Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1906-10-19

construction was commenced four years
after ~Arjalnand's demise.
In keeping with an old Tartar Gus
tom, a garden vas 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 a 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 fron
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, 800 miles away, on the backs
of elephants and camels or by bullock
carts. The red sandstone was contrl-
buted by Fathpur Sikrij, n OF the
Mogul capitals, the jasper by the u
lab, the crystal and jade by China.
The t~uruuoises came from Tibet and
the Red Sea, the sapphires n lapls
lazuli from Ceylon, coral and corne-
liar from Arabia, onyx and amethysts
from Persia, and the diamonds from
Bundelkund.
It engaged the u~nceasing labor Of
5000 men for seventeen years to COM
pIete the raj and like that other great
to NIB, the Cheops Pyramid in Egypt,
If was reared chiefly by forced labor,
unpaid and uncared for, and thereby
produced great suffering and mortal
ity. This is the chief blemish OF the
fair fame of the mausoleum overlook
ing the Jumna.
The Tai garden is perhaps a half
mile square, and is surrounded by a
strjkjngly beautiful wall of masonry.
If is an orderly wilderness of rich
negotiations, to be found only in Asia,
AMI the deep green's and rich browns
of the avenues of foliage unquestion-
ably accentuate the Wilderness OF the
Temple of Death. AS the garden helps
the tomb, so the tomb gives expression
to the garden.
, The great gateway of red sandstone,
whose GOT is adorned by Moorish
arches and pavilions, is in itself one
of India's most perfect buildings. From
its summit a perfect view Of the Tai
Is had, with the Jumna flowing slug
eishly beneath its marble platform;
aud from there the grounds are spread
before the visitor in a perfect pam
Drama. The paved avenues. all lead
ing to the magnificent pile, miles of
--.rh1z ,r,,aJ,,te GI1ol With WIN,
mental fish, playing fountains-ali
breathe the superlative Of art, every
duttering leaf whispers o. the east.
Not by it's size is Arjamand's tomb
commanding, for its dimensions are
very moderate. Imagine a plinth Of
fawless marble, 313 feet square and
rising IS feet from the g~round-that
is the foundation of the wondrous
structure. The Tai is 1856 feet square,
with dome rising to an extreme height
OF 220 feet. At each corner of the
pl!nth stands a tapering minaret rear
ing it's crown 1877 feet.
No building carries the idea of per-
so.;ality further than the Tai, a fem
mime personality, as it should be, for
1t contains no suggestion of the rug
gad grandeur Of a tomo for a great
man. The Tai is the antithesis of the
Parthenon, Of Napoleon's resting ,iace,
of Grants robust mausoleum on the
Hudson. A sepulcher fashioned after
ordjr airy architectural canons can on'y
BE- conventional; the Tai is different
from all other buildings in the world;
Il n Symbolical Of womanly grace and