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Monday, 27 March, 2000, 09:05 GMT

The Taj Mahal: Your memories

US President Bill Clinton is the latest in a series of high-profile figures to be photographed in front of the romantic marble white towers of the Taj Mahal.

Mr Clinton looked relaxed as he posed with daughter Chelsea in the same spot where Diana, Princess of Wales, sat looking forlorn as her marriage fell apart.

For many this magnificent structure is the ultimate romantic building, standing in perfectly manicured grounds, its reflection rippling in an ornamental pool.

One of the wonders of the world, it was built in the 17th Century in memory of Emperor Shah Jahan's wife as a symbol of their eternal love.

Have you visited this magical place? What are your memories of India's most treasured monument? What makes the Taj Mahal so special? Do you have any pictures of it that you would like to share?

Wonderful, wonderful and simply wonderful.

Dewan Quamrul Islam, Canada

Wonderful, wonderful and simply wonderful. I lost my language in expressing my feelings about Taj Mahal. Got married in 1986 and I visited along with my wife this wonderful monument in 1989. We have a number photographs those were taken in front of Taj Mahal. I just wonder and failed to imagine what was real appearance of this wonderful monument before the British had stolen its original stones.
Dewan Quamrul Islam, Canada

The Taj is a magnificent irony. We have a long way to go before we can walk away from it and not wince at the realities that lie without. To all in a reverie, wake up and smell the Yamuna.
Anand, USA

The Taj is indeed a beautiful piece of architectural splendour. But then there was a time when India could boast of such splendours. We still have our beautiful temples in the South, the Khajuraho is worth talking about and there are some buildings of which people are not even aware of.... In a small village in Bengal called Vishnupur you can spend hours looking at the various temples. India should magnify her other achievements instead of solely depending on the Taj!
Sukanya, India (presently in the USA)

I visited the Taj in 1986, when I was a bachelor. I got married in 1987 and told my wife, that if I could, I would make a mini "Taj" for you, that is our home. I think the "Taj", represents the very thought of every couple in South Asia, that is, The Eternal Love for your Spouse.
Dipta K. Bandyopadhyay, USA

In 1981 I went to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. When I departed Agra, I knew, I had just been part of one of life's greatest experiences.
Otis Lambert, USA

The dream was greater than the reality.

Richard McCoy, USA

In 1954 my Ninth Grade Science Teacher, Mr. Bob Irwin @ Cammack School in Huntington WV, told of the Taj. He served in India during WWII & dreamed of swimming in the pool shown in the photos. He went further to describe his disappointment upon arrival to discover that it was only deep enough for wading. Point: The dream was greater than the reality.
Richard McCoy, USA

Shah Jahan was one of the most corrupt king. The construction of the Taj Mahal was associated with killings and death of a million workers. I do not see any romantic aspect to it.
Shabbir Abbasi, USA

You might want to see these temples and other monuments in India.

Valliappan Subramanian, USA

Taj Mahal is not the only thing in India that is incredible. The Temples in South India, they are largely unsung (and so are not very popular) but are equally wonderful. There was someone in this forum who told us that Iranians were good in architecture. Maybe they are. But, You might want to see these temples and other monuments in India before convincing yourself that they are the Best.
Valliappan Subramanian, USA

I visited the Taj Mahal when I was 10 years old. Indeed, it is impressive, but I was more impressed with other historical building.
Romantic? I don't doubt the emperor loved his wife, but people forget (or don't know) that he had many wives!! It could be that he had also built it out of guilt for having a harem!
V Narayan, Sweden/England

I first visited in 1992, certainly fantastic and a highlight of a trip to India.
Chip, Bosnia

Taj Mahal is a replica of history and wonderful architecture.

Ashish Verma, USA

Taj is a symbol of Secularism. Please do not politicise or religionize it. People who see it as a symbol of Muslim invasion of India, should thank God that it is in a free, democratic, tolerant, progressive and compassionate land. Others who condemn it for institutionalising destruction by Muslim invaders should draw strength from it to make thousands of more Taj Mahals serving all causes from serving the needy to Hitech cities, and not just for love for a woman. Taj Mahal is a replica of history and wonderful architecture.
Ashish Verma, USA

Too bad the emperor who built it was imprisoned by his own son, Aurangzeb. And not allowed to see the monument from the front for the rest of his life.
Priya, USA

I am sure Taj Mahal is a very beautiful building - but not when you have Malaria.

Agha Ata, USA

Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. I visited Taj Mahal in 1987 when I had only 4 hours visa left to remain in India. I had Malaria and my family did not get a good hotel, the previous night, to stay in Agra. It was raining. I did not find Taj Mahal as I had imagined. It was boring and there was nothing striking about it. But that too was in my mind. I am sure Taj Mahal is a very beautiful building - but not when you have Malaria.
Agha Ata, USA

I was nine years old when my father took me to see it at night when the moon was full. He had said that this was the best way to see it. He was right. The picture has always stayed with me.
Armen Gasparian, Italy

Taj Mahal, Imagine that you are eagerly waiting for a show to begin. Taj Mahal is just like that. As soon as you enter the gates of red stone, there it is... The most magnificent image of the most majestic structure right at the heart of the most wonderful place on earth.... India...
Ghanashyam Master, UK

The masterpiece of all masterpieces.
Buckshot, Canada

We were transported from our tourist woes into a reverie of sheer sensuous elegance.

Julie, USA

It was 25 years ago. We were tired, slightly unwell, and had had a terrible journey from Delhi to Agra (overcrowded train). We missed our coach connection from the station and had to walk or get a lame horse-pulled rickshaw. We walked.
It was not until we got to the arch gate through which you get your first glimpse of the magnificent building that we were transported from our tourist woes into a reverie of sheer sensuous elegance and romantic beauty. I never thought that a mere building could touch my soul. It is a treasure for humanity. I will never forget it.
Julie, USA

Once upon a time, when women were romantic, compassionate and forgiving, the kings and ordinary men used to make Taj Mahal to show their love. Today, the hurricane and the women take away your Taj Mahal before you know it. That is why no king was ever able to build another Taj Mahal....
Shahid Parvez, USA

If it is true that the designers of the Taj had their eyes gouged out and their hands cut off so that they could never duplicate it, I wouldn't call it a labour of love. It just demonstrates how cruel man can be.
Larry Sullivan, USA

Taj is hyped in the west. It's more popular among westerners than Indians. There are many more monuments in India worth visiting...India is not just the Taj.
Goutam Chadalavada, India/USA

True craftsmanship in the name of true love.

Sue Packard, UK

Stunning! Few people have mentioned the thing that truly struck me dumb - the delicate carving and inlay, petals the size of your finger both outside & on the tomb inside! True craftsmanship in the name of true love.
Sue Packard, UK

As the sun went down and the moon appeared (it was a full moon day) the magical transformation took place. The place became cool and the whole structure started to glow like a miracle. I would describe Taj as poetry in marble. Initially we wanted to leave early...but later we stayed there till sunrise. Even after 17 years the memoirs of Taj is vivid for me. In another dimension, I feel that it symbolises the peaceful coexistence of Hindus and Muslims in India for the past 4 centuries.
Arul, USA

As a twelve-year old, then resident in India, I had the unique privilege of touring the Taj the first time in the company of a former Miss India, the great dancer Indrani. You cannot imagine the emotional turmoil of being the in presence of such beauty!
David Stein, USA

You get this warm feeling that life and most of all marriage is a good thing.

Jason Edgley, USA

I am an old man now, my first glimpse of the Taj was on my first visit to India in the early Fifties. It was also then that I met my wife who was on that educational trip with me. So the Taj to me was a great start of my marriage. We have been back once and yes it's true, you get this warm feeling that life and most of all marriage is a good thing
Jason Edgley, USA

To some it may be a wonder and to some it may just be a "tomb" but for me Taj Mahal is a part of my identity and my life as I proudly tell all whom I meet that I am from the city of great Taj Mahal.
Ravitej Mago, Agra India

I have a mixed feeling whenever I am reminded of the Taj Mahal. On the one hand I gleam with joy to look at a structure so unique, so beautiful and so symmetric built by the very same humans who some believe, destroyed a beautiful temple that existed in its place. On the other hand my heart goes out for all those people who toiled their lives to build this structure only to get their hands chopped off by their King. "Isn't life full of contradictions?" is what I hear from the echoes of this magnificent marble epitome of love.
Lalloo Bihari, USA/Nepal

I believe one has to be an exceptional dreamer to conceive something so great.

Tridiv, Germany/India

I have to say I did not expect much before I visited the Taj. I have seen numerous pictures of it in the books, movies and TV. But when you actually enter the grounds and stand in front of it, you are just stunned. I thought it cannot be true, I am in a white dream. I have seen much excellent architecture around the world, but really nothing like the Taj Mahal. I do not know if I should appreciate the great conception or the wonderful details. It is said that the architect actually dreamt the building before designing it. I believe one has to be an exceptional dreamer to conceive something so great.
Tridiv, Germany/India

It is not the majestic Taj Mahal that stands but the suffering and great atrocity when through by the builders that counts. Taj Mahal is not a romantic shrine but a sacrifice site.
Vijanth, Belfast UK

I seriously hope that Taj Mahal remains what it is for another 1000 years.

Bharat Bhushan, Germany/India

Once Guru Rabindra Nath Tagore (when he was a student) was asked to describe Taj Mahal in a sentence, he wrote: "Taj Mahal is a tear drop of love, frozen on the cheeks of time". And, a Bollywood song goes like this: "By building Taj Mahal in the memories of his beloved, the Emperor has belittled and mocked common people's love". I saw Taj Mahal two years ago, and my impressions lie somewhere between Tagore's words and Bollywood song. Nonetheless, I seriously hope that Taj Mahal remains what it is for another 1000 years.
Bharat Bhushan, Germany/India

It is a great place and a reminder that Muslims invaded India
Ali Hamid, UK London

This magnificent building was more wonderful than I had ever imagined.

Len McGrane, New Zealand

I went prepared for a disappointment. Afterall I'd been aware of the Taj Mahal since childhood, when it was on my mother's baking tins and in my school books. I knew it was a Wonder of the World. Then I stepped through the cool red stone entrance and...I was stunned! This magnificent building was more wonderful than I had ever imagined. During the year I was in India I went back to Agra three or four times and never tired of the Taj. Best seen at full moon, though, when the gleam of stone high overhead on the marvellous dome blinks through swirling, grey river mists as you slowly perambulate this unique experience.
Len McGrane, New Zealand

It will never fit any where on the English soil and neither can the western world ever come to understand such a mystic but devotion to love undefined and the meaning of it. It will out live any other such empire or dynasty in the world.
Jerath, USA

Visiting the great wonder of the World "Taj Mahal" in 1997 was the most monumental experience I ever had to this day. It is so majestic that one can easily fall in love with this great icon of love.
Raj, USA

It is so majestic, but not overpowering. It is beautiful, but not intoxicated. It is a perfection of harmony and peace
Ray, Australia

For goodness sake, it is just a tomb! What is the big deal about it?

Sushama Londhe, USA

A monument; a splendour on earth with the bliss of heaven, a silent portrayal of the overwhelming beauty of human traits-love and peace. It leaves a lasting impression on your soul.
Rajan Panda, New York, USA

Once you step in and feel the cool of the marble and calmness and serenity, you will feel like love is embracing you.
Do you want to reignite the love in your life? Visit the Taj Mahal!!
Nikhil Shah, USA

True love embodied in grandeur, for all romantics who aspire to build one for their love. Alas, we can buy a miniature one to celebrate our love!
Yogi Sehgal, Canada

Imagine building something that beautiful and stand by it when it's finished!

Angela, Hungary

As an Indian it is more of a reminder of Muslim Invasion of India and subsequent destruction of north Indian Temples and Indian architecture.
Vijay Shrivastav, USA

When I visited Taj Mahal, I was shocked. I did expect it to be really really breath taking, but not as much as it took my breath!! As an Architect, I do believe, the Architect of Taj Mahal, loved it more than anyone else in this world. Imagine building something that beautiful and stand by it when it's finished! Iranians are damn good architects, I have to say.
Angela, Hungary

I visited the Taj Mahal in 1990, and it stands in front of my eyes ever since. Those who thinks about Indian people in terms of an 'inferior' race must be sent there to see what these 'inferior sub-humans' built. Taj Mahal is a monument to love and to the human genius, it also is the best proof of the racists nonsense!
Ilya Girin, USA

To me Taj is Love, Beauty and Passion captured in perfect design.

Mohan Marette, India & USA

Stunning perfection! Since I went to graduate school at Agra University I have had the privilege to visit the Taj often - and at will - during the two years I lived there. To me Taj is Love, Beauty and Passion captured in perfect design.
Mohan Marette, India & USA

Taj Mahal is a magnificent building - its view is breath taking - but don't forget it is nothing but a tomb.
If couples who visit this site - break up as it is suggested - the divorce rate in India would have been astounding - but this is not the case. Princess Diana or President Clinton do not constitute the world but are just two other individuals visiting this site.
However, the government of India must take every effort to preserve this mighty building - so the generations to come will be able to see and appreciate the glories of the past.
Isaac Pappy, USA

When I first saw it in 1990 it looked as though something beautiful had descended from the heaven. A truly awesome architectural feat with minarets leaning outwards.
Anil, Watford UK

I have found it a place of great peace and serenity in what can be an otherwise hectic city.

Martin Dart, UK

I have visited the Taj twice in recent years, and I have found it a place of great peace and serenity in what can be an otherwise hectic city. As a Westerner it was unusual to be asked to remove one's shoes to enter the Taj itself, but the feeling of that cool marble on the bare soles was a delight!
My path did cross briefly with a French fashion buyer on the steps of one of the Taj's minarets, but we went our separate ways after a reasonable discussion - maybe the magic of the Taj is waning after all these years!
Martin Dart, Oxford, UK

Though I lived in India for about thirteen years from my childhood I did not have the chance to visit that precious glittering jewel on earth. I hope that I will make it.
Kasinathan, Singapore

There is something about it that hits you right where your heart is.

Manoj, Canada

For me, until the day I saw it, it was just another mausoleum built in marble by a rich king out of the exploits of a poor people. The moment I saw it, all my ill will towards Shahjahan vanished. There is something about it that hits you right where your heart is. You can't describe it - it transcends religion, race, background and language.
Manoj, Canada

I will never forget visiting the Taj Mahal. It's a beautiful building and the grounds are breathtaking. Sadly I didn't take any pictures as I dropped my camera in the pool at the time, but I can still picture it in my mind like it was yesterday.
Angus Macpherson, England

I visited Taj in 1977. The visit was as if a pilgrimage to this wonder which is more of the embodiment of man's love for woman. And this is the ultimate and the most truthful feeling which is universal and natural. This feeling has so aptly been enshrined into this highly ravishing and seductive monument.
Taj belongs to mankind. All nations must put in a genuine and concerted effort to conserve it.
Jatinder Singh Bedi, USA

This solitary and exquisite homage to love took my breath away.

Abraham Mathews, Singapore

I was only 12 in 1974 when I first saw the Taj Mahal. I turned the corner and there it was...!!!!
Living in Singapore with all its highrises blotting out the horizon, this solitary and exquisite homage to love took my breath away.
Abraham Mathews, Singapore

I visited Taj in 1995. Entered with a lot of expectations, and returned with plenty of pride of having visited. The simple thing out there is nobody pushes you through. You have plenty of time to feel and enjoy every little thing.
Agra is historically an important city. It has to shun all the modern industries to protect this great monument. The awareness is more now. I am sure something concrete will take place before things become too late.
Don't believe the "marriage falling apart" kind of stories. I have plenty of my friends and relatives who have very old pictures with their spouses with Taj at backdrop. I was not married 1995, but now I have no hesitation to take my wife there and take a photograph of us in Taj Mahal.
Elencheliyan, Indian in US

It seduces one the moment you set foot on its grounds.

Guru Shenoy, United States

It is indeed the ultimate symbol of a man's love for his beloved. Possibly as close as a woman will truly witness and understand how selflessly a man can genuinely love her. Its craftsmanship is stunning and the architecture unparalleled and magnificent.
It seduces one the moment you set foot on its grounds. Early dawn or moonlight would be the best time to capture the beauty of this monument. The atmosphere inside is calm and soothing. It's India's gift to humankind...
Guru Shenoy, United States

Taj Mahal, another great piece of architecture built by an Iranian architect. It's art, it's situation, I am sure I will be shocked when I see it with my eyes, because of its beauty, and that definitely can be a romantic place!!!
Korosh, Iran

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See also:

22 Mar 00 | South Asia
Taj Mahal pollution plea

10 Dec 99 | South Asia
Moonlight viewing of the Taj

13 Feb 98 | Valentine
The bottom line of true love

Internet links:

Taj Mahal - A tribute to beauty

Taj Mahal - Mausoleum of Mumtaz Mahal

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