The ‘Mini Taj
Found in: Aurangabad, Maharashtra
Est. Cost: $500,000* (2022)
The Taj Mahal is perhaps India’s most famous structure and one of the most recognizable in the world. Soon after the Taj Mahal was completed, a smaller, less stunning, but nevertheless lavish edifice was built 615 kilometers southwest of the original. It’s known as Bibi Ka Maqbara, or ‘Mini Taj.’ The ‘Mini Taj’ was actually commissioned by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, the son of Mumtaz Mahal (the woman for whom the Taj Mahal was built). Following in his father’s traditions, he also constructed a shrine for his wife, Diras Banu Begum. In 1660, it cost about $8,700 to create a shrine.
The ‘Mini Taj
Camel Art
Found in: Bikaner
Est. Cost: N/A
Camel have been essential to human life for as long as written records exist (and even further back). They have been the helping hands that have literally carried civilizations over hard climates and terrains. They’ve been a lone traveler’s only companion at times. People in Bikaner, Rajasthan, have discovered a way to honor all that these “Ships of the Desert” have done for us. Every January, they celebrate the new year by hosting the International Camel Festival. The festival’s high point? Of course, the magnificently decked camels. Their people have dressed them and given them artistically wonderful haircuts.
Camel Art
