Recently, I took a trip to Delhi and on the way, I stopped at Agra to check out the Taj Mahal. For those who are incredibly ignorant, the Taj Mahal is considered as one of the "Seven Wonders of the World". It was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan for "his favourite wife" (the same is written on a plaque outside the building) Mumtaz Mahal. It's her tomb.
It was very beautiful and all that. But what struck me the most was the irony. Shah Jahan wanted the building to be in perfect symmetry. It's height is the same as it's width. It's four pillars are the same height as the building. It appears the same from any side you look at it. And so on.. it was built in symmetry.
Mumtaz Mahal was buried right at the centre of the building. This sustains the symmetry of the building. Shah Jahan had achieved his goal of building it in perfect symmetry.
But then, when Shah Jahan died, he was buried beside Mumtaz. This, of course, ruined the symmetry. The man who had strived to build a tomb for his wife in perfect symmetry, when deciding (or maybe he didn't decide) that he should be buried beside her, ruined the symmetry.
This struck me. The irony of the situation.. it's almost poetic.
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