11-15 Taj Mahal Facts
Image credit: en.wikipedia.org
11. India’s leader, Shah Jahan, who constructed the Taj Mahal, had his minions cut off the hands of the workers after the structure was completed so that he could preserve the mausoleum’s blessed significance. – Source
12. There exists in India a monument very similar in architecture to the Taj Mahal called ‘Bibi_Ka_Maqbara’, also known as the ‘Taj of the Deccan’. – Source
13. There is a popular right-wing Hindu theory that the Taj Mahal was actually a temple for the God Shiva, and not originally a tomb built by Shah Jahan. – Source
14. The Taj Mahal is turning green, caused in part by bug feces and pollution. – Source
15. During WWII, an American pilot named Ernest K Gann almost crashed into the Taj Mahal. – Source
16-18 Taj Mahal Facts
Image credit: en.m.wikipedia.org
16. There is a replica of the Taj Mahal which cost $56 million. – Source
17. Shah Jahan, the emperor responsible for constructing the Taj Mahal, was a direct descendent of Genghis Khan. – Source
18. The Peacock Throne was an extraordinary extravagant bejeweled throne that cost twice as much as The Taj Mahal. It’s was lost in 1739. – Source
The Kohinoor was not stolen it was acquired legally under the terms of the Treaty of Labore. Due to it not being stolen there is no need for it to be returned.
While I do not agree with the website’s statement that it was stolen, the kohinoor should be returned. It is not a question of legality but one of mutual respect. The Kohinoor being housed in Britain is a reminder of the pain and the racist/imperial attitude that caused it. Such a reminder only serves to fire the imagination of regressive elements and ultra-nationalists in both countries. And I think that in the state the world is in today, these people need to be discouraged as much as possible.