From The Times of India:
Not many would have heard of Burhanpur today, but it occupied a promi
nent place in the empire during Mughal times, since it was a strategic point from which to control the Deccan region. It was here that Shah Jahan spent a considerable number of years as governor of the Deccan region, before his ascension to the throne. And it was in Burhanpur, two years after he became the emperor – on June 17, 1631, to be precise – that his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal passed away, while giving birth to their 14th child.
A grief-stricken emperor had her laid to rest near the banks of the Tapti river and a monument was built, where her remains were kept. Simultaneously, work also started on a grand mausoleum near the kabr (grave). Shah Jahan wanted it to be a monument of unparalleled beauty, conceptualised in white marble, whose reflection in the Tapti river would increase its beauty manifold. Yes, the Taj Mahal was initially planned to be built at Burhanpur. However, destiny had other plans.
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I have written about the history of taj @ http://www.superbtravel.info/the-taj-mahal/ Let us know your opinion.