(Rabindranath Tagore)
The Taj Mahal is the ultimate monument to love. So heart broken was Shah Jahan when his favourite wife Mumtaz Mahal died during giving birth to their 14th child, that he commissioned the construction of this monument to her memory. The Taj Mahal's construction commened in 1631 (the year of his wife's death) using the finest materials from all over Asia and the Empire. The translucent white marble was brought from Rajasthan, the jasper from Punjab, jade and crystal from China. The turquoise was from Tibet and the Lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, while the sapphire came from Sri Lanka and the carnelian from Arabia.
A labour force of twenty thousand workers was recruited across northern India. Sculptors from Bukhara, calligraphers from Syria and Persia, inlayers from southern India, stonecutters from Baluchistan, a specialist in building turrets, and another who only carved marble flowers. How much did it all cost? The cost of construction at the time has been estimated at 32 million rupees which; if converted to todays rates, amounts to Trillions of Dollars!
The actual Tomb of Mumtaz Mahal has the following inscriptions: 'O Noble, O Magnificent, O Majestic, O Unique, O Eternal, O Glorious... '
Who said love doesn't conquer all?
