Beauty of Love - Taj Mahal A Marble Grave

Taj Mahal- An Epitome of Love

There are some love stories which have ended long back, but they still travel with us and they are considered as a living example of eternal love. One of those such stories is the love story of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz. Their love story is still living with us in the form of Taj Mahal.

An English poet, Sir Edwin Arnold best described Taj Mahal as "Not a piece of architecture, as other buildings are, but the proud passion of an emperor's love wrought in living stones."

For centuries, the Taj Mahal has inspired poets, painters and musicians to try and capture its elusive magic in word, color and song. It is one of the most flawless architectural creations of the world. Glorifying history of Taj Mahal is quite interesting and surprising.

The reason behind the Taj mahal to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World is not just for its magnificent look, but it is also the history of Taj Mahal that adds a soul to its magnificence: a soul that is filled with love, loss, remorse, and love again.

The following story proves that all the statements mentioned above are true.

Shah Jahan, who was initially named as Prince Khurram, was born in the year 1592. He was the son of Jahangir, the fourth Mughal Emperor of India and the grandson of Akbar the great. Shah Jahan fall in love at first sight with the girl Mumtaz Mahal, who was known as Arjumand Banu Begum in 1607 when he was strolling down the Meena Bazaar, accompanied by a string of fawning courtires. At that time he was 14 years old and she was 15. Their match got solemnized after five years i.e., in the year 1612.

Even though Shah Jahan had other wives, Arjumand Banu was his favourite and accompanied him even in military campaigns. He also bestowed her with the title of Mumtaz Mahal, meaning “ Jewel of the Palace”.

Mumtaz Mahal died due to some complications when she was giving birth to their 14^th child in the year 1631. It is said that Shah Jahan was so heartbroken after her death that he ordered the court into mourning for 2 years.

It was in the memory of his beloved wife Shah Jahan built a magnificient monument as a tribute to her, which we today know as the “Taj Mahal” . The construction of Taj Mahal started in the year 1631. Masons, stonecutters, inlayers, carvers, painters, calligraphers, dome-builders and other artisans were requisitioned from the whole of the empire and also from Central Asia and Iran, and it took approximately 22 years to build what we see today. An epitome of love, it made use of the services of 22,000 laborers and 1,000 elephants. The monument was built entirely out of white marble, which was brought in from all over India and central Asia. After an expenditure of approximately 32 million rupees, Taj Mahal was finally completed in the year 1653.

Shah Jahan was deposed by his own son Aurangazeb soon after completion of Taj Mahal and he was put under house arrest at nearby Agra Fort. When Shah Jahan died in 1666, his body was placed in a tomb next to the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal.

 This magnificent monument came to be known as "Taj Mahal" and now counts amongst the Seven Wonders of the World. This is the true story of the Taj Mahal of India, which has mesmerized many people with its bewitching beauty.