Taj Mahal- -An Elegy In Marble Poem by chandra thiagarajan

Taj Mahal, the glory, of India
Is an epic marble monument
Situated in Uttar Pradesh, Agra
Which is immensely magnificent.

It majestically, with dignity, stands
On the banks of river Yamuna-
Where many a tourist happily lands
To view the spectacle and the panorama.

Shah Jahan the Mughal Emperor built
In memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal
The Paradise on Earth that would never wilt
A monument of enormous beauty- the Taj Mahal.!

In the year 1631, the Queen passed away
And the Emperor was inconsolable-
In his misery, none could him allay.
His mission now, was to erect a monument admirable.

His deep love for her being intangible
He wished to build a sepulchre in her memory
The monument, he thought, ought to be incredible
With a never before thought of finery.

For money the Emperor had no dearth
He spent more than thirty two crores
In those days it was many times its worth
With all his amassed resources.

Over 42 acres of land, the monument occupied
The central focus of the complex being the tomb
Four tall minarets frame on every side
A spectacular marble dome surrounds the tomb.

Islamic, Indian, Ottoman, Turkish, and Persian
Are the architectural style- - elements
The principal designer Lahauri’s combinations
Is an integrated complex of structures’ placements.

Twenty two long years it took
Employing workers twenty thousand
To fetch the phenomenal beauteous look
With over thousand elephants summoned.

To transport the required material
From the whole of India
For the construction ideal
With sculptors from Persia.

The translucent white marble
Was brought from Makrana and Rajasthan
From China came Jade and Crystal
The Lapis Lazuli was from Afghanisthan.

The turquoise was from Tibet
Sapphire was got from Sri Lanka
For the special carving of the rosette
Carnelian was got from Arabia.

Calligraphers came from Syria
From Bukhara too came sculptors
The In-layers came from South India
And from Baluchisthan came stone-cutters.

Taj Mahal is a marble mausoleum in white
Jeweled in stones semi-precious
It is an unimaginable delight
To eye the paradise on earth for the empress.

The main monument is two storeyed
With a huge rotunda over the octagonal building
The celebrated duo are there buried
Where sky-scrapper minarets are shielding.

The top with a lotus design is decorated
Which serves to accentuate the height
The finial by a crescent moon is spotted
A typical Islamic motif –which is a lovely sight.

To the complex of Taj Mahal portal
Are three beautiful gate-ways –lofty
Richly decorated is the portion- central
With delicate carvings in marble—a beauty.

Dazzling precious stones, inlaid, adorn
In floral and geometric illustrations
Inscription with passages from Quran
Display the Islamic faith—compositions.

Taj Mahal means Crown Palace
The visual grandeur with no equal
Gave the Emperor much solace
For the rich beauty had no rival.

The Taj is beauty personified
Bringing a saga come alive
It stands with its blissful pride
As one and only of its kind that does survive.

It is considered as an architectural wonder
Which is beyond the scope of words
In the full moon light the splendor
Of the combination of solids and voids

Concave and convex and light shadow
Of the arches and domes are all aesthetic.
In the early morn it is aglow
And the visual treat is ecstatic.

The Taj, different shades displays
It is pinkish in the morning
With the moon it shines with golden rays
And is milky white in the evening.

Taj Mahal is greatly remarkable
For its perfect geometric proportions
And for the marvel of marvels in marble
As also for its architectural decorations.

The Taj Mahal has been classified- - right
As a new “ Wonder of the World” for its charm
It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site
To take good care lest it comes to harm.

It is the ethereal love for his wife Mumtaz Mahal
That induced the King to build the Taj for her glory
Rabindranath Tagore described the Taj Mahal
As- “It’s a tear drop on the cheek of history”.

Taj Mahal was the ultimate realization
As a symbol of pure love and emotion
Of Emperor Shah Jahan’s dream of immortalization
Of the divinity of his eternal love and passion.