Who would have thought of it? That you would find a seminal connection with the quintessential Great Mughal emperor Shahjehan and your beloved on Valentine’s Day? Well, the entire world knows that this stunning marble wonder is an enduring symbol of the eternal love of an emperor for his wife Mumtaz Mahal. There is another other lesson for us here as well. Shahjehan’s love, in this instance, was not just for a girlfriend, fleeting or otherwise. It was for his wife of many years who gave him many children. And that’s saying a lot in this millennial era of quick divorces. That she was his most loved woman, out of his entire harem, to whom he was totally devoted, is significant.
That she died giving birth to his 14th child hit the emperor hard. The shock of her passing truly devastated him. When he finally emerged from his chambers after a week, his hair had largely gone white out of inconsolable grief.
Shahjehan’s love for Mumtaz and his delight in architectural design coalesced into what became Project Taj, in his desire to build a befitting memorial to her. The luxury-loving Mughal gave full rein to his cherished desire for opulence and the pursuit of perfection. The pristine beauty, astonishing craftsmanship and meticulous planning for the Taj mirror were the finest aspects of the aesthete in this great connoisseur of luxury and fine things. From1631 and 1648, with Ustad-Ahmad Lahori, the main architect of the Taj Mahal, masons, stone-cutters, inlayers, carvers, painters, calligraphers, dome builders and other artisans from the whole of the empire and also from the Central Asia and Iran, laboured to perfect the grand mausoleum to the satisfaction of the emperor.
Plan on being in Agra early to catch the sunrise over the Taj on Valentine’s Day. Spend meaningful moments recapturing the marvels of this world renowned architectonic wonder and what it meant for the Great Mughal. At sunset, wend your way to the serene Mehtab Bagh, located across the river Yamuna, for those stunning views of the Taj, before night descends. The garden is open till 12 am, so you might even catch the Taj bathed in the light of the moon.
Though Valentine’s Day doesn’t have a full moon night this year, you can return any time when there is one from March onwards for this surreal experience. Night viewing of Taj Mahal is available on five days in a month i.e. on a full moon night, and two nights before and two nights after the full moon, after except Fridays and the month of Ramzan.
Did you know that in October, around Sharad Purnima, there’s a phenomenon known as ‘chamki’; this happens when the full moon reaches an angle from where the bounty of the moon’s light reflects off the marble façade of the Taj to create an illusion of flickering lights? Now, wouldn’t that be a magical thing to share with your loved one? After all, love is not a one-day/ Valentine Day wonder–You can create magic together any time of the year!