The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-03-14
THE TAI MAHAL.
An Ediffce OF Irresistible LONELINESS, the
yVondar of the Wnrld.


have written nothing of the wonder of Agra
and Of the world-the Tai, the peerless tomb.
built for the fair dead body of Arjamund Banoo
Begun by her lord and lover. the Emperor Shah
Jehan. In truth. it is difficult to speak Of what
has been so often described, the charm of which
remains nevertheless quite indescribable. AS a
matter of course, our first hours in Agra were
devoted to contemplation of that tender elegy IN
marble, which. by its beauty, has made I'M
mortal the loneliness that it commentaries.
The Tartar princes and princesses from whom
sprang the proud line OF the Moguls loved, IN
their lifetime to choose piece OF picturesque
ground, to inclose it with high walls, embellish
its precincts with flower beds and groves OF
shady trees, and to build upon it bara.durl
pleasure house. where they took delight during
the founders life When he died the pavllion
became mausoleum. and never again echoed
with song and music. Perhaps the fair daughter
OF Asuf<Khan Shah Jehan's sultana. had loved
this very garden in her lfe for her remains were
laid, at DEATH in its confines. while the emperor
commissioned the best artifcers of his time TO
build resting place for her dust worthy OF the
graces of mind and body which are recorded IN
the Persian verse upon her grave In all the
world no queen had ever such monument You
have read thousand times all about the Tai,
you know exactly-so you beleve-what to ex
pect There will be the gateway of red sand
stone with the embroidered sentences upon 1t
from the holy book" the demi-vault inlaid with
flowers and scrolls, then the green garden open
ing long vista over marble pavements between
masses of heavy foliage and mournful pillars of
the cypress, ranged like sentinels to guard the
solemnity Of the spot. At the far end of this
vista. beyond the fountains and the marble
platform, amid four stately white towers, you
know what sweet and symmetrical dome will be
beheld, higher than its breadth, solid and
majestic, but yet soft and delicate in its swelling
proportions and its milk-white sheen Prepared
to admire, you also aware of the defects
alleged against the Taj-the rigidity of its out
lines the lack of shadow upon its unbroken front
and fauks, and the colored inlaying said to
make it less a triumph of architecture than or
Mosaic work. an illustration somewhat too strik
ing and lavish of what Is said of the Moguls. that
they designed like giants, and finished like
jewelers." You determine to judge it dispassion-
ately, not carried away by the remem brance that
~. 600 workmen were employed for twenty two
years in its construction. that it cost hard upon
600, and that gems and precious stones
came in camel-loads from all parts of the earth
to furnish the inlayers with their material.
Then you pass beneath the stately portal--in
ITSELF sufficient to commemorate the proudest of
princesses-and as the white cupalo of the Tai
rises before the gaze and reveals its beauty,
grace by grace. as you pass along the pave
mented avenue, the mind refuses to criticize
what enchants the eye and fills the heart with
sentiment of reverence for the royal love which
could thus translate itself into alabaster. If it
be time of sunlight the day is softened to perpet-
ual afternoon by the shadows cast from the
palms and peenuls, the thuja trees, and the pome-
granate. while the hot wind is cooled by the
scent of roses and jasmine. Ii it be moonlight,
the dark avenue leads the gaze mysteriously
to the soft and lofty splendor of that
dome. In either case, when the first platform is
reached. and the full glory of this snow-white
wonder comes into sight, one can no more stay
to critclse its details than to analyze beautiful
face suddenly seem Admiration, delight, aston
ishmert blend in the absorbed thought with
feeling that human affection never struggled
more ardently, passionately and triumphantly
ipcf he ohli v,nv DF doa Ehar &c
tained harmonious majestic sorrowfuness of
pride In it, from the verse on the entrance which
says: 'The pure of heart shall enter the gardens
OF God, to the small delicate letters of scuntured
Arabic upon the tombstone which tell that Mum
tar-i-Mahal, the Exalted One of the palace"
lies here, and that Allah alone is Powerful"
The garden helps the tomb. as the tomb digni6es
the garden Il is such an orderly wilderness of
rich vegetation as could only be had in ASIA
broad flags of banana betting the dark tangle of
banyan and bamboo with the white payements
cleaning crosswise through the verdure Yet
if the Tai rose amid the sands of dreary desert,
the lovely edlfce would beautify the waste and
turn it into tender parable of the desolation
of death, and the power of love. which is
stronger than death. You pace round the four
sides of the milk-whte monument, pausing to
observe the glorious prospect over the Indian
plains. commanded from the platform on that
side where Jumna washes the foot of the wall
Its magnitude now astounds. The plinth of the
Tai is over one hundred yards each way, and it
lifts it's golden pinnacles 244 feet into the sky
From distance this lovely and aerial dome sits
therefore, above the horizon like rounded
cloud. And. having paced about it, and satur
ated the mind with its extreme and irresistible
loneliness you enter, reverently. the burial place
of the Princess Arjamund, to find the inner
walls Of the monument as much marvel of sub
tie shadow and chastened light, decked with
delicate jewelry as the exterior was noble and
simple. On the pure surface of this hall of
death, and upon the columns, panels and trellis-
work Of the marble screens surrounding the
tomb. are patiently inlaid all sorts of graceful
and elaborate NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. leaves,
berries. scrolls, and sentences-in jasper, coral,
bloodstone, lapis-lazuli, nacre onyx, turquoise,
sardonyX, and even precious gems. Moreover
the exquisite abode of death is haunted by spir-
its as delicate as their dwelling. They will not
answer to rude noises, but if a womans voice be
gently raised in notes Of hymn or song, if chord
is quietly sounded, echoes in the marble vault
take up the music. repeat diversity and amplfy
it with strange com binations OF melodous
sounds, slowly dying away and rearsing, as if
Israil, "who had the sweetest voice of all Allahs
angels had set guard of his best celestial min
strels to watch the death-couch of Arjamund.
For under the beautiful screens and the carved
treis work of a!abaster is the real resting place
of the Exalted One of the Palace" She has the
center of the circular area, marked by little
slab of snow-white marble, while by her side, a
span loftier in height, because he was man and
emperor, but not displacng her from the pre-
eninence of her grace and beauty, is the stone
which marks the resting spot of Shah Jehan. her
lord and lover. He has immortalzed--if he
could not preserve alive for brief day-his
peerless wife; yet the moral OF it all s written in
a verse hereabouts from the Hudees, or stradi-
tons" 1t runs. after reciting the style and IT,
ties of His Majesty, King of Kings. Shadow of
Allah. Whose Court is as Heaven-Saith Jesus
ION Whom be peace This world is bridge;
pass thee over it, but build not upon i'll This
world is an hour give its minutes to thy prayers,
for the rest is unseen"
Boxing Exercise.