Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-15
THE TAI MAHAL.

thing more so. Within their walls are
winding staircases by which one can reach
narrow balconies like those on light houses
and look upon the Tai from different
heights and study its details from the top
as well as the bottom. The domes that
crown. these four minarets are exact
coInterparts of that which covers the tomb
Red Sandstone Mosques.
On the east and ON the west sides of the
terrace are mosques built of Byzantine de-
signs of deep red sandstone, which accent
yates the purity of the marble of which the
tomb is made in a most effective manner.
At any other place, among any other sur
roundings, these mosques would be regard
ed worthy of prolonged study and unbound
ed admiration, but here they pass almost
unnoticed. Like the trees of the gardens
and the river that flows at the foot of the
terrace, they are only a humble part of
the frame which incloses the great pietr1re
They are intended to serve purpose, and
they serve 1t well. In beauty they are sur
passed only by the tomb itself
One OF the mosques has recently been put
in perfect repair and the other is under
going restoration, by order of Lord Curzon,
who believes that the architectural and ar
Genealogical monuments of ancient India
should be preserved and protected. and he
is spending considerable government money
for that purpose This policy has been criti-
cised by certain Christian missionaries
WHO, Hhe the lCOnOcldStS OF Old, would tear
down heather temples and desecrate hea-
then tombs. Many Of the most beautiful ex-
amples of ancient Hindu architecture have
already been destroyed by government au-
thorlty, and the material of which they
were built has been utilized in the con-
structton of barracks and fortresses You
may not perhaps believe It, but there are
still living in India men who call them
selves servants of the Lord, who would
erase every monument that is in any way
associated with pagan worship or tradi-
tons. They would destroy even the Tai
Maha1 itself, and then thank God for the
opportunity of performing such an act in
His service.
Majestic Pile of White Marble.
Midway between the two red mosques
rises a majestic pile of pure white marble
1856 feet square, with the corners cut off. Il
measures eighty feet from it's pedestal to its
roof, and is surmounted by dome also
eighty feet high, measuring from the roof
and fifty-eight feet In diameter. Upon the
summit of the dome is spire of gilded cop
per twenty-eight feet high, making the en-
tire structure 224 feet from the turf of the
garden to the tip of the spire All of the
domes are shaped like inverted turnips after
the byzantine style. Four small ones s,1r-
round the central dome, exact duplicates
and one-eighth of its SIZE and they are ar
ranged upon arches upon the fiat roof of the
building. From each of the eight angles of
siiO iooi Spi ihSS utHcdt0 SplT6 or D1nna-
Gle, an exact duplicate of the great nina
rets in the corners, each sixteen feet high
and they are SO slender that they look like
alabaster pencils glistening in the sun
shine.
The same duplication is carried out
through the entire building. The harmony
Is complete. Every tower, every dome,
every arch, is exactly like every other
tower, dome and arch, differing only in
Dimensions.
The building is entered on the north and
south sides through enormous pointed
arches of perfect proportions reaching
above the roof, and at each corner of the
frames that iEcloSe them is another min
aret, miniature of the rest. Each of the
six faces of the remainder of the octagon
Is pierced by two similar arches one above
the other, opening upon galleries which
serve to break the force of the SUM- to mod
crate the heat and to subdue the light They
form sort of colonnade around the build
ing above and below. and are separated
from the rOtunda by screens of perforated
alabaster. as exquisite and delicate in de-
sign and execution as Brussels point
Lace. The slabs of alabaster, twelve
by eight feet in size, are pierced
with filfgree work finely finished as il they
were intended to be worn as jewels upon
the crown of an empress. / am told that
there is no stone work to compare with
them anywhere else on earth. Hence it was
not in Athens. nor In Rome. but in northern
India that the chisel of the sculptor at
tdIieu It's most perfect precision and
achieved its greatest triumphs. All of the
light that reaches the interior is filtered
through this treiliswork.
The Rotunda.
The rotunda is unbroken, fifty-eight feet
in diameter and 100 feet from the floor to
the apex of the ceiling. Like every other
part of the building. 1t is of the purest
white marble. inlaid with mosaics of pre-
cious stones. The walls, the pillars, the
wainscoting and the entire exterior as well
as the interior of the building are the same.
You have doubtless seen brooches ear
rings. sleeve buttons and other ornaments
of Florentine mosaic, with floral and other
designs worked out with different colored
stones infaid on black or white marble
You can buy paper weights of that sort
and table tops which represent months Of
labor and the most exact workmanship
They are very expensive because of the