Wonders of the World – the Taj – Love’s Labour Lost

I recently visited the Taj Mahal which is appreciated for its romantic environs and especially much of its symbolic values that it stands for. On the banks of Yamuna stands a tomb which bears the testimony of the splendors of the Royal Court of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan who constructed to show the world how much he loved his beloved Queen Mamtaj. Of course, it is one of the wonderful pieces of art and architecture that I have ever come across. However, unlike others, this Mughal mausoleum did not influence my thought; not because it is not a piece of art that deserves the attention of the people but because of the contribution of the toiling masses and the subjects of the King which has gone unrecognized. Another reason that remained implicit in my thought is do we really need a Taj to express, to say and to show how much we love someone. Why do human emotions and social relations need a trading medium? Globalization and the age of capital have always been accused of consumption and materialistic expression of emotions. Materialistic consumption is not the recent innovation in human thought. It has always intruded into human relationship. This materialistic expression of love lost its symbolic significance in the eyes of a lover.



In this context, it is worth quoting Sahir Ludhianvi’s Urdu poem that appeared in Lalit Mohan’s article in The Times of India on the 17th of November, 2006. The song is about the conversation between two lovers. Reacting to a suggestion from his lady-love, that they rendezvous amongst the romantic environs of the famed mausoleum, the muse asks her to choose some other spot…..

Countless people in this world have loved,
Who says their sentiments were not true,
But they had not the means to advertise their love,
Because, they were like you and I, impoverished.

My beloved, they too would have loved,
Whose skills have blessed it with form and beauty,
Memorials to their love remain unnamed, unmarked,
Ne’er a soul did light a lamp on them.

This garden, the bank of Yamuna, palaces,
These exquisite walls, these domes, these arches,
An emperor showed up by his wealth,
Has made a mockery of our poor people’s love,
My beloved, we shall meet some other place.

Hope a bunch of red rose is enough for us……….
Let’s check it out, how it works...……
I am sure we can…………..