The claim that Mughal emperor Shah Jahan had the hands of Taj Mahal workers cut off, so no comparable building could be made, is an urban myth. It has no support in historical sources and only appeared in popular accounts from the 1960s. The Taj Mahal was built as a mausoleum for Shah Jahan's wife Mumtaz Mahal in the 17th century, with a large workforce of artisans and labourers. Records from the period show the project as a major imperial building effort, not a secret that required mutilation. The myth persists because it fits a dramatic story about tyranny and artistic jealousy.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.