JAKARTA - A 52-year-old Indian businessman has built a small replica of the iconic Taj Mahal as a home for his wife of 27 years.
Anand Prakash Chouksey builds a 'monument of love' in Burhanpur City, Madhya Pradesh State, central India.
"It was a gift for my wife, but also for the city and its people," Chouksey told the BBC.
The house cost about 20 million rupees or equivalent to Rp3,824,656,154 to build.
The Taj Mahal is a 17th-century tomb in the city of Agra. It was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his queen, Mumtaz who died giving birth to their 14th child.
The stunning marble monument, famous for its intricate latticework, is one of India's greatest tourist attractions. Prior to the pandemic, it drew as many as 70,000 people daily, a list that included celebrities and dignitaries.
The replica that Chouksey built, located deep within the 50-acre property, which includes the hospital, has also attracted a large number of visitors.
People walking on the lawn and clicking pictures. Many people also start doing their pre-wedding shoots here, said Chouksey.
"I didn't stop them because, in our city, we are a close-knit community where everyone knows everyone. So, my house is open to everyone," he said.
Chouksey said not all visitors were allowed into the house because "after all, it is our house and we live there".
Sometimes, however, the family indulges its guests who come and admire the home's lush interiors, the intricate floral motifs that adorn the marble walls and floors, and the thorough lattice windows.
The house consists of two master bedrooms located on two separate floors. It also has a library and meditation room. The living room features marble columns, arched stairs, and gilded ceilings.
Although the Taj Mahal was a major inspiration, Chouksey says the interior is not strictly Islamic in design, but is infused with contemporary influences, as evident from the choice of sofas and curtains.
Building a replica of the famous monument in three years, Chouksey and his wife made many visits to the city of Agra, where the Taj Mahal is located, so that they could study various aspects of the mausoleum.
"We also used a lot of 3D images of the Taj Mahal on the internet to make our own," Chouksey added. The idea was to build something similar, so that the engineers reduced the size to a third of the actual monument.
Chouksey is not the first to be inspired by the beauty of the Taj Mahal. In 2013, a retired government official in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh also built a replica of the Taj Mahal in memory of his wife.
However, Chouksey says his house is not dedicated to his wife alone.
"Today, there is a lot of hatred in our country. People are divided in the name of religion and caste," he said.
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To note, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist BJP Government has been widely accused of polarizing India along religious lines, and encouraging intolerance.
In fact, the Taj Mahal had stuck in the crosshairs in 2017, a BJP lawmaker called the monument a "stain on Indian culture" built by "traitors". Chouksey said she wanted to "spread the love" at such a sad time.
"And this house to me is a symbol of that love that transcends our social differences and our political noise."
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