Taj Mahal, Jewel of India

Agra, State of Uttar Pradesh. Small streets. And suddenly... The Taj Mahal.

Added in 1953 to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the Indian World Wonder is a symbol of eternal love.

In the 17th century, Shah-Jahan, the Mugal Emperor, fell deeply in love with his third wife, Arjumand Banu Begum. They had 13 children together. During the last delivery, the queen died. Desperate, the Emperor decided to build the most beautiful mausoleum.

It took 22 years to finish the construction of the Taj Mahal. 22,000 workers and thousands of craftsmen were required to achieve this white marble tomb. Once the work was completed, Shah-Jahan ordered to cut the hands of every person having taken part to the construction, to ensure nobody would be able to replicate it.

He wanted to build a Black Taj Mahal, to represent the sadness inside him following the death of his beloved queen. But he died before the completion, and the project has never been ended.

This story is sometimes used to fight against the belief that death because of delivery mainly happens for poor people. In a country where institutional delivery is not enough spread, this famous example can be helpful to convince people of the need of skills.