Anand Prakash Chouksey, an engineer turned teacher, has built a replica of the Taj Mahal for his wife at Burhanpur, Madhya Pradesh state. – Picture via Facebook/ Amritsar Eat Outs
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 23 – An engineer turned teacher in India has built a replica of the Taj Mahal for his wife – and says their sprawling new home is “a symbol of his love” for her.
The 929.03 sq metres marble house was built by Anand Prakash Chouksey, 52, at Burhanpur, Madhya Pradesh state, for his wife Manju Shah, 48, also a teacher, Daily Mail reported.
Just like the famous 17th century mausoleum – one of the seven wonders of the world – it features towers around the compound and a 8.8 metres dome while the flooring and facade are made of marbles from Makrana that were also used in the original Taj Mahal.
The house, about one third the size of the original building, has four bedrooms, one hall, a library and a meditation room and took three years to build.
Chouksey, who declined to disclose the cost of the house, said: “‘I wanted to make a unique house in a small town, there are new houses built every year but I wanted to make a house that remains the talk of town forever.”
“What better than building a Taj Mahal? This house is a symbol of my love for my wife just like Mumtaaz Mahal.”
Construction for the extravagant house began three years ago, and the couple, who have two children in their early 20s, moved to their lavish abode this year.
To make the building look even more like the original, the lighting both inside and outside the house is done in such a manner that makes it shine in the dark like the original masterpiece.
The original Taj Mahal was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan between 1632 and 1653 as a tomb for his wife Mumtaz Mahal on the banks of Yamuna river in Agra, Uttar Pradesh.