Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-02-13
A Wonderful MauSOleum.

Many Lands anu over MANY DCdo, Dy
Rev. DIR. Prime, of New York, recently
published, we take the following descrlp-
ton of The famous Mausoleum In Agra,
India, erected in the seventeenth century:
About mile to the south OF the tort at
Agra, upon the right bank OF the river
Ju.ana lies a beautiful park about
quarter of mile square, planted with the
choicest trees, and shrubs, and flowers or
the East. More then eighty fountains,
scattered along the avenues Of this park,
throw their Jets into the air, which
spa1kles with the falling drops as with
shower of diamonds. tits surrounded by
a high wall, and guarded by a magnificent
gateway, building fifty or sixty feet III
height, which, with any other surround
ings, would be studied and admired for
its architectural grandeur, and the beauty
of it's carving and mosaic characterization.
No one would imagine it to be simply the
portal to greater beauty and grandeur, but
such it is.
We enter beneath this majestic arch,
and find ourselves within the park. a
broad avenue, skirted with lofty expresses,
acacias, and other Oriental trees, and
tanks of aqnatic plants and jets d'eat, re-
veals at its extremity an object which at
once rivets the eye, and steals over the
heart like strain of delicious music, or
like the melody of sublime poetry. 1t Is
the Tai, the peerless Tai, the mausoleum
erected by the Emperor Shah Jehen as
the tomb of his favorite begun, Moor
Mahal, in which they now sleep side by
side. She died before him, and it is stated
that, as she felt her life ebbing away, she
sent for the Emperor, and told him she
had only two requests to make: first, that
he would not take another wife and have
children to- contend with hers for his
favor and dominions; and, second, that
he would build for her the tomb he had
promised, to perpetuates her memory.
The Emperor summoned the medical
counselors of the city to do everything in
their power to save her life, but all in
vain.
Shah Jehan, who was devotedly attach
ed to her, at once set about complying
with her last request. The tomb was
commenced Immediately, and, according
to Tavernler, who saw its first and last
stones laid, it was twenty-five years in
building, with twenty thousand men con-
stantly occupied upon it. 1t cost, in act
ual expense, in addition to the forced
labor Of the men, more than three hun
dred laos Of rupees, or about fifteen mil
lions of dollars. Such a building, includ-
ing the cost of materials, could scarcely
be erected by paid labor at the present
time, even in India, for $4,000, 000.
AS this building is acknowledged by
every traveller to be unrivaled, and the
sight of it declared by many to be worth
journey round the world, I will
give a more minute description. of
its situation and its prominent features.
At the extremity Of the beautiful park
or Oriental garden Of which / have
spoken, onsthe river side rises terrace
of red sandstone twenty feet in height.
and thousand feet broad The walls of
the terrace on all sides are Of hewn stone,
and It's surface is paved with the same
material. at the extreme left of this ter
race stands magnificent mosque. an ap-
pendage to the main structure, the Tai.
1t is the place of prayer for the faithful,
who come to visit the tomb Of the favor
tie Of the MOgul Emperor. This building
alone must have been very costly, but
as 1t would destroy the symmetry of the
gran@ mausoleum by occupying one side
of the central building, the Emperor had
another mosque, perfect counterpart,
erected on the opposite extremity of the
terrace, a thousand feet distant, Of no use
excepting as a j1a0a5, or answer to the
first. The one is held as sacred place;
the other, in the eyes of a MOhammedan.
has nothing sacred about it; it is simply
the complement of the first.
On the lofty terrace Of sandstone rises
another terrace of pure white marble, its
walls of cut stone laid as regularly as the
courses Of a marble building. This ter
race is three hundred feet square. At
each Of its four corners there stands
circular marble nlnaret, about twenty
five feet in diameter, diminishing in size
until at the height of hundred and fifty
feet it is crowned with an open cupola,
commanding a magnificent view Of the
Tai with its surroundings, of the River
Jumna, the city and fort Of Agra, and of
the adjacent country. | assembled to the
top OF one Of these minarets, and had pho
tOgraphed upon my memory view which
l am sure no time can dim.
In the center Of this marble terrace,
equi-distant from the four lofty and
graceful minarets, stands the building
which for more than two centuries has
been the admiration of every eve that in
all that period of time has rested on it
1t is an Octagon, or it might perhaps be
more correctly described as square with
each of the four corners slightly cut off.
dome, having the gracefulness of outline
which seems to have been an inspiration
in the Mohammedan and Oriental STYLES
of architecture. The building is one hun.
dred and fifty feet in diameter; the cres-
cent upon the summit Of the dome nearly
two hundred feet above the pavement
The structure is built from foundation to
topstone of the purest marble, so perfect
In It's preservation and SO unspotted in
its whiteness that it looks as if it might
have been erected only yesterday. Stand
ing upon its marble pedestal, it vies in
purity with the clouds that are floating
by. A cupola of the same material
rests upon the roof on each side of the
dome. The exterior of the build
ing is carved in graceful de-
signs, the front deliberately wrought,
but IN such perfect taste as to fill the eve
like picture in colors. No description
will convey to the mind any idea of the
effect of the engraving on the arched
doorway. 1t is elaborate, but not ford
giving to the solid marble almost the
llghtness of a cloud. Indeed, the whole
building, as you look upon it, seems to
foat IN the air like an autumn cloud,
Let us enter-but breathe softly and
tread gently as you step within. It is the
sleeping chamber of Moor Mahal the
cherished wife of the Mogul Emperor
Shah Jehan, and here, beneath this mao
nificent dome, they lie side by side, each
IN couch of almost transparent marble
set with nrecious stopoo o,d ,,,,