Taj Mahal

Of all the structures I have seen, without doubt, the Taj Mahal is the MOST spectacular. Walking through the gate and catching that first glimpse of the white marble Taj Mahal standing serene and awesome against the clear blue sky was breathtaking!

The construction was started in 1631 and took 22 years to complete. There were 20 000 workers continuously working for the 22 years and they used 1 000 elephants. The marble is the best in the world and has a life span of 10 000 years! The Taj Mahal was built by Emporer Shah Jehan as a mausoleum for his beloved wife, MumtazMahal, who died giving birth to their 14th child. On her death bed she asked him for four wishes: do not marry again, look after my children well, build something to remember me by, and visit me often. After she died, the Emporer went into seclusion for 60 days and when he came out, his hair had turned white. He kept his promises and he wanted the memorial structure to represent her paradise after death. After the structure was completed, Shah Jehan was deposed and imprisoned in the Agra Fort by his son. He spent the rest of his life looking wistfully across the Jamuna River at his wife's final resting place... now that is a love story! 

Agra Fort where Shah Jehan was imprisoned