Blueprint for the Taj Mahal

Origin
The Taj Mahal, an ivory-white marble mausoleum adorned for Shah Jahan’s favorite wife Mumtaz Mahal. In accordance to the Islamic traditions abided by the Mughal ruler, the tomb follows Persian form with grand arches and chamfers surrounding the burial chamber. Its famous marble dome and flanking minarets pay tribute to the design of mosques, while the exterior is covered in calligraphy, Qu’ran scripture and tile tessellations. Even the gardens and reflecting pool are arranged to represent the four mythical rivers leading to Paradise.

No expense was spared in construction, a two-decade long journey. (In today’s money, the bill amounted to 53 billion rupees or 827 million dollars). Jade, turquoise, sapphire and every other conceivable precious stone in western Asia soon decorated the façade. Even rumors swirled around that Emperor Jahan wanted a matching memorial in black across the river to be with his beloved eternally. What truth can be confirmed is the monument’s beauty, as it was voted one of the new 7 wonders of the world.

Effects
Being given the original construction plans will cause beautiful patterns to radiate outwards from the subject. Some will appear as glittering stone while others will resemble delicate writing and even trimmed shrubbery. Intangible and equally distributed, the subject will resemble a peacock circled by a magnificent display.

All viewers will be awestruck and compelled to come close for further appreciation. But approaching the user too closely will cause the onlooker to slowly become transparent, flickering like a setting sun. When they finally disappear, then the pattern itself has fully absorbed the user to become more vibrant and detailed.