Washington State journal and Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1906-1907, 1906-11-14
construction was commenced four years
after Arjalnand's demise.

construction was commenced four years
AFTER Arjalnand's demise,
In keeping with an old Tartar Gus
ton, garden was chosen as the site
of the tomb-a garden planted with
flowers and fragrant shrubs, emblemS
OF life, and solemn expresses, emblems
OF death and eternity. In Mogul days
| such garden was maintained as
pleasure ground during the owners life
time, and used for his interment when
dead.
The laborers came from many parts
of the world-the chief masons froll
northern India and Bagdad the dome
builders from Asiatic Turkey. and the
mosaic artists from Persia. Every
section of India and Central Asia was
drawn upon for materials. The marble,
spotless in purity, was brought from
Javpore, 300 miles away, on the backs
Of elephants and camels or by bullo.K
carts. The red sandstone was contri-
buted by Fathpur Sikrij, one Of the
Mogul capitals, the Jasper by the Pun
lab, the crystal and jade by China.
| The turauoises came from Tibet and
the Red Sea, the sapphires and lapis
!azuli from Ceylon, coral and corne-
liar from Arabia. onyx and amethysts
from Persia, and the diamonds from
B1ndelkund.
II engaged the unceasing labor of
10000 men for seventeen years to COM
plcte the Tai and like that other great
to NIB, the Cheops Pyramid in Egypt,
It was reared chiefly by forced labor,
| unpaid and uncared for, and thereby
| produced great suffering and mortal.
| ity. This is the chief blemish on the
fair fame of the mausoleum overlook
ing the Jumna.
The Tai garden is perhaps hI'f
mile square, and Is surrounded by n
strikingly beautiful wall of masonry.
IT is an orderly wilderness of ri n
| negotiations, to be found only in ASIA
| anil the deep green's and rich browns
of the avenues of foliage unquestion-
ally accentuate the whiteness of the
Temple OF Death AS the garden helps
the tomb so the tomb gives expression
| TO the garden.
The great gateway of led sandstone
| whose roof Is adorned by Moorish
arches and paviions. is in itself one
of Inda's most perfect buildings. Fro n
its summit perfect view Of the Tai
,s had. with the Jumna flowing slug
g:ehly beneath its marble platform /;
aud from there the grounds are spre ii
before the visitor in a perfect pan
or INA The paved avenues. all lead.
Ing to the magnificent pile, miles of
marble aqueducts filled with ornL-
m,utal fish, playing fOuntalns-ali
breathe the superlative Of art, every
tiuttering leaf whispers o, the east.
| Sot by Its size Is Arjlmand's tomb
commanding. for Its dimensions are
very moderate. Imagine a plinth of
.l,wless marble, 313 feet square and
riNng IS feet from the grOund-thqt
Is the foundation of the wondrous
structure. The Tai is 1856 feet square,
with dome rising to an extreme height
OF 22O feet. At each corner of the
pl!nth stands tapering minaret rear
Ing its crown 1877 feet.
No building carries the idea Of per-
solality further than the TAI, a fem
mime personality, as 1t should be, for
It contains no suggestion Of the rug
g>d grandeur of tomb for a gre IT
man. The Tai Is the antithesis of the
Parthenon. of Napoleon's resting place,
Of Grants robust mausoleum on tn,
Hudson. A sepulcher fashioned after
, ordir airy architectural canons can on y
. - conventional; the TAI Is different
, from all other buildings IL the world !;
1t Is symbolical Of womanly grace and