The Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, is located in Agra, approximately 200km SE of Delhi. Built in white marble stone, it stands as a monument to Prince Shah Jahan’s favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal who died giving birth to their 14th child. While there are many legends surrounding the story of the Taj, most would agree on the basic but extraordinary statistics. From commencement in 1631 it took 22,000 labourers, 1,000 elephants and 22 years to complete. The marble used in the construction was transported from all over India and Central Asia and the estimated cost was 32 million rupees (US $68,000), nearly 400 years ago.
As a symbol of love and devotion, it appears that the Western World is more caught up in the romance of the Taj and its story than the Indian population. This fervor was introduced at the time of colonialism, a voice of authority on all it surveyed. Entombed in this mausoleum, along with the Prince and his bride, is the hope for eternal love. Exploiting this sentiment, in recent times, the worldwide media positioned Princess Dianna in the headlines as a lone figure, seated prominently in the foreground of the Taj Mahal. Poignant references were made regarding her downcast look as the love forlorn, abandoned by her Prince….. The Taj Mahal has also become a token for marketing purposes, used as a symbol for grand, huge and luxurious. In this sense, it embodies the characteristic of an adjective.
Regardless of its history, its created identity or even its facts, the Taj Mahal seems to carry a magnetic force.
Bibliograph:
Edensor, T (1998), Tourists at the Taj, Performance and Meaning at a Symbolic Site, Routledge, London
http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org
www.tajmahal.org.uk
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ReplyDeleteCan you believe it, there are actually 2-4 million people visiting the Taj Mahal!
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