The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1908-07-11

1t is we'll that Agra is deep in the
heart of India, and that the traveller
from either East or West, bent on
really seeing something of the land,
must perforce tarry at many places
ere he reaches the old Mogul capital.
The coUptrys wonders are thus seen
in their proper order-the lesser ones
first The architectural gIories of the
city are many, but it is the Tai Mahal
nat makes Of Agra an Indian Mecca.
One enters among the charming for
malities Of its old Persian garden in
pensive mood, for it seems of another
world than ours-the garden of land
Of dreams. Here all sounds are ST
ienced the air is heavy with the fra
GRANGE of the shrubs, the flower-beds
and the cypress trees. Even the gen
tie plash of the fountains does not of
ten disturb the soft peace encompass
ing this sanctuary of the fair
est romance of Hindustan. Perfect in
its proportions, almost unearthly in its
beauty, it is no monument raised for
arrogant ACKNOWLEDGMENT, but is
the mirror of a kings heart.
It is the reflection of husbands de
votion to a dead wife's memory; it is
the enduring record, enriching both
art and romance, of the love story of
one who held the best the world had
to offer as scarcely good enough to
consecrate the lifeless clay of her who
bore him seven children, and had been
his wife for fourteen happy years.
The Tai enclosure is therefore hal
owed ground and the story Of the
shrine runs as follows The Mogul
emperor, Shah Jehan stricken wish
grief at the death of his beautiful Per
sian queen, Mumtaz-Nahal, the Cho-
sen of the Palace, vowed he would
erect over her body a mausoeum
which should be pure and beautiful as
his dead queens heart; the fairest
building that ever adorned the earth,
just as she had been the fairest WON
an that ever trod it. This exquisite
creation in marble is witness to the
saCredness of his word
1t was Bishop Heber who said the
Moguls designed like Titans and fin
ished like jewellers" They were the
greatest of all Mahomedan builders,
and in this respect at least Shah Jehan
was the greatest of the Moguls. The
Had he built nothing but the town OF
Fatehpur- Sikri, that lOng-deserted pile
Of temples, palaces and towers, his
name would live for ever; but many
other are the marvels that bear trib-
ute to his fearlessness and yigor.
When this Mogul jeweller conceived
the idea of the Tai Mahal, the whole
world was searched for materials and
the finest talent of Europe was enlist,
cd 30 beautify the work. In 1880, the
year following the death of his queen,
the foundation stones were laid.
Many thousands of laborers and arti-
sans were employed, and seventeen
years later this love story in marble
and precious stones received the final
touches from the artists who had
~ FdlNu II. " llltA a. LfiAAA q i ava Nll
tine artist who, with staff Of lapi.
daries, was engaged in the restoration
of the mosaics Of the Diwan-i-khas IN
he palace He it was who told us Of
the stones to be found inlet in the
jeypOrc marble Of the Tai Mahal
Their are agates Of every ,onceiv-
able hue from many lands Of Europe,
e.llc,.icn from as many more, green
and white and variegatad Jade from
ma calumbino from Italy, rare-col.
"a pebbles from Africa lapislazuli
III Russia ard Persia turquoise
am Th.5st jasper from Northern
l.l.4 gabEI a lovely green and red
One, from Florence. comedian from
Persia aad Arabia. topaz ard anne.
t-ysG from The Alps, ,oray from Cey