Miniature Taj Mahal

·         Miniature Taj Mahal features gold, silver and diamonds and is estimated to be worth £11.5million

·         A team of 35 skilled workmen have already spent over 18 months on the model in Bhopal, India

·         Exact replica captures the splendour of the Indian landmark, from the iconic dome to the Arabic calligraphy inscribed on the doors

·         'Taj-obsessed' jeweller behind the project took thousands of photos of the real thing and sent every member of his team to visit the building in person

PUBLISHED: 16:32 GMT, 4 November 2012| UPDATED: 19:16 GMT, 4 November 2012.

Built by a grieving emperor in memory of his wife, India's breathtaking Taj Mahal is famously regarded as the ultimate declaration of love.

It may be a lot smaller, but any woman who received this lavish 3.5ft high replica of the real thing from the man in her life would still consider it a pretty extravagant romantic gesture.

The intricate model will feature 20kg of gold, 400kg of silver, and eight diamonds, and the 'Taj-obsessed' jeweller behind the ambitious project is hoping to sell it for at least £11.5million.

Lavish: The replica of the Taj Mahal, which is being built in Bhopal, India, features 420kg of precious metals and eight diamonds.

A team of 35 skilled workmen in Bhopal, India, have already spent more than a year and a half recreating the splendour of the Agra landmark in miniature; from the iconic golden dome to the Arabic calligraphy inscribed on the doors.

The main dome on the model - which features 25 domes in total - has been made from gold, while 20,000 silver tiles have been laid on the floor of the replica.

Labour of love: Jeweller Syed Hanif, seen with the replica model, has been obsessed with the Taj Mahal since he first laid eyes on the building 22 years ago.

All 32 doors have been cast in gold and an Islamic scholar was brought in to ensure that the Koran passages that decorate the 16th century Taj Mahal are reproduced exactly.

The beauty inside the real Taj Mahal

·         Three different types of stones were used to decorate the Taj Mahal: semi-precious stones such as onyx, jade and bloody stone; rare and scarce stones such as goldstone and magnet stone, and common stones such as sandstone and black slate.

·         As soon as one enters one can see the central chamber of the building beneath the main dome held the cenotaph of the queen. Four octagonal rooms on each story flank the four rooms. Altogether 16 rooms (eight on each level) surround the central chamber. These rooms were to be used to bury other members of the royal family.

·         Like the exterior the interior too is a building faced with white marble but with much elaborated carvings and decoration. A masterpiece inside the Taj is an exquisitely developed marble jali screen (called Jhajjhari) that surrounds the graves. The inlay work on its borders and the graceful jalies are one the highs of medieval architecture.

·         As dictated by ancient Islamic tradition, the crypts of Emperor and Empress lie side by side with their faces towards Mecca and their feet toward the south with the husband on his spouse right. The crypts are decorated beautifully with inscriptions from the holy book Qu'ran and once were studded with semi-precious stones and gems.

The man behind the project, jeweller Syed Hanif, said he has been obsessed with the Taj Mahal ever since he first laid eyes on the building 22 years ago.

'I saw the Taj Mahal for the first time when I was an ordinary worker earning 100 rupees (£11) a month,' said Mr Hanif, who is now managing director of jewellery firm Star Gems.

'Ever since then I have been obsessed with recreating its grandeur in gold.'

The 50-year-old jeweller, who has christened the project Taj 2012, sent every member of his team to view the spectacular building in person.

'We took thousands of photographs of the Taj Mahal to make the blueprints, so that we could have the exact details,' said Mr Hanif, who admitted he has spent a fortune on the lavish model.

'I also sent every workman to see the Taj Mahal personally so they could understand it.'

Mr Hanif said he hopes to sell the Taj 2012 at auction when it is completed by the end of this year.

The replica measures 3.5ft tall and 5.5ft across. Its specially made wooden stand alone is worth a million rupees - or £11,000.

'The Taj 2012 has cost me a fortune but I will be selling it for at least 100 crores rupees (£11.5million), Mr Hanif said.

The real Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jehan in the 16th century in memory of his third wife Mumtaz, who had died giving birth to the couple's 14th child.

It took 22 years to build and cost the equivalent of 32 million Indian rupees.