How Stephen Hawking’s Unfulfilled Dream Of Visiting Taj Mahal Made The Life Of Indians Easier

We woke up to the heart-shattering news of Stephen Hawking passing away at the age of 76. The genius physicist, cosmologist and author opened our minds to theories and possibilities that we could only imagine. Not only that, he had a great sense of humour and often gave savage replies to his interviewers. He also made a lot of appearances in pop culture like ‘The Big Bang Theory’ and ‘Simpsons’.

Diagnosed with ALS when he was 21, the physicist was given two years to live by doctors. He was not even remotely near to completing his work and was confined to a wheelchair, but that did not dampen his spirit. He wanted to visit India and he did grace our country with his presence about 17 years ago.

As reported by News 18, Hawking wanted to visit the Red Fort, Humayun’s Tomb, Jantar Mantar, Qutub Minar and the Taj Mahal. He wrote to Javed Abidi, who was the Honorary Director, National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (N.C.P.E.D.P.).

However, when the letter reached the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) they were thrown into a frenzy because they believed that they could not allow modifications to historical monuments. Nevertheless, they installed temporary ramps to allow him to visit the places, almost overnight.

When Hawking came to India, he saw the Qutub Minar and Jantar Mantar but left without seeing the Taj Mahal. Soon after, the then Tourism Minister Ananth Kumar decided to make all the historical places, including Taj Mahal, accessible to the disabled.

Hawking’s visit to India fast-tracked a process that was being demanded by Indians for a long time. His dream to visit the Taj Mahal might have remained unfulfilled but in his request, he made the lives of millions of Indians a lot easier.

Pretty sure, he’s smiling down on us from the stars right now.