Precious Stone Inlay in Style of Taj Mahal

After viewing the Taj Mahal my guide took me to a marble shop where they work in the same style as the people who did the inlay work on the Taj Mahal all those years ago. It starts with the master coming up with a design and it being traced onto white marble. The stone is then temporarily stained red so the next step can be completed. Using a small chisel the marble is chipped away leaving impressions of the design. The men then grind down the precious stones to fit into the design using a rope, sandstone wheel & man power. None of it is mechanized. The pieces are placed onto the marble with a basic glue then polished until they shine. The result is absolutely gorgeous.