UP: Man who built ‘mini Taj Mahal’ in memory of wife dies in road accident

Ghaziabad, Nov 11: Faizul Hasan Qadri, the 83-year-old retired postmaster from Kaser Kalan in western Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr district well known for constructing a mini 'Taj Mahal' in memory of his deceased wife, died on late Thursday hit-and-run case.

Qadri had sustained serious injuries in the Kesar Kalan accident and was admitted to a local hospital where he died on Friday.

He had begun constructing his mini Taj Mahal in 2012 in memory of Taja Mulli Bibi. The couple was married in 1953. He could not complete his 'monument of love' as he spent all his savings in the basic structure.

Qadri had shot to fame for constructing a replica of the Taj Mahal adjacent to his house in the village and for donating his land for a government girl's school, which is now fully constructed, adjacent to the structure.

Qadri's wife Tajamulli Begum had died due to throat cancer in December, 2011. The two had been married in 1953.The couple did not have any children. Qadri started the construction of a replica of the Taj Mahal after his wife's death. He buried his wife inside the structure and left a space alongside her grave where he had wished to be buried after his death. His dream, however, came to a standstill in February, 2014 when he ran out of finances but vowed he will complete the structure from his pension savings.

In August, 2015 Qadri was called by former UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav to Lucknow where the later had politely turned down financial assistance Yadav had offered for completing the structure.

He will now be buried alongside his wife, like Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. The family has also said that his monument will be completed while they refused post-mortem of the deceased man.