Red Taj Mahal, Agra

Millions (about 8 million) of the tourists who annually visit Agra to see the famous Taj Mahal are unaware of the existence of a much smaller, red-coloured replica of the Taj in Agra itself. The Red Taj Mahal, located inside the Roman Catholic Cemetery of Agra, is the tomb of a Dutchman, John Hessing.

Hessing was a Dutch traveller turned army officer who served the Scindia Marathas in Agra at the turn of the 19th-century. He was killed while defending Agra Fort during a battle with the British in 1803.

Just as the original Taj Mahal was built as a symbol of love by emperor Shah Jahan for his wife, this monument was commissioned by Hessing’s widow, Anne, in his memory.

This smaller version of the Taj Mahal mirrors some of the designs of its predecessor, like the typical Mughal-style engravings, motifs, arches, domes, and symmetrical designs. Unlike the original, however, the structure is much smaller with a simple square layout and is made of red sandstone rather than white marble.

Image from Google Maps is by SHUBHAM RATHORE

Image from Wikimedia Commons is by Shriom Gautam

Image from Google Maps is by  tania sarkar

Image from Google Maps is by Wamiq Siddiqui

Image from Google Maps is by Tanbir Alam

Image from Google Maps is by satyaveer yadav

Image from Google Maps is by kausik indus

Google Street View

Source of information: Wikipedia / findagrave.com