The Bathroom-Tiled Taj Mahal
You may have read in the news recently that a wealthy Bangladeshi film-maker has just finished constructing a ‘replica’ of the Taj Mahal. (Actually, it’s not even finished yet, but it has just opened to the public.)
We went to check it out today near Sonargaon, about 30 kilometres from Dhaka, and even met the builder himself, Ahsanullah Moni, while we were there. And the verdict? Let me just say that Shah Jahan, the Mughal emperor who ordered the building of the original Taj and who was said to have cut off the hands of the architects and masons upon its completion so they could never again build a monument so beautiful, can rest easy in his grave; the Bangladesh Taj is a kitchy and cheap knock-off of the fabulous original, about five times smaller and with towers that are too fat.
But I’ll let you judge for yourself.
The actual Taj Mahal – Agra, India
The Bangladesh Taj Mahal – near Sonargaon, Bangladesh
Tags: Asia, Bangladesh, South Asia, Taj Mahal, Taj Mahal replicas
Nick
Nothing can match the magic of Taj Mahal and never can it be recreated. These cheap imitations are no where near the original, after all Taj Mahal is counted among the seven wonders of the world!!
Taj Mahal is not a magic if that kind of slaves were available today I don’t think there would be a problem erecting something like Taj Mahal. With the advancement of technology that is within our reach I think man can by-pass the creation of the Taj Mahal if need be. Not to diss the Taj Mahal but I think you are undermining the capability of the mankind at this point. Also you are right this is no match to the actual Taj Mahal.