Munira Nurbhai, Grade 11
UWCEA Arusha Campus
What comes to your mind when you hear the words, true love? Cleopatra who madly fell in love with Mark Antony when she could have anyone? Johnny Cash and June Carter, who fell in love when they went on tour together? Romeo and Juliet, two lovers who died while trying to reconcile their feuding families? Or Jack who dies of hypothermia protecting Rose by having her float on a doorframe while he stays in the water.
For some people, it might be to accept their loved ones for who they are, put their happiness above their own, to always love them even if they are not by their side. For others, it might mean having an unwavering, unbreakable, and unparalleled fondness and devotion for your partner. But for me, true love is a feeling of warmth, tenderness, passion, desire, and a sentiment that is unconditional, regardless of good times or hardships.
When I hear the words, true love- Shah Jahan and Mumtaz come to my mind
While some partners may buy flowers, chocolates, and soft toys for their loved ones, the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan expressed his true love by building the Taj Mahal (the crown of the palace) to house the tomb of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It honors the exceptional love between Shah Jahan and his beloved wife Arjumand Banu Begum.
It is known that Jahan first spotted Mumtaz in the bazaar at Agra, selling silks and beads, and the young prince fell madly in love at first sight with the Persian gentleperson. After pursuing Mumtaz for five long years, they finally got married in 1612. Mumtaz gave birth to 14 children but soon died due to postpartum hemorrhage while giving birth to her 14th. Jahan was heartbroken, inconsolable, and mourned Mumtaz for 2 years where he hailed the most talented artisans from all over the world to begin preparing an exceptional structure for his eternal love, Mumtaz.
The result was the exemplary Taj Mahal. An Islamic white marbled mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra. The thought of building the mausoleum came to Shah Jahan in 1631 where he put his idea to work with construction starting immediately.
It was finally finished in a period of over 22 years by 22,000 laborers, and over 1000 elephants that were used to transport the building materials. The Taj Mahal which is now 73m tall, and encompasses nearly 17 hectares was finally inaugurated on 16th December 1903 and was open to the public to witness the magnificence of the beauty.
Today, Jahan’s monument is one of the seven wonders of the world with over 7 million people visiting it each year and being a must-see on their trip to India.
If Aladdin really did grant us three wishes, my first wish would be to time travel back to the nineteen hundreds specifically to the Indian city of Agra just so I could meet the romantic and extremely talented Shah Jahan himself.
A person who was not an extremist but rather made many cultural and economic changes. Moreover, to witness the love shown through the exquisite building and design of the Taj Mahal. Not only did he build one of the seven wonders of the world, but he was also one of the greatest patrons of Mughal architecture.
It would be an honor to meet a Mughal emperor who made us believe in true love and appreciate it like never before. We also see how they are still inseparable being buried next to each other under the tomb.
If any girl or guy is reading this article, remember to never settle for less!
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taj_Mahal
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/252/
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Taj-Mahal
Image Courtesy: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/eight-secrets-taj-mahal-180962168/
For some people, it might be to accept their loved ones for who they are, put their happiness above their own, to always love them even if they are not by their side. For others, it might mean having an unwavering, unbreakable, and unparalleled fondness and devotion for your partner. But for me, true love is a feeling of warmth, tenderness, passion, desire, and a sentiment that is unconditional, regardless of good times or hardships.
When I hear the words, true love- Shah Jahan and Mumtaz come to my mind
While some partners may buy flowers, chocolates, and soft toys for their loved ones, the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan expressed his true love by building the Taj Mahal (the crown of the palace) to house the tomb of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It honors the exceptional love between Shah Jahan and his beloved wife Arjumand Banu Begum.
It is known that Jahan first spotted Mumtaz in the bazaar at Agra, selling silks and beads, and the young prince fell madly in love at first sight with the Persian gentleperson. After pursuing Mumtaz for five long years, they finally got married in 1612. Mumtaz gave birth to 14 children but soon died due to postpartum hemorrhage while giving birth to her 14th. Jahan was heartbroken, inconsolable, and mourned Mumtaz for 2 years where he hailed the most talented artisans from all over the world to begin preparing an exceptional structure for his eternal love, Mumtaz.
The result was the exemplary Taj Mahal. An Islamic white marbled mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra. The thought of building the mausoleum came to Shah Jahan in 1631 where he put his idea to work with construction starting immediately.
It was finally finished in a period of over 22 years by 22,000 laborers, and over 1000 elephants that were used to transport the building materials. The Taj Mahal which is now 73m tall, and encompasses nearly 17 hectares was finally inaugurated on 16th December 1903 and was open to the public to witness the magnificence of the beauty.
Today, Jahan’s monument is one of the seven wonders of the world with over 7 million people visiting it each year and being a must-see on their trip to India.
If Aladdin really did grant us three wishes, my first wish would be to time travel back to the nineteen hundreds specifically to the Indian city of Agra just so I could meet the romantic and extremely talented Shah Jahan himself.
A person who was not an extremist but rather made many cultural and economic changes. Moreover, to witness the love shown through the exquisite building and design of the Taj Mahal. Not only did he build one of the seven wonders of the world, but he was also one of the greatest patrons of Mughal architecture.
It would be an honor to meet a Mughal emperor who made us believe in true love and appreciate it like never before. We also see how they are still inseparable being buried next to each other under the tomb.
If any girl or guy is reading this article, remember to never settle for less!
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taj_Mahal
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/252/
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Taj-Mahal
Image Courtesy: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/eight-secrets-taj-mahal-180962168/
www.unitedworldwide.co