Indian man builds replica Taj Mahal replica for wife

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This was published 2 years ago

Indian man builds replica Taj Mahal replica for wife

By AP
The house resembles India's iconic Taj Mahal monument.

The house resembles India's iconic Taj Mahal monument.Credit: Anand Prakash Chouksey/AP

An Indian man has built a one-third sized replica of the historic Taj Mahal for his wife, but unlike the original, it's their residence, not a mausoleum.

Constructed with white marble from the same city in Rajasthan state that provided the Taj Mahal's stone, the imitation includes the real monument's large dome, intricate minarets and even some of its artwork.

The famed 17th century Taj Mahal, often called a monument to love, was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in the northern Indian city of Agra in memory of his favourite wife, Mumtaz.

The house has been constructed with white marble procured from Makrana, the same place that gave the Taj Mahal its marble.

The house has been constructed with white marble procured from Makrana, the same place that gave the Taj Mahal its marble.Credit: Anand Prakash Chouksey/AP

She died in Burhanpur, the site of the newly built replica, while giving birth to their fourteenth child.

Her body was temporarily buried in the city and later exhumed and taken to Agra, according to Anand Prakash Chouksey, 52, who built the replica.

"I jokingly told my wife, if you pass over, then I will build a Taj Mahal," said Chouksey, 52, a hospital owner who lives in Burhanpur. "She obviously refused and said she doesn't want to die. Then I said, not a problem, I will make a Taj Mahal you can live in."

The smaller imitation embodies several aspects of the real monument, including the large dome, intricate minarets and even artwork seen on the original.

The smaller imitation embodies several aspects of the real monument, including the large dome, intricate minarets and even artwork seen on the original. Credit: Anand Prakash Chouksey/AP

The replica took three years to build and artisans from Agra were hired to recreate the artwork on the marble.

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Emperor Shah Jahan had the Taj Mahal built between 1632 and 1654 after Mumtaz died. The complex houses both of their graves and a mosque, as well as several graves of lesser Mogul royalty.

The monument, acclaimed for its delicate lattice work, is India's biggest tourist draw, attracting millions of visitors every year. The tourists keep hundreds of thousands employed and Agra's economy moving.

The replica took three years to build.

The replica took three years to build.Credit: Anand Prakash Chouksey/AP

AP

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