The Taj Mahal

Over 22 years, 20,000 different artisans worked on creating the Taj Mahal mausoleum to Emperor Shah Jahan’s third wife.

While the hype is huge, obviously, I didn’t walk away disappointed. Its beauty is exquisite.

Shah Jahan’s son had him imprisoned in a quest for power (the same son also had his 3 older brothers executed) and claimed that his father was wasting the money of the Indian taxpayer with a frivolous monument that was so expensive and ornate.

My guide and I joked that the son may have thought he was wise, but didn’t have the foresight to understand the international tourism business.

Perhaps Shah Jahan wasn’t just lovestruck, but had a keen insight of the long-term Return on Investment he would generate?