Emperor Shah Jahan, the fifth of the Great Mughals, was devoted to his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal (the "Jewel of the Palace"). In 1631, she gave birth to their fourteenth child and died in the process. Legend has it that on her deathbed she made him promise that he would build a monument their unique love.

It took Shah Jahan 22 years to construct the Taj Mahal and 20,000 men toiled ceaselessly to fulfill his dream. Built of the finest white marble and inlaid with precious stones, the Taj Mahal is flanked by two mosques on either side. Since Mumtaz Mahal died in childbirth, the Taj Mahal is today an Urs or place of pilgrimage.