the visitors experience the Taj Mahal as if suspended in the air when viewed from across the Jamuna river.
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Sources:
The Majestic Taj Mahal. http://rubens.anu.edu.au/student.projects/tajmahal/home.html
The Taj Mahal, India. http://islamicity.com/Culture/Taj/default.htm
