Indian Love Story

India is the land of love and romance and hence, no wonder, love stories of great passion will be told in India. Indian love stories are full of passion, sacrifices and dedication.

The characters of these love stories are princes, princesses as well as common people. Indian love stories are popular worldwide for their deep realizations of the true nature of love relations.

These love stories help you realize the many facets of love. Indian love stories are popular worldwide for the thoughtfulness and in-depth analysis of human emotions.

Following is a list of famous Indian love stories which have successfully withstood the test of time.

Layla and Majnun

Although it is of Iranian origin, the story of Layla and Majnun is immensely popular in India. It has been told many times and various versions of the story are still being told at different parts of India.

The story of Layla and Majnun is so popular that it has also been adapted to films. The story of Layla and Majnun was originally a poetry written by medieval Iranian poet, Nizami of Ganje.

The story goes like this- Layla and Qays were childhood friends and they fell for each other while studying at the school. Their love affair soon came into open to attract the rage of their families.

Both families restricted the young lovers to see each others. Disappointed, Qays banished himself in the desert and find comfort in the company of animals. His eccentric behavior had earned him the name of Majnun, which means madman.

The story of Layla-Majnun is a tale of two lovers who couldn’t quite unite during their lifetime. Their love story remained incomplete in the midst of feuding clangs. They were buried side-by-side upon their death.

Salim and Anarkali

If you are interested in true Indian blue blooded love story then the immortal love story of Salim and Anarkali will never fail to attract you. It is a story of passion and power between the Mughal prince, Salim and a courtesan, Anarkali.

Their affair had earned them the wrath of mighty Mughal Emperor, Akbar. Akbar tried everything that was in his power to stop Salim to fall for Anarkali. However, his efforts went in vain and Salim declared a war against his father.

But the army of the Emperor proved too much for the young king and he was defeated and captured and eventually was sentenced to death.

To save the prince Anarkali made the sacrifice and according to some versions she was entombed alive before her lover’s eyes. The sad ending to Salim and Anarkali has made the saga internal and it has become synonymous to bravery and sacrifices in love.

Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal

Yet another immortal love story of the Mughal dynasty. It is one of the most popular love stories of all time- a saga of passion and love that continued even after death. The story is of the Mugha Emperor, Shah Jahan and his queen, Mumtaz Mahal.

Mumtaz Mahal was married to the teenage Emperor, Shah Jahan. She was his favorite wife and bore him 14 children. Upon her death Shah Jahan built her a mausoleum of white marble.

This mausoleum today is known as Taj Mahal and is regarded as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The Taj Mahal is visited every year by thousands of pilgrims of love. It is regarded as the monument of love which tells the tale of a lonely Emperor and his beloved wife.

Devdas and Parvati

If you care for tumultuous love affairs then the most appropriate choice is Devdas by Sarat Ch. Chattopadhyay. Devdas has been the most famous creation of the author.

Although the story was written at the background of British India the story is still greatly popular amongst the readers. It has also been adapted to films many times. Though Devdas was a work of fiction the love affair of Devdas and Parvati never seemed unreal. As the story goes-Devdas and Parvati were childhood friends and lovers.

Their love affair matured as they grew old. When the time came however the alliance between Devdas a Parvati was denied by the family of Devdas on the ground of low cast of Parvati.

As a result, lives of both the lovers were devastated. Parvati was married off to another man, several years older to her and Devdas found solace in drinking. During his last days Devdas came to meet Parvati at her in-laws place but their meeting was denied. Devdas died alone of broken heart.

The story of Devdas and Parvati is so popular that lovers still associate themselves with the immortal love of Devdas and Parvati.

Krishna and Radha

The Indian mythology is full of passionate love stories. However, the most popular one is of Lord Krishna and Radha. Their love story was narrated many times over the centuries in many forms.

The most famous narration of their love affair is Geet Govinda by Kabi Jaydeb. The love story of Radha and Krishna talks about complete submission of yourself to the person you love.

Radha was the only person to do so and hence, it has earned her the status of Goddess alongside Lord Krishna. Many philosophies are attached to the love narration of Radha and Krishna but if we keep aside the religious explanations we can still find a pure love story which proves the power of love beyond any limitations.

Love and romance fill the air and soil of India. The list of love stories in India is really long. You may come across soul touching love stories in every village of India.

Some of these stories have withstood the test of time without losing their glories. Lovers can still draw inspiration from these love stories and seek guidance from them to make their respective love affairs successful.

Secrets Finally Review On Taj Mahal

A corner of one of the 22 rooms in the secret storey immediately below the marble platform of the Taj Mahal. Note the strips of Hindu paint on the wall. The ventilator at the left, meant for air and light from the riverside, has been crudely walled up by Shahjahan. He did not bother even to plaster them. Had Shahjahan built the Taj as a mausoleum what was the purpose of the 22 rooms? And why are they kept locked and hidden from the public?

 

Such are the magnificent marble-paved, shining, cool, white bright rooms of the Taj Mahal temple palace’s marble ground floor. Even the lower third portion of the walls is covered with magnificent marble mosaic. The doorway at the left looks suspiciously closed with a stone slab. One can perambulate through these rooms around the central octagonal sanctorum, now occupied by Mumtaz‘s fake grave. The aperture, seen through of the central door, enabled perambulating devotees to keep their eyes fixed on the Shiva Linga in the central chamber. Hindu Shiva Lingas are consecrated in two chambers, one above the other. Therefore, Shahjahan had to raise two graves in the name of Mumtaz–one in the marble basement and the other on the ground floor to desecrate and hide both the Shiva emblems from public view. [The famous Shiva temple in Ujjain also has an underground chamber for one of its Shiva-lingams.]

 

 

Such are the rooms on the 1st floor of the marble structure of the Taj Mahal. The two staircases leading to this upper floor are kept locked and barred since Shahjahan’s time. The floor and the marble walls of such upper floor rooms can be seen in the picture to have been stripped of its marble panels. Shahjahan used that uprooted marble from the upper floor for constructing graves and engraving the Koran because he did not know wherefrom to procure marble matching the splendour of the rest of the Taj Mahal. He was also so stingy as not to want to spend much even on converting a robbed Hindu temple into an Islamic mausoleum.

 

 

 

HISTORY OF TAJMAHAL

Tajmahal Agra is as beautiful as the splendid story behind its construction and thus experiencing the Tajmahal without being cognizant with its history is irrelevant. Tajmahal is a legendary story etched in stone by an Emperor for his beloved wife. The history of Tajmahal is the history of love a Mughal emperor for his Queen. Construction of this alluring monument began with the tragic death of Shahjahan’s beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal.
Thus the story of Tajmahal underlay a wild passion that led Shahjahan to erect a marvelous structure as a real tribute to his wife. The enchanting monument, Tajmahal is so constructed that each and every corner of the monument expresses the beauty of Mumtaz Mahal.
It took almost 21 years to build thismarvel of white marble; the construction began in 1632 and was completed in the year 1648. Standing on the banks of river Yamuna, the enchanting Tajmahal houses the tombs of the emperor Shahjahan and his beautiful wife Mumtaz Mahal.

A LOVE STORY BEYOND IMAGINATION >>
The splendid love story begins in the year 1612, when Shahjahan(then Prince khurram) married Ajumand Bano, who was later entitled as Mumtaz Mahal. Both of them were so intensely in love with each other that Mumtaz Mahal accompanied Shahjahn to all his conquests.
During one such trip to Deccan where emperor went to war with Khan Jahanb Lodi, Mumtaz breathed her last breath on 17 june, 1631 during her fourteenth childbirth. It is believed that on her deathbed Mumtaz asked for four promises, the first one being that Shahjahan build a monument of love for her. Keeping the promise, Shahjahan began the construction of Tajmahal meaning ‘crown plaza’. However one school of thought believes that there was no such conversation and the grief stricken emperor himself decided to build this monument of love for his beloved wife. Whatever be the reason its true that the Emperor was heart broken at the death of his beloved wife and the Mughal court went into mourning for a span of more than two years.
Her body received a temporary burial in the Zainabadi garden in Burhanpur and with six months time her body was shifted to Agra. A plot was acquired from Raja Man Singh on the riverside for the purpose of constructing the Tajmahal. It is believed that the site was chosen because it was located on a bend in the river and could be seen from Shahjah’s personal palace in Agra Fort, which is further upstream.

TAJMAHAL AND THE PROMISE >>
While Mumtaz was lying on her deathbed, she asked four promises from the Emperor: the first one being that he build a monument of their love, second- that he should marry again, third- that he be kind to their children and the fourth one is that he visit the tomb on her death anniversary. Shahjahan kept the first and second promises. With effect to the first promise he built the Tajmahal, as a mausoleum of his beloved wife.

EPITOME OF LOVE-TAJMAHAL >>
Tajmahal Agra is located on the banks of sacred river Yamuna and attracts tourists from all over the world to view the majestic Tajmahal. The romantic story that inspired the construction of Tajmahal enhances the aesthetic beauty of this mausoleum. It is believed that the splendid beauty, the Taj was built to keep one out of the four promises that Mumtaz had asked Shajahan to fulfill. Thus the Tajmahal is epitome of a man’s love for his wife.
Therefore it is best described as a’ monument of love’. Even after more than 350 years of its construction, Tajmahal has not lost its romantic aura and attracts millions of visitors from all over the world to experience it. Since then the Tajmahal has spun its magic on the lovers, poets, painters, artists, authors who treats the Tajmahal as the ‘temple of love’.
It is a deserving resting place for an emperor’s empress. It is generally believed that the Tajmahal, meaning crown plaza is an abbreviated version of Mumtaz mahal’s name, which means ‘Exalted one of the palace’

A TRIBUTE TO THE BEAUTY >>
Tajmahal is a real tribute to the beautiful wife by a loving husband. The construction of the structure is such that it becomes obvious that Shahjahan must have had his beautiful wife in his mind while constructing the beautiful mausoleum. The cenotaph of the queen is inlaid with beautiful jewels. The workmanship is so exquisite that it has been described as “designed by giants and finished by jewelers”.

CONSTRUCTION OF TAJMAHAL >>
It is believed that the Tajmahal is a result of some twenty thousand workers toiling day and night for almost twenty-two years. A small town named after the deceased wife of the emperor, ‘Mumatazabad’ was built for the laborers. Now the same town is known as Taj Ganj.
As soon as the construction work began sculptors, masons, craftsmen, and calligraphers were called from Persia, Ottoman Empire and Europe to work construction of the Taj. The calligrapher of Taj Mahal was Amanat Khan Shirazi whose name occurs at the end of an inscription on one of the gates of the Taj. The verses on the tombstone were designed by poet Ghyasuddin and Ismail Khan Afridi of Turkey was the dome maker. The superintendent of Masons was Muhammad Hanif. The structure is believed to be designed by an Iranian architect Ustad Ahmad Lahauri. However according to a legend an Italian architect coordinated the pietra dura architectural work but there is no proof regarding that.
The material for the construction was brought from all over India and central Asia and it took a fleet of 1000 elephants to transport the material to the site. Red sand stone was brought from Fatehpur Sikri, Jasper from Punjab, Jade and Crystal from china, Turquoise from Tibet, Lapis Lazuli and Sapphire from Sri Lanka, Coal and Cornelian from Arabia and diamonds from Panna. For inlay work 28 kind of rare, semi precious and precious stones were used. The white marble was brought from the quarries of Makrana, in Rajasthan.
The beautiful monument was build at a cost of about 32 million rupees that nearly bankrupted the Mughal treasury. It is believed that after the construction of this splendid structure, Shahjahan had the hands of the artisans of the Tajmahal amputated with the fear that they might not construct another structure to rival the mighty Tajmahal.

INFLUENCES >>
The Tajmahal incorporates many designs and is a perfect blend of Hindu, Persian and Mughal architecture. Many Mughal and Timurid buildings had specific influences on the Architecture of The Tajmahal. Humayun’s tomb and the tomb of Abdul Rahim Khan-I-khanna in Delhi inspired the model for the Taj with their dome-topped structure raised on a high platform. The Gur-e Amir, Itmad-ud-Daula and Shajahan’s own Jama Masjid in Delhi inspired the construction of the beautiful Tajmahal.

WONDER OF THE WORLD >>
Tajmahal Agra is synonymous with India and is the most beautiful marble structure of the world. This beautiful structure is one of the most popular world heritage monuments on earth. It is more than 350 years since the Tajmahal was built in Agra and is still an unrivalled beauty the world over.
In the year 1983 it was listed as a UNESCO world heritage site and was described as a “universally admired masterpieces of the world’s heritage”. Tajmahal is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. No other monument in the world can match its beauty and elegance.