World Famous Travel Places

Kuakata Sea Beach

2010-01-04T04:58:00.000-08:00

Kuakata (Bangla: কুয়াকাটা) is a scenic sea beach in south-western Bangladesh. It is about 320 Kilometres south of Dhaka, the capital, and about 70 Kilometres from the Patuakhali District headquarters. The kuakata beach is 30 km long and 6 km wide. On 13 September, 2007 government had announced a red alert in Kuakata as caution for a possible Tsunami.^[1]

Kuakata is one of the rarest places which have the unique beauty of offering the full view of the sunrise and sunset from the same white sandy beach in the water of the Bay of Bengal. That places Kuakata among one of the world's most unique beaches.

Locally known as Sagar Kannya (Daughter of the Sea), the long strip of dark, marbled sand stretches for about 30km. Kuakata is one of the rarest places which have the unique beauty of offering the full view of the sunrise and sunset from the same white sandy beach in the water of the Bay of Bengal. That places Kuakata among one of the world's most unique beaches. The long and wide beach at Kuakata has a typical natural setting. This sandy beach has gentle slopes into the Bay of Bengal and bathing there is as pleasant as is walking or diving. Kuakata is truly a virgin beach-a sanctuary for migratory winter birds, a series of coconut trees, sandy beach of blue Bay, a feast for the eye. Forest, boats plying in the Bay of Bengal with colorful sails, fishing, towering cliffs, surfing waves everything here touches every visitor's heart.

On the eastern end of the beach is Gangamati Reserved Forest, an evergreen mangrove forest and snippet of the original Kuakata. When the Rakhines settled in the area in 1784, Kuakata was part of the larger Sundarbans forest. The Sundarbans is now a distant one-hour by speedboat. As a mangrove forest, Gangamati, like the Sundarbans, offers some protection against tidal surges, however it too is being threatened by logging and deforestation. The best way to reach the forest is by foot or bike along the beach, where a flock of flag flying fishing boats can be seen trawling the coast. Choosing to visit Gangamati in the late afternoon is a perfect time to watch the sun caste shadows on the abstract exposed mangrove roots.

You can visit Buddhist Temple where you can see the statue of Goutom Buddha and two wells of 200 years old. Local name of the well is Kua and Kata is a local name of digging a well; so was the name Kuakata.

Fisherman village is another place where you can visit and watch the lifestyle of the Fisherman. If you are adventurous you may also go for fishing on the fishing boat if you can manage the local fishermen. That will give you pleasure and experience, which you won’t be able to gather from anywhere else. In the fishermen village you will find the fishermen coming back from the sea and you can purchase some fresh Hilsha fish from them, and by the side of village there are some local restaurants from where you can get the Hilshas cooked and ready for eating.

Kuakata is a famous tourist destination for people from both home and abroad. The significantly exclusive feature of the beach is that due to its "Cross Bow" like shape one can see both sunrise and sunset from some of its locations.^[2] The government and local business owners have made significant developments over the years to attract tourist to its shores. Not so long ago tourists were uncomfortable to visit Kuakata due to poor communication systems and dangerous road conditions. Beside that the local communities were not very supportive towards the tourists; resulting some unpleasant events in the beach area.

These days, however, people are more business concerned and communications are much better than before. A new Police station was build 4 years ago and community awareness is in place. The law and order situation in the open beach, even at night, has improved significantly.

World Largest Beach Cox,s Bazar

2010-01-04T01:01:00.000-08:00

Cox's Bazar (Bengali: কক্স বাজার Kôksho Bajar or Kôks Bazar) is a town, a fishing port anddistrict headquarters in Bangladesh. It is known for its wide sandy beach which, believed to be the world's longest natural sandy sea beach.^[2]^[3]^[4] It is an unbroken 125 km sandy sea beach with a gentle slope. It is located 150 km south of Chittagong. Cox’s Bazar is also known by the name "Panowa", the literal translation of which means "yellow flower". Its other old name was "Palongkee". The modern Cox's Bazar derives its name from Captain Cox (died 1799), an officer serving in British India. In the 18th century, an officer of British East India Company, Captain Hiram Cox was appointed as the Superintendent of Palongkee outpost after Warren Hastings became the Governor of Bengal. Captain Cox was specially mobilized to deal with a century long conflict between Arakan refugees and local Rakhains. The Captain was a compassionate soul and the plight of the people touched his heart. He embarked upon the mammoth task of rehabilitating refugees in the area, and made significant progress. A premature death took Captain Cox in 1799 before he could finish his work. But the work he had done earned him a place in the hearts of the locals and to commemorate his role in rehabilitation work a market was established and named after him as Cox's Bazaar ("Cox's Market"). Although Cox's Bazar is one of the most visited tourist destinations in Bangladesh, it has yet to become a major international tourist destination, due to lack of publicity.

Located along the Bay of Bengal in South Eastern Bangladesh, Cox's Bazar Town is a small port and health resort. But it is mostly famous for its long natural sandy beach. The municipality covers an area of 6.85 km² with 27 mahallas and 9 wards and has a population of 51,918.^[1] Cox's Bazar is connected by road and air with Chittagong.^[5]

The greater Chittagong area including Cox's Bazar was under the rule of Arakan Kings from the early 9th century till its conquest by the Mughals in 1666 AD.^[6] When the Mughal Prince Shah Shuja was passing through the hilly terrain of the present day Cox’s Bazar on his way to Arakan, he was attracted to the scenic and captivating beauty of the place. He commanded his forces to camp there. His retinue of one thousand palanquins stopped there for some time. A place named Dulahazara, meaning "one thousand palanquins", still exists in the area. After the Mughals, the place came under the control of the Tipras and the Arakanese, followed by the Portuguese and then the British.

The name Cox's Bazar/Bazaar originated from the name of a British East India Company officer, Captain Hiram Cox who was appointed as the Superintendent of Palonki (today's Cox's Bazar) outpost after Warren Hastings became the Governor of Bengal following the British East India Company Act in 1773. Captain Cox was especially mobilized to deal with a century long conflict between Arakan refugees & local Rakhains at Palonki. The Captain made significant progress in rehabilitation of refugees in the area, but had died (in 1799) before he could finish his work. To commemorate his role in rehabilitation work a market / bazaar was established and was named after him as Cox's Bazaar (market of Cox). Cox's Bazar thana was first established in 1854 and a municipality was constituted in 1869.^[6]

After the Sepoy Mutiny (Indian Rebellion of 1857) in 1857, the British East India Company was highly criticized & questioned on humanitarian grounds, specially for its Opium trade monopoly over the Indian Sub-Continent. However, after its dissolution on January 1, 1874, all of the company's assets including its Armed Forces were acquired by the British Crown. After this historic take over, Cox's Bazar was declared a district of the Bengal Province under the British Crown.

After the end of British rule in 1947, Cox's Bazar remained as a part of East Pakistan.Captain Advocate Fazlul Karim, the first Chairman (after independence from the British) of Cox's Bazar Municipality established the Tamarisk Forest along the beach to draw tourist attention in this town and also to protect the beach from tidal waves. He also donated many of his father in law’s and his own lands for establishing a Public Library and a Town Hall for the town. He was inspired to build Cox's Bazar as a tourist spot after seeing beaches of Bombay and Karachi, and one of the pioneers in developing Cox's Bazar as such. He founded a Maternity Hospital, the Stadium and the drainage system by procuring grants from the Ford Foundation and Rockefeller Foundation through correspondence. Mr. T. H. Matthews, the principal of the Dacca Engineering College (1949~1954) was his friend who had helped him in doing this. Engineer Chandi Charan Das was the government civil engineer who had worked on all these projects. In 1959 the municipality was turned into a town committee.^[6] In 1961 the erstwhile Geological Survey of Pakistan initiated investigation of radioactive minerals like monazite around the cox's bazar sea-beach area and a number of precious heavy minerals were identified the same year.^[7]

In 1971, Cox's bazar wharf was used as a naval port by the Pakistan Navy's gunboats. This and the nearbyairstrip of the Pakistan Air Force were the scene of intense shelling by the Indian Navy during Bangladesh Liberation War. During the war, Pakistani soldiers killed many people in the town including eminent lawyer Jnanendralal Chowdhury. The killing of two freedom fighters named Farhad and Subhash at Badar Mokam area is also recorded in history.^[8]

After the independence of Bangladesh Cox's Bazar started to get the administrative attention. In 1972 the town committee of Cox's Bazar was again turned into a municipality. In 1975, The Government of Bangladesh established a pilot plant at Kalatali, Cox's Bazar to assess the commercial viability of the heavy mineral content in the placer deposits of the area with the cooperation of the AustralianGovernment.^[7] Later, in 1984 Cox's Bazar subdivision was promoted to a district and 5 years later (in 1989) the Cox's Bazar municipality was elevated to B-grade.^[6] In 1994 (jobs) the Marine Fisheries and Technology Station (MFTS) was established at Cox's Bazar. MFTS is a research station of Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute (BFRI) headquartered in Mymensingh. The station covers a land area of 4 hactor and is equipped with 5 specialized laboratories, and one indoor and one outdoor cistern complex.^[9]In April 2007 Bangladesh got connected to the submarine cable network as a member of the SEA-ME-WE-4 Consortium, as Cox's Bazar was selected as the landing station of the submarine cable.^[10]

Eiffel Tower

2009-12-26T04:19:00.000-08:00

The Eiffel Tower (French: Tour Eiffel, [tuʀ ɛfɛl]) is a 19th century iron lattice tower located on theChamp de Mars in Paris that has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world. The Eiffel Tower, which is the tallest building in Paris,^[1] is the single most visited paid monument in the world; millions of people ascend it every year. Named after its designer, engineer Gustave Eiffel, the tower was built as the entrance arch for the1889 World's Fair.

The tower stands at 324 m (1,063 ft) tall, about the same height as an 81-story building. It was the tallest structure in the world from its completion until 1930, when it was eclipsed by the Chrysler Building in New York City. Not including broadcast antennas, it is the second-tallest structure in France, behind the Millau Viaduct, completed in 2004. And while the Eiffel Tower is a steelstructure, and weighs approximately 10,000 tonnes, it actually has a relatively low density, weighing less than a cylinder of air occupying the same dimensions as the tower.

The tower has three levels for visitors. Tickets can be purchased to ascend either on stairs or liftsto the first and second levels. The walk to the first level is over 300 steps, as is the walk from the first to the second level. The third and highest level is accessible only by lift. Both the first and second levels feature restaurants.

The tower has become the most prominent symbol of both Paris and France. The tower is a featured part of the backdrop in literally scores of movies that take place in Paris. Its iconic status is so established that it even serves as a symbol for the entire nation of France, such as when it was used as the logo for the French bid to host the 1992 Summer Olympics.

Statue of Liberty

2009-12-26T04:15:00.001-08:00

The statue is made of a sheathing of pure copper, hung on a framework of steel (originallypuddled iron) with the exception of the flame of the torch, which is coated in gold leaf (originally made of copper and later altered to hold glass panes). It stands atop a rectangular stonework pedestal with a foundation in the shape of an irregular eleven-pointed star. The statue is 151 ft (46 m) tall, but with the pedestal and foundation, it is 305 ft (93 m) tall.

Worldwide, the Statue of Liberty is one of the most recognizable icons of the United States.^[12]and was, from 1886 until the Jet Age, often one of the first glimpses of the United States for millions of immigrants after ocean voyages from Europe.

The statue is the central part ofStatue of Liberty National Monument, administered by theNational Park Service. The National Monument also includes Ellis Island.

Feature^[49]	Customary	Metric
Height from base to torch	151 ft 1 in	46 m
Foundation of pedestal (ground) to tip of torch	305 ft 1 in	93 m
Heel to top of head	111 ft 1 in	34 m
Length of hand	16 ft 5 in	5 m
Index finger	8 ft 1 in	2.44 m
Circumference at second joint	3 ft 6 in	1.07 m
Head from chin to cranium	17 ft 3 in	5.26 m
Head thickness from ear to ear	10 ft 0 in	3.05 m
Distance across the eye	2 ft 6 in	0.76 m
Length of nose	4 ft 6 in	1.48 m
Right arm length	42 ft 0 in	12.8 m
Right arm greatest thickness	12 ft 0 in	3.66 m
Thickness of waist	35 ft 0 in	10.67 m
Width of mouth	3 ft 0 in	0.91 m
Tablet, length	23 ft 7 in	7.19 m
Tablet, width	13 ft 7 in	4.14 m
Tablet, thickness	2 ft 0 in	0.61 m
Height of granite pedestal	89 ft 0 in	27.13 m
Height of foundation	65 ft 0 in	19.81 m
Weight of copper used in Statue^[50]	60,000 pounds	27.22 metric tonnes
Weight of steel used in Statue	250,000 pounds	113.4 metric tonnes
Total weight used in Statue	450,000 pounds	204.1 metric tonnes
Thickness of copper sheeting	3/32 of an inch	2.4 mm

The statue is built top-heavy in order to create a slight forced perspective and appear more correctly proportioned when viewed from its base. When the statue was designed in the late 1800s (before easy air flight), there were few other angles to view the statue from. This became an issue for special effects technicians working on the movie Ghostbusters II.^[51]

Great Wall of China

2009-12-26T04:10:00.000-08:00

The Great Wall of China was built over 2,000 years ago, by Qin Shi Huangdi, the first emperor of China during the Qin (Ch'in) Dynasty (221 B.C - 206 B.C.). In Chinese the wall is called "Wan-Li Qang-Qeng" which means 10,000-Li Long Wall (10,000 Li = about 5,000 km).

After subjugating and uniting China from seven Warring States, the emperor connected and extended four old fortification walls along the north of China that originated about 700 B.C. (over 2500 years ago). Armies were stationed along the wall as a first line of defense against the invading nomadic Hsiung Nu tribes north of China (the Huns). Signal fires from the Wall provided early warning of an attack.

The Great Wall is one of the largest building construction projects ever completed. It stretches across the mountains of northern China, winding north and northwest of Beijing. It is constructed of masonry, rocks and packed-earth. It was over 5,000 km (=10,000 Li) long. Its thickness ranged from about 4.5 to 9 meters (15 to 30 feet) and was up to 7.5 meters (25 feet) tall.

During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the Great Wall was enlarged to 6,400 kilometers (4,000 miles) and renovated over a 200 year period, with watch-towers and cannons added.

The Great Wall can be seen from Earth orbit, but, contrary to legend, is not visible from the moon, according to astronauts Neil Armstrong, Jim Lovell, and Jim Irwin.

Sundarbans

2009-12-15T04:40:00.000-08:00

The Sundarbans (Bengali: সুন্দরবন Shundorbôn) is the largest single block of tidalhalophytic mangrove forest in the world.^[1] The name Sundarban can be literally translated as "beautiful jungle" or "beautiful forest" in the Bengali language (Sundar, "beautiful" and ban, "forest" or "jungle"). The name may have been derived from the Sundari trees that are found in Sundarbans in large numbers. Alternatively, it has been proposed that the name is a corruption of Samudraban (Bengali: সমুদ্রবন Shomudrobôn "Sea Forest") or Chandra-bandhe (name of a primitive tribe). But the generally accepted view is the one associated with Sundari trees.^[1]

The forest lies at the feet of the Ganges and is spread across areas of Bangladesh and West Bengal, India, forming the seaward fringe of the delta. The seasonally-flooded Sundarbans freshwater swamp forests lie inland from the mangrove forests. The forest covers 10,000 km² of which about 6,000 are in Bangladesh.^[2] It became inscribed as a UNESCO world heritage site in 1997, but while the Bangladeshi and Indian portions constitute the same continuous ecotope, these are separately listed in the UNESCO world heritage list as the Sundarbans andSundarbans National Park, respectively. The Sundarbans is intersected by a complex network oftidal waterways, mudflats and small islands of salt-tolerant mangrove forests. The area is known for the eponymous Royal Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris), as well as numerous fauna including species of birds, spotted deer, crocodiles and snakes. It is estimated that there are now 500^{[citation needed]} Bengal tigers and about 30,000 spotted deer in the area. Sundarbans was designated a Ramsar site on May 21, 1992. The fertile soils of the delta have been subject to intensive human use for centuries, and the ecoregion has been mostly converted to intensive agriculture, with few enclaves of forest remaining. The remaining forests, together with the Sundarbans mangroves, are important habitat for the endangered tiger. Additionally, the Sundarbans serves a crucial function as a protective flood barrier for the millions of inhabitants in and around Kolkata (Calcutta) against the result of cyclone activity.

The history of the area can be traced back to 200-300 AD. A ruin of city built by Chand Sadagar has been found in the Baghmara Forest Block. During the Mughal period, local kings leased the forests of the Sundarbans to residents. In this period, Raja Basand Rai and his nephew took refuge in the Sundarbans from the advancing armies of Emperor Akbar. Many of the buildings which were built by them later fell to hands of Portuguese pirates, salt smugglers and dacoits in the 17th century. Evidence of the fact can be traced from the ruins at Netidhopani and other places scattered all over Sundarbans. The legal status of the forests underwent a series of changes, including the distinction of being the firstmangrove forest in the world to be brought under scientific management. The area was mapped by the Surveyor General as early as 1764 following soon after proprietary rights were obtained from the Mughal Emperor, Alamgir II, by the East India Company in 1757. Systematic management of this forest tract started in the 1860s after the establishment of a Forest Department in the Province of Bengal, in India.

The first Forest Management Division to have jurisdiction over the Sundarbans was established in 1869. The Sundarbans was declared a reserved forest in 1875-76, under the Forest Act, 1865 (Act VIII of 1865). The first management plan was written for the period 1893-98.^[3]^[4] In 1875 a large portion of the mangrove forests was declared as reserved forests under the Forest Act, 1865 (Act VIII of 1865). The remaining portions of forests was declared as reserve forest the following year and the forest, which was so far was administered by the civil administration district, was placed under the control of the Forest Department. A Forest Division, which is the basic forest management and administration unit, was created in 1879 with the headquarter in Khulna.

In 1911, it was described as a tract of waste country which had never been surveyed, nor had the census been extended to it. It then stretched for about 165 miles (266 km) from the mouth of the Hugli to the mouth of the Meghna and was bordered inland by the three settled districts of the 24 Parganas, Khulna and Backergunje. The total area (including water) was estimated at 6,526 square miles (16,902 km²). It was a water-logged jungle, in which tigers and other wild beasts abounded. Attempts at reclamation had not been very successful. The characteristic tree was the sundari (Heritiera littoralis), from which the name of the tract had probably been derived. It yields a hard wood, used for building, and for making boats, furniture, etc. The Sundarbans were everywhere intersected by river channels and creeks, some of which afforded water communication between Calcutta and the Brahmaputra Valley, both for steamers and for native boats.

Niagara Falls

2009-12-15T04:14:00.000-08:00

The Niagara Falls are voluminous waterfalls on the Niagara River, straddling theinternational border between the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of New York. The falls are 17 miles (27 km) north-northwest of Buffalo, New York and 75 miles (120 km) south-southeast of Toronto, Ontario, between the twin cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario, and Niagara Falls, New York.

Niagara Falls is composed of two major sections separated by Goat Island: Horseshoe Falls, the majority of which lies on the Canadian side of the border, and American Falls on the American side. The smaller Bridal Veil Falls are also located on the American side, separated from the main falls by Luna Island.

Niagara Falls were formed when glaciers receded at the end of the Wisconsin glaciation(the last ice age), and water from the newly formed Great Lakes carved a path through theNiagara Escarpment en route to the Atlantic Ocean. While not exceptionally high, the Niagara Falls are very wide. More than 6 million cubic feet (168,000 m³) of water falls over the crest line every minute in high flow,^[1] and almost 4 million cubic feet (110,000 m³) on average. It is the most powerful waterfall in North America.^[2]

The Niagara Falls are renowned both for their beauty and as a valuable source ofhydroelectric power. Managing the balance between recreational, commercial, and industrial uses has been a challenge for the stewards of the falls since the 1800s.

Niagara Falls is divided into the Horseshoe Falls and the American Falls. The Horseshoe Falls drop about 173 feet (53 m), the height of the American Falls varies between 70–100 feet (21–30 m) because of the presence of giant boulders at its base. The larger Horseshoe Falls are about 2,600 feet (790 m) wide, while the American Falls are 1,060 feet (320 m) wide.

The volume of water approaching the falls during peak flow season may sometimes be as much as 202,000 cubic feet (5,700 m³) per second.^[3]Since the flow is a direct function of the Lake Erie water elevation, it typically peaks in late spring or early summer. During the summer months, 100,000 cubic feet (2,800 m³) per second of water actually traverses the Falls, some 90% of which goes over the Horseshoe Falls, while the balance is diverted to hydroelectric facilities. This is accomplished by employing a weir with movable gates upstream from the Horseshoe Falls. The Falls flow is further halved at night, and during the low tourist season in the winter, remains a flat 50,000 cubic feet (1,400 m³) per second. Water diversion is regulated by the 1950 Niagara Treaty and is administered by the International Niagara Board of Control (IJC).^[4] Viewpoints on the American shore generally are astride or behind the falls. The falls face directly toward the Canadian shore.

Taj mahal The doom of love

2009-12-09T04:55:00.000-08:00

A visit to the Taj Mahal is worthless unless you are familiar with the history of this monument. Known as the undying symbol of love, the origin and history of Taj Mahal goes back to the early 17th Century. This wonderful piece of art in white marble was built by the fifth Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. Though Shah Jahan had many wives, Mumtaz Mahal was his favorite wife. She was not only a companion in good and bad times but also a sound advisor to her husband. Read on further to know about Taj Mahal history.

Taj Mahal is as great as its magnificent structure. In fact, poet Rabindra Nath Tagore has described the mausoleum as a “tear on the face of eternity.” Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan started the construction of Taj Mahal in the year 1631, in memory of his favourite wife Arjumand Banu Begum, popular as Mumtaz Mahal. Ustad Ahmad Lahauri was the principal designer of one of world's most marvellous building. Amanat Khan from Iran, was the chief calligrapher, while the main dome was designed by Ismail Afandi of Ottoman Empire. More than 20,000 labourers worked day and night for giving shape to the dream of Shah Jahan. After continuous work for 22 years, Taj Mahal was finally completed in the year 1653.

But in Khurram’s heart, however, Arjmand Banu Begam was always first. Even before Prince Khurram became King Shah Jahan, he had changed her name from Arjmand Banu Begam to Mumtaz Mahal, which intended “the most attractive crown of the palace.” Asper an anecdote- when Shah Jahan was engaged in a war, he missed Mumtaz so much that he wrote a poem to her :- “When my mind and body desired for you, my spirit burned to death, your love reaching from a far Breathed life into my dead remains.” Both were more and more attached with each other for marriage. War had been the only reason of his departure from her. But afterward, even war could not disconnect their heartbeat anymore. She began to go to the battleground with him, even when she was pregnant. She gave birth to 14 children in 19 years of marriage. While giving birth to their last child, Mumtaz Mahal died due to some difficulties. However, the 14th childbirth took her life. She died at Burhanpur, faraway from Agra. Her dead body was brought to Agra after a great effort where it is buried at the current location of Taj Mahal.

In 1663, Francois Bernier, a Frenchman from Angers who spent 10 years in India, wrote about Delhi and Agra, the capital cities of the Empire of the Great Mughals. The Frenchman was very enthusiastic in his description of the Taj Mahal, which he considered far superior to “the shapeless masses of the pyramids of Egypt.” Here is part of his description of the interior of the Taj Mahal:

The inside or concave part of the dome and the entire wall, usually from top to bottom, are covered with white marble. There is not a single spot that is not artistically wrought with its own beauty. Everywhere one perceives yashm or jade, the kind of stones that enrich the walls of the chapel of the Grand Duke in Florence. Everywhere there is jasper and several other rare and costly stones, presented in a hundred different ways, mixed together and set in the marble that covers the wall. Even the black and white marble floor tiles are decorated in like manner, with unimaginable delicacy and taste.
- Francois Bernier in Voyage dans les Etats du Grand Mogol, new ed. 1981

In the 19th century, many artists in Europe, especially Britain and France, made delicate copies of these monuments in watercolor.

Even after the seven days and seven nights after her death, the King didn’t eat. On the eighth day, he lastly walked out of his chamber. The guards and servants were all stunned to see that his hair had turned from black to gray. He put on white grief clothes and ordered the structure of a most beautiful monument. The preferred material was pure white marble, representing his unblemished memory of her.

It was the year 1648 when ultimately the miraculous construction of the mausoleum completed after 17 years of labor by more than 20,000 craftsmen and laborers. Mirrored by a crystal clear artificial pond in front and the slate blue Yamuna River behind, the unrivaled monument was named the Taj Mahal.

One interesting architectural concept, note Okada and Johsi, is that the Taj Mahal, with its picturesque setting, chaste appearance, plastic delicacy, superfine ornamentation, and gentle molding of contours, is a feminine specimen of building art. Scholar E. B. Havell sees in the Taj Mahal an intentional attribute to the 'Lady of the Taj,’ Mumtaz Mahal. Havell writes that the monument’s entire concept and every line of its expression reflect the radiance and beauty of the Emperess. For Havell, the Taj Mahal is India’s tribute to the grace of womanhood, the Venus de Milo of the East. Thus, the Taj Mahal can be interpreted as a glorious and profound symbol of love.