The Taj Mahal ~ Tara Shetty What do you get when a dying woman tells her husband that she would like a spectacular tomb? Well, if the husband is Shahjahan, one of the most powerful Moghul emperors, you would get the Taj Mahal. On the death of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal, Shahjahan went on to build this magnificent tomb. The construction material was brought from all across the globe. Marble came from Rajasthan, red sandstone and agates came from Fatehpur Sikri and gems were brought from different parts of the world. Master craftsmen were employed to build the Taj Mahal. It took them twenty-two years to turn Shahjahan's dream into reality. Today, the Taj Mahal stands as a symbol of Shahjahan's undying love. The Taj Mahal stands on the banks of the river Yamuna, in Agra. The marble dome flanked by four minarets rises from a huge marble terrace that is built on a red sandstone base. The Taj Mahal is surrounded by beautiful gardens. Decorated with semi-precious gems, this marvel in marble appears to change color depending on the time of the day. If you ask me, nothing surpasses the beauty of the Taj Mahal in moonlight. One of the most spectacular buildings in the world, the beauty of the Taj Mahal has to be seen to be believed. Your visit to India would not be complete until you have seen this living symbol of love. Sir Edwin Arnold famously described it as, "Not a piece of architecture, as other buildings are, but a proud passion of an emperor’s love, wrought in living stones." Come; undertake a pilgrimage to this magnificent monument of love.