Lost Love's Labour

I have always been fascinated by the idea of love between a man and a woman being so powerful that it would actually inspire a post-mortem tribute that would draw in the fascination of many. The story of the Taj Mahal is my favorite, of course. I had come to understand while I was in school that India is primarily a patriarchal society, and I knew (through reading many of their epics) that they are quite the romantics. It was no surprise at all that a man would like to honor his wife – but to honor her to such an extent! Obviously, there was so much time and wealth spent on this final resting place to a woman – and apart from the part wherein the woman is dead, what woman wouldn't want to inspire such dedication from her husband? It is one of the surviving structures of history that make people want to believe in true love.

In fact, the Taj Mahal has apparently inspired another man to pay tribute to his own wife. In Bourne, Massachusetts, a place called Amrita Island takes pride in the fact that it is home to the “Love Is Eternal House”, which has a mausoleum in front of the house. Named for the words that adorn the entrance to the mausoleum, the “Love Is Eternal House” is claimed by the locals to be directly inspired by the story of Taj Mahal. According to accepted local lore, the owner of the house (located on one end of the island) so loved his wife that he buried her near the waters that she so loved, and built the mausoleum and the house on the property for her. People point out that if you look closely, the house and mausoleum features certain designs that were inspired by the Taj Mahal – the most obvious of which are the spires.

But perhaps what strikes me as the most beautiful detail about the story of the “Love Is Eternal House” would be the fact that is was built on a place called Amrita Island. Amrita, in Sanskrit, means “without death”. In effect, this love was given tribute in a place “without death” – and as such, the man's love for his wife is without death, is immortal, is eternal. Isn't that a beautiful thought? The poet in me trembles with the profundity. Of course, I could never be sure if the island was named before or after this pseudo-replica of the Taj Mahal was built (it is entirely possible that the island was named AFTER this landmark was built). But the romance of the entire thing is still palpable and no less meaningful either way.

There is no way for me to actually know whether or not this story is true. But whether or not there is any truth in this local legend is beside the point. The point here is that many people do indeed believe that love is eternal – or at least, want to believe that love is eternal. Whether it is through these extravagant ways or by simply holding on to memories, honoring a love so strong (or an idea of a love so strong) would always have a grain of truth attached to them.

I may not be able to afford a trip to Agra, India to see the Taj Mahal. But that does not mean that I can't at least go to Massachusetts and bask in the charm of a love so pure that it actually transcends the call of death.

Elea Almazora, contributor to AmritaIsland.Com

Elea Almazora currently works as a contributor to many information-based websites, writing about many subjects ranging from culture to sciences.

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