Taj Mahal, worldwide celebrated as an epitome of love, was built by the Mugal Emperor Shah Jahan to commemorate the loving memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. It was in the year 1612, when the Persian princess Arjumand Bano was married to Shaha Jahan. She later became known as Mumtaz Mahal (The Chosen One of the Palace) and an inseparable confidant and companion to her husband.

Mumtaz Mahal breathed her last in 1631 while giving birth to the couple’s 14th child and was buried on the banks on the river Yamuna in the city of Agra. The grief-stricken Shah Jahan contemplated on building an edifice in memory of his wife which would later go on to be ranked as one of the Seven Wonders of the world. The monument was designed by the master architect from Iran Isa Mohammad Khan while Amanat Ali Khan of Iran was responsible for the calligraphy. The dome of the mausoleum was designed by Ismail Khan. It has been recorded that it took a total of 22,000 labourers, gardeners, masons, builders, dome-builders, calligraphers and other craftsmen to complete Taj Mahal in 1654. All these labourers and builders were brought in from Iran and Central Asia. It is estimated that it cost Rs.32 million to complete the Taj. The entire monument has been built out of beautiful white marble.

History has it that when Taj was completed Shah Jahan ordered his soldiers to cut off the right hand of the master architect so that he may not be able to build another monument as grand as the Taj. It has also been recently reported that Shah Jahan had also contemplated building another Taj Mahal, exactly similar in look and design on the other bank of river Yamuna in black marble however by that time he got involved in the feud among his sons and was ultimately imprisoned by his son Aurangzeb. Whatever myths and legends may surround the Taj it still stands as a symbol of true love and is visited by millions throughout the year.