With Love From Taj (2012) – The First-Ever Fashion Shoot Inside the Taj Mahal | Pravin Talan
A photographic and cultural landmark · 2012
With Love From Taj
The first-ever fashion shoot inside the Taj Mahal — and a celebration of architecture, Indian couture, Mughal art and Agra’s living craftsmanship.
Conceived, photographed and filmed by Pravin Talan
In 2012, photographer and filmmaker Pravin Talan created With Love From Taj, the first-ever fashion shoot inside the Taj Mahal, bringing together six of India’s leading designers to interpret the monument through original couture.
The fashion photographs were only one expression of a larger artistic vision. From its inception, the project celebrated the Taj Mahal’s architecture, Mughal heritage, Indian fashion and Agra’s traditional craftsmanship. The ambition was not simply to use a famous monument as a backdrop, but to understand the artistic world that had inspired it.
Created in association with the Taj Mahotsav Committee and Uttar Pradesh Tourism, with support from the Archaeological Survey of India and Agra administration, the project was presented through photography, an exclusive calendar, editorial spreads, a fashion film and a coffee-table book.
01 / A lifetime of inspiration
Growing up in the shadow of the Taj Mahal
For Talan, who grew up in Agra, the Taj Mahal was never simply a monument. Over the years it meant different things: love, poetry, engineering, architectural grandeur and the extraordinary skill of generations of craftsmen.
As his photographic practice developed, he became increasingly fascinated by its symmetry, its marble ornamentation and the way natural light transformed it through the day. How could one photograph the world’s most photographed monument and still discover a new visual language?
Months of preparation followed. Talan studied thousands of photographs and made nearly ten visits to the monument, exploring changing light, tourist movement, unusual viewpoints and the relationships between couture and architecture. Around fifteen distinct compositions were planned.
The challenge was also technical: photographing brilliant white marble while retaining the richness and intricate texture of couture, largely in natural light. Throughout the shoot, great care was taken to preserve the aesthetics and dignity of the Taj Mahal. In some compositions the monument dominated; elsewhere, a reflection, a marble screen or a distant silhouette became the defining element.
Vikas Talan · The original creative vision
“Every stone of Taj Mahal has in it the heart of an emperor and the soul of an artist.”
Vikas Talan, Pravin’s brother, contributed to the design of With Love From Taj. His words express the connection between the monument’s grandeur and the artists whose craftsmanship gave it life.
02 / The historic first
Six designers, six interpretations
Rohit Bal, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Tarun Tahiliani, Anamika Khanna, Anand Kabra and Falguni & Shane Peacock brought distinct interpretations of Indian couture to the project.
The cast brought together models from different backgrounds, including British Indian model Geeta. That international mix was a natural fit for a tribute to a monument whose appeal has long crossed borders, while the couture itself remained rooted in Indian design and craftsmanship.
Rohit Bal’s grand, richly embroidered and unmistakably Indian creation opened the fashion story. He became the first Indian fashion designer whose couture was photographed inside the Taj Mahal as part of With Love From Taj in 2012. Sabyasachi’s design vocabulary was also photographed inside the monument, while Anamika Khanna’s intricate couture was composed alongside its exquisite marble jali work.
Anand Kabra inspired a quieter, more poetic composition beside the central water channel, where the model looks towards her reflection. Tarun Tahiliani’s vibrant pink-and-gold creation was photographed on the white sands across the Yamuna, accompanied by a traditional musician. Falguni & Shane Peacock’s dramatic couture was photographed across the river, behind the Taj Mahal, allowing the monument to emerge in the distance.
Each garment suggested a different photograph, while the Taj Mahal retained its own identity, dignity and extraordinary presence.
The art of couture — a closer look
Beyond the monumental compositions, the fashion portraits reveal another dimension of With Love From Taj: the intricacy of the embroidery, the richness of the textiles and the details of jewellery and styling. These closer studies bring the craftsmanship of the couture into focus before the story moves into Agra’s traditional workshops.
India’s leading designers on the Taj Mahal
“A confluence of love, art and craftsmanship, the ivory monument has been my inspiration for a long time, subtly visible to a keen eye for couture.”
Rohit Bal
“For me the Taj Mahal is an epitome of love and luxury—the two main ingredients that drive any design house towards perfection.”
Sabyasachi Mukherjee
“What fascinates me is the intricacy of the inlay work inside the Taj. I think it's one of the finest in the world.”
Tarun Tahiliani
“A constant reminder of the beauty, talent and expertise that we have to offer. A declaration of love. How can one not be inspired by the Taj?”
Anand Kabra
“The cutwork, the mosaic patterning, the symmetry and the sheer magnitude are to be revered.”
Anamika Khanna
“Taj Mahal is unparalleled in its exquisite form and grandeur, in its intricate fine inlay work and extraordinary detailing. To be at Taj Mahal is a humbling and inspiring experience for any artist in the world.”
Falguni & Shane Peacock
With Love From Taj — The Historic Fashion Film (2012)
The first fashion shoot inside the Taj Mahal was conceived as a moving-image project as well as a photographic one. With Love From Taj was also brought to life through a specially produced fashion film, carrying the original couture, the monument’s architecture and the visual poetry of the project beyond the still photographs.
Original music was created especially for the film by Bhassker Saikiya, giving the imagery its own musical expression rather than relying on a conventional fashion-show soundtrack. The film drew on the Taj Mahal’s changing light, intricate craftsmanship and monumental scale, extending the artistic vision that shaped the photographs.
The project’s calendar was formally launched at Fatehpur Sikri in 2012 in the presence of Uttar Pradesh Tourism, Archaeological Survey of India and Agra administration representatives. The fashion film was also released through Uttar Pradesh Tourism’s official website, connecting the work with the wider presentation of the Taj Mahal as a destination for art, culture and heritage.
With Love From Taj — original fashion film, 2012. Photography and film: Pravin Talan. Original music: Bhassker Saikiya.
03 / The living heritage
Beyond the marble: Agra’s artisans
The original vision extended into Agra’s traditional workshops. Marble inlay, carved floral ornament, Zardozi embroidery and other crafts formed part of the cultural world that With Love From Taj sought to celebrate.
Zardozi, a term derived from Persian words associated with gold embroidery, flourished under Mughal patronage. Metallic-thread embroidery and elaborate embellishment became associated with royal garments, ceremonial textiles and luxury clothing. Its techniques remain central to the richness of Indian couture.
In a workshop in a narrow Agra lane, Talan met Padma Shri Fazal Mohammad, a celebrated Zardozi master. Around him were extraordinary textile compositions: peacocks, decorative designs and an embroidered interpretation of the Taj Mahal itself. His craftsmanship travelled to wealthy international patrons, yet much of the business passed through intermediaries, leaving the artist with limited direct recognition.
One photograph from the workshop shows Fazal Mohammad demonstrating the intricacy of threadwork to a model wearing an Anand Kabra creation. It brings two worlds together: contemporary fashion and the artisan whose knowledge contributes to the richness of Indian design.
The collaboration that remained unfinished
Moved by their conversations, Talan began planning a collaboration between Fazal Mohammad and a leading contemporary designer. The idea was to create an exceptional couture piece, photograph a major Indian actress wearing it with the Taj Mahal as its visual context, and auction the creation. The hope was to give the artisan direct international recognition and open a path to future commissions.
Discussions had begun and Fazal Mohammad had already started work when he became ill and passed away. His son, Zardozi artist Mohd Bilal, offered to continue, but Talan chose not to pursue the project because it had been personally centred on Fazal Mohammad.
The couture was never completed, the photograph never made and the auction never held. What remains is the encounter, the workshop photographs and the memory of an extraordinary artist.
04 / A wider cultural record
The calendar, book, film and ASI exhibition
The exclusive calendar and fashion film were launched at Fatehpur Sikri by Manoj Kumar Singh, Secretary and Director General, Tourism, in the presence of senior officials from archaeology, tourism, the Agra administration and police. The film was also officially released through the Uttar Pradesh Tourism website by Amrit Abhijat.
Amrit Abhijat, IAS, then Commissioner of Agra, and Asim Arun, IPS, then DIG Police, Agra, extended important support, alongside the Taj Mahotsav Committee, Uttar Pradesh Tourism, ASI and district administration.
In 2012, Talan’s photography was also displayed within the Taj Mahal complex during a World Heritage Day exhibition by the Archaeological Survey of India. Among the enlarged photographs was his image of Anamika Khanna couture beside the Taj Mahal’s marble jali work. Archival photographs and video preserve this exhibition and Talan’s presence there.
05 / The published record
National coverage and international photography recognition
Contemporary newspapers and magazines documented the historical first and the artistic ambition of the project. India Today, Hindustan Times, India Today SPICE, Asian Photography, Mail Today, The Asian Age and other publications featured the photographs and the story behind them.
What the contemporary press recorded
India Today — March 2012. Before the project was launched, the newspaper introduced With Love From Taj as a celebration of the monument and Agra’s arts, crafts, culture and tourism. The larger heritage ambition was already part of the original public announcement.
Read the original project announcement
Hindustan Times — May 2012. The report covered the project's unusual scale and its calendar presentation, documenting the historic fashion initiative as it unfolded.
Read the May 2012 report
India Today — June 2012. Its photographic feature presented the finished fashion tribute and the work of the participating designers, bringing the visual interpretation of the Taj Mahal to a national readership.
View A Tribute to the Taj
The Asian Fashion Journal — July 2012. The publication featured With Love From Taj and the designers' creative interpretations, extending the fashion story to an international readership.
Read the fashion feature
The Indian Express — 2017. Marble as Muse revisited the Taj Mahal as an artistic inspiration, including Talan's encounter with Zardozi master Fazal Mohammad and the lives of Agra's traditional craftsmen.
Read Marble as Muse
International Photography Recognition — Photography Masterclass Magazine, iPad Edition, 2013
In October 2013, With Love From Taj reached an international photography audience through Photography Masterclass Magazine, a digital photography publication distributed through Apple’s iPad Newsstand. The magazine featured Pravin Talan’s photograph of Rohit Bal couture inside the Taj Mahal, identifying the project and its unprecedented fashion shoot at the monument. Talan was also listed among the photographers in the issue, and the publisher created a dedicated webpage for his work.
The iPad publication marked an important stage in the project’s international photographic recognition, beyond its original Indian fashion and heritage coverage.
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Asian Photography — May 2014
The May 2014 issue of Asian Photography featured Pravin Talan on its cover in “Visual Voyage”, extending the photographic record of With Love From Taj beyond its 2012 launch.
October 2026 — The historical first revisited
In October 2026, Pravin Talan photographed The Great Indian Bride editorial for the sixth edition of The Great Indian Wedding Book, bringing together creations from ten leading Indian design houses, including Manish Malhotra and Anita Dongre, at Fairmont Mumbai. As the new work appeared in contemporary press coverage, it brought renewed attention to With Love From Taj (2012), the landmark project in which Talan created the first fashion shoot inside the Taj Mahal. The October 2026 reports explicitly recalled that achievement while describing his continued work across fashion and architecture. These syndicated publications form a later record of the 2012 project’s enduring place in his photographic career.
06 / A personal choice
Why he never repeated the fashion shoot
Over the years, Talan was often asked why he never returned for another fashion shoot inside the Taj Mahal. Despite subsequent proposals from international brands, designers and magazines, he chose not to turn the extraordinary access of 2012 into a recurring commercial undertaking.
“I grew up in the shadow of the Taj Mahal in Agra. I watched it across seasons and across years. I learned from it. I loved it. For me, it was never just a monument. It was poetry. It was love. It was grandeur. It was engineering and architecture. At different stages of my life, it meant different things to me.
Perhaps that is also why I never wanted to turn the access we received into a recurring commercial opportunity. After With Love From Taj, there were opportunities to return, including proposals involving considerable budgets. I chose not to.
I did not want to repeatedly use the Taj Mahal as a commercial backdrop for different brands simply because I had once found a way to make such an extraordinary project possible.
With Love From Taj came from the heart. It was conceived with a certain innocence and created with a certain soul. Once it was done, I wanted to leave it with the dignity with which it had been created.
Some things become more meaningful because you don’t keep repeating them.”
07 / The journey continues
There is no end date
Fourteen years after With Love From Taj, Pravin Talan’s fascination with the monument remains undiminished. He continues to explore its architecture, changing light, craftsmanship and the countless stories surrounding it. Rupali Talan has also brought her own photographic perspective to this continuing exploration, including aerial images revealing the Taj Mahal and the Yamuna in new compositions.
The continuing exploration is also inspiring a new documentary and a new coffee-table book, bringing together previously unpublished photography with fashion, Mughal architecture, traditional craftsmanship, the artistic heritage of Agra, the changing seasons and the human stories surrounding the monument. The new book will be distinct from the original 2012 With Love From Taj coffee-table book.
The new book will build upon a photographic relationship spanning decades, bringing together fashion, architecture, Mughal art, traditional craftsmanship, cultural heritage and the artistic inspirations born from the Taj Mahal. It will celebrate not only the monument’s beauty, but also the people, traditions and creative worlds surrounding it.
With Love From Taj made photographic history in 2012. But the Taj Mahal was never a subject that could be exhausted by a single project.
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