An 86-year-old man, mourning his dead wife, is building a replica of the Taj Mahal in her memory
An 86-year-old man, mourning his dead wife, is building a replica of the Taj Mahal in her memory
History is repeating itself with a bereaved husband building a replica of the Taj Mahal for his wife right here in Bangalore.
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The wife happens to be the great-granddaughter descendant of the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar.
"It is a symbol of our love," Sharif told MiD DAY. "My wife passed away unexpectedly and she now lives here at the Taj."
Taj Heritage, as it is called, stands on a 12-acre plot in Bilvardhanahalli, close to Bannerghatta National Park, about 20 km from Vidhana Soudha.
Some hundred men have been working on the memorial for Fakhr Sultana, who died in 2001 after a heart attack.
With you always
The memorial is dedicated to his wife and is a celebration of his 52-year-old relationship with Fakhr Sultana.
Sharif said, "We were married in 1949. Begum, who lived in Hyderabad after moving there from Delhi, was 13-and-a-half years old and I was 24. She loved the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort, where she played as a child. When she left me, I decided to gift her what she liked."
Sharif lives with his children in Shanthinagar, but spends most of his time at his own Taj. After his death, Sharif wants to rest by her side. "This is my space," he said, pointing to a spot he has reserved for his tomb.
In memory of Begum
Sharif's wife Begum Fakhr Sultana is the great-granddaughter of the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar II (1775-1862).
Bahadur Shah, in turn, is a descendant of Shah Jahan (1592-1666) the creator of Taj Mahal at Agra.
The structure also has a museum that contains antique portraits from the palace of Zafar.
The main dome and pillars resembling Moghul architecture are built using Rajasthan marble in an area of 100x100 feet area.
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