means crown of buildings

The Taj Mahal (also "the Taj") is considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Islamic, Indian and Persianarchitectural styles.

The Taj Mahal  is a mausoleum located in Agra, India, built by Mughalemperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Taj Mahal means "crown of buildings" in Urdu.[1]

In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In a project that attempted to update the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, popularity poll was led by Canadian-Swiss Bernard Weber and organized by the Swiss-based, government-controlled New7Wonders Foundation considered Taj Mahal to be one of the present new seven wonders of the world.

While the white domed marble mausoleum is its most familiar component, the Taj Mahal is actually an integrated complex of structures. Building began around 1632 and was completed around 1653, and employed thousands of artisans and craftsmen.[4] The construction of the Taj Mahal was entrusted to a board of architects under imperial supervision including Abd ul-Karim Ma'mur Khan, Makramat Khan, and Ustad Ahmad Lahauri.[5][6] Lahauri[7] is generally considered to be the principal designer.[8]

Origin and inspiration

Main article: Origins and architecture of the Taj Mahal

Shah Jahan, who commissioned the Taj Mahal -"Shah jahan on a globe" from the Smithsonian Institution

                Artistic depiction of Mumtaz Mahal

In 1631, Shah Jahan, emperor during the Mughal empire's period of greatest prosperity, was grief-stricken when his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, died during the birth of their fourteenth child, Gauhara Begum.[9] Construction of the Taj Mahal began in 1632, one year after her death.[10] The court chronicles of Shah Jahan's grief illustrate the love story traditionally held as an inspiration for Taj Mahal.[11][12] The principal mausoleum was completed in 1648 and the surrounding buildings and garden were finished five years later. Emperor Shah Jahan himself described the Taj in these words:[13]

Should guilty seek asylum here,

Like one pardoned, he becomes free from sin.

Should a sinner make his way to this mansion,

All his past sins are to be washed away.

The sight of this mansion creates sorrowing sighs;

And the sun and the moon shed tears from their eyes.

In this world this edifice has been made;

To display thereby the creator's glory.

The Taj Mahal incorporates and expands on design traditions of Persian architecture and earlier Mughal architecture. Specific inspiration came from successful Timurid and Mughal buildings including; the Gur-e Amir (the tomb of Timur, progenitor of the Mughal dynasty, inSamarkand),[14] Humayun's Tomb, Itmad-Ud-Daulah's Tomb (sometimes called the Baby Taj), and Shah Jahan's own Jama Masjid in Delhi. While earlier Mughal buildings were primarily constructed of red sandstone, Shah Jahan promoted the use of white marble inlaid with semi-precious stones, and buildings under his patronage reached new levels of refinement.The official website of the Taj Mahal is www.tajmahal.gov.in.[15]

Architecture

The tomb

The central focus of the complex is the tomb. This large, white marble structure stands on a square plinth and consists of a symmetrical building with an iwan (an arch-shaped doorway) topped by a large dome and finial. Like most Mughal tombs, the basic elements are Persian in origin.

The Taj Mahal seen from the banks of river Yamuna

The base structure is essentially a large, multi-chambered cube with chamfered corners, forming an unequal octagon that is approximately 55 metres (180 ft) on each of the four long sides. On each of these sides, a huge pishtaq, or vaulted archway, frames the iwan with two similarly shaped, arched balconies stacked on either side. This motif of stacked pishtaqs is replicated on the chamfered corner areas, making the design completely symmetrical on all sides of the building. Four minarets frame the tomb, one at each corner of the plinth facing the chamfered corners. The main chamber houses the false sarcophagi of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan; the actual graves are at a lower level.

The marble dome that surmounts the tomb is the most spectacular feature. Its height of around 35 metres (115 ft) is about the same as the length of the base, and is accentuated as it sits on a cylindrical "drum" which is roughly 7 metres (23 ft) high. Because of its shape, the dome is often called an onion dome or amrud (guava dome). The top is decorated with a lotus design, which also serves to accentuate its height. The shape of the dome is emphasised by four smaller domed chattris (kiosks) placed at its corners, which replicate the onion shape of the main dome. Their columned bases open through the roof of the tomb and provide light to the interior. Tall decorative spires (guldastas) extend from edges of base walls, and provide visual emphasis to the height of the dome. The lotus motif is repeated on both the chattris and guldastas. The dome and chattris are topped by a gilded finial, which mixes traditional Persian and Hindu decorative elements.

The main finial was originally made of gold but was replaced by a copy made of gilded bronze in the early 19th century. This feature provides a clear example of integration of traditional Persian and Hindu decorative elements. The finial is topped by a moon, a typical Islamic motif whose horns point heavenward. Because of its placement on the main spire, the horns of the moon and the finial point combine to create a trident shape, reminiscent of traditional Hindu symbols of Shiva.[4]

The minarets, which are each more than 40 metres (130 ft) tall, display the designer's penchant for symmetry. They were designed as working minarets — a traditional element of mosques, used by the muezzin to call the Islamic faithful to prayer. Each minaret is effectively divided into three equal parts by two working balconies that ring the tower. At the top of the tower is a final balcony surmounted by a chattri that mirrors the design of those on the tomb. The chattris all share the same decorative elements of a lotus design topped by a gilded finial. The minarets were constructed slightly outside of the plinth so that, in the event of collapse, (a typical occurrence with many tall constructions of the period) the material from the towers would tend to fall away from the tomb.

Base, dome, and minaret

Finial     

Main iwan and side pishtaqs      

Simplified diagram of the Taj Mahal floor plan

[edit]Exterior decoration

Calligraphy on large pishtaq

The exterior decorations of the Taj Mahal are among the finest to be found in Mughal architecture.[citation needed] As the surface area changes the decorations are refined proportionally. The decorative elements were created by applying paint, stucco, stone inlays, or carvings. In line with the Islamic prohibition against the use of anthropomorphic forms, the decorative elements can be grouped into either calligraphy, abstract forms or vegetative motifs.

Throughout the complex, passages from the Qur'an are used as decorative elements. Recent scholarship suggests that the passages were chosen by Amanat Khan.[16][17] The texts refer to themes of judgment and include:

Surah 91 – The Sun

Surah 112 – The Purity of Faith

Surah 89 – Daybreak

Surah 93 – Morning Light

Surah 95 – The Fig

Surah 94 – The Solace

Surah 36 – Ya Sin

Surah 81 – The Folding Up

Surah 82 – The Cleaving Asunder

Surah 84 – The Rending Asunder

Surah 98 – The Evidence

Surah 67 – Dominion

Surah 48 – Victory

Surah 77 – Those Sent Forth

Surah 39 – The Crowds

The calligraphy on the Great Gate reads "O Soul, thou art at rest. Return to the Lord at peace with Him, and He at peace with you."[17]

The calligraphy was created by a calligrapher named Abd ul-Haq, in 1609. Shah Jahan conferred the title of "Amanat Khan" upon him as a reward for his "dazzling virtuosity".[6] Near the lines from the Qur'an at the base of the interior dome is the inscription, "Written by the insignificant being, Amanat Khan Shirazi."[18] Much of the calligraphy is composed of florid thuluth script, made of jasper or black marble,[6]inlaid in white marble panels. Higher panels are written in slightly larger script to reduce the skewing effect when viewed from below. The calligraphy found on the marble cenotaphs in the tomb is particularly detailed and delicate.

Abstract forms are used throughout, especially in the plinth, minarets, gateway, mosque, jawab and, to a lesser extent, on the surfaces of the tomb. The domes and vaults of the sandstone buildings are worked with tracery of incised painting to create elaborate geometric forms.Herringbone inlays define the space between many of the adjoining elements. White inlays are used in sandstone buildings, and dark or black inlays on the white marbles. Mortared areas of the marble buildings have been stained or painted in a contrasting colour, creating geometric patterns of considerable complexity. Floors and walkways use contrasting tiles or blocks in tessellation patterns.

On the lower walls of the tomb there are white marble dados that have been sculpted with realistic bas relief depictions of flowers and vines. The marble has been polished to emphasise the exquisite detailing of the carvings and the dado frames and archway spandrels have been decorated with pietra dura inlays of highly stylised, almost geometric vines, flowers and fruits. The inlay stones are of yellow marble, jasper and jade, polished and leveled to the surface of the walls.

Herringbone     

Plant motifs       

Spandrel detail 

Incised painting

Reflective tiles normal exposure              

Reflective tiles under exposed                 

[edit]Interior decoration

Jali screen surrounding the cenotaphs

Tombs of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal

Cenotaphs, interior of Taj Mahal

The interior chamber of the Taj Mahal steps far beyond traditional decorative elements. Here, the inlay work is not pietra dura but lapidary of precious and semiprecious gemstones. The inner chamber is an octagon with the design allowing for entry from each face, although only the south garden-facing door is used. The interior walls are about 25 metres (82 ft) high and topped by a "false" interior dome decorated with a sun motif. Eight pishtaq arches define the space at ground level and, as with the exterior, each lower pishtaq is crowned by a second pishtaq about midway up the wall. The four central upper arches form balconies or viewing areas, and each balcony's exterior window has an intricate screen or jali cut from marble. In addition to the light from the balcony screens, light enters through roof openings which are covered by chattris at the corners. Each chamber wall has been highly decorated with dado bas relief, intricate lapidary inlay and refined calligraphy panels, reflecting in miniature detail the design elements seen throughout the exterior of the complex. The octagonal marble screen or jali which borders the cenotaphs is made from eight marble panels which have been carved through with intricate pierce work. The remaining surfaces have been inlaid in extremely delicate detail with semiprecious stones forming twining vines, fruits and flowers.

Muslim tradition forbids elaborate decoration of graves and hence Mumtaz and Shah Jahan are laid in a relatively plain crypt beneath the inner chamber with their faces turned right and towardsMecca. Mumtaz Mahal's cenotaph is placed at the precise center of the inner chamber on a rectangular marble base of 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) by 2.5 metres (8 ft 2 in). Both the base andcasket are elaborately inlaid with precious and semiprecious gems. Calligraphic inscriptions on the casket identify and praise Mumtaz. On the lid of the casket is a raised rectangular lozenge meant to suggest a writing tablet. Shah Jahan's cenotaph is beside Mumtaz's to the western side and is the only visible asymmetric element in the entire complex. His cenotaph is bigger than his wife's, but reflects the same elements: a larger casket on slightly taller base, again decorated with astonishing precision with lapidary and calligraphy that identifies him. On the lid of this casket is a traditional sculpture of a small pen box. The pen box and writing tablet were traditional Mughal funerary icons decorating men's and women's caskets respectively. The Ninety Nine Names of God are to be found as calligraphic inscriptions on the sides of the actual tomb of Mumtaz Mahal, in the crypt including "O Noble, O Magnificent, O Majestic, O Unique, O Eternal, O Glorious... ". The tomb of Shah Jahan bears a calligraphic inscription that reads; "He traveled from this world to the banquet-hall of Eternity on the night of the twenty-sixth of the month of Rajab, in the year 1076Hijri."

Arch of Jali         

Delicate pierce work      

Inlay detail         

Detail of Jali

[edit]The garden

Walkways beside reflecting pool

The complex is set around a large 300-metre (980 ft) square charbagh or Mughal garden. The garden uses raised pathways that divide each of the four quarters of the garden into 16 sunkenparterres or flowerbeds. A raised marble water tank at the center of the garden, halfway between the tomb and gateway with a reflecting pool on a north-south axis, reflects the image of the mausoleum. The raised marble water tank is called al Hawd al-Kawthar, in reference to the "Tank of Abundance" promised to Muhammad.[19] Elsewhere, the garden is laid out with avenues of trees and fountains.[20] The charbagh garden, a design inspired by Persian gardens, was introduced to India by the first Mughal emperor, Babur. It symbolizes the four flowing rivers of Jannah (Paradise) and reflects the Paradise garden derived from the Persian paridaeza, meaning 'walled garden'.

Inmystic Islamic texts of Mughal period, Paradise is described as an ideal garden of abundance with four rivers flowing from a central spring or mountain, separating the garden into north, west, south and east.

Most Mughal charbaghs are rectangular with a tomb or pavilion in the center. The Taj Mahal garden is unusual in that the main element, the tomb, is located at the end of the garden. With the discovery of Mahtab Bagh or "Moonlight Garden" on the other side of the Yamuna, the interpretation of the Archaeological Survey of India is that the Yamuna river itself was incorporated into the garden's design and was meant to be seen as one of the rivers of Paradise.[21] The similarity in layout of the garden and its architectural features with the Shalimar Gardenssuggest that they may have been designed by the same architect, Ali Mardan.[22] Early accounts of the garden describe its profusion of vegetation, including abundant roses, daffodils, and fruit trees.[23] As the Mughal Empire declined, the tending of the garden also declined, and when the British took over the management of Taj Mahal during the time of the British Empire, they changed the landscaping to resemble that of lawns of London.[24]

[edit]Outlying buildings

The Great gate (Darwaza-i rauza)—gateway to the Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal complex is bounded on three sides by crenellated red sandstone walls, with the river-facing side left open. Outside the walls are several additional mausoleums, including those of Shah Jahan's other wives, and a larger tomb for Mumtaz's favorite servant. These structures, composed primarily of red sandstone, are typical of the smaller Mughal tombs of the era. The garden-facing inner sides of the wall are fronted by columned arcades, a feature typical of Hindutemples which was later incorporated into Mughal mosques. The wall is interspersed with domedchattris, and small buildings that may have been viewing areas or watch towers like the Music House, which is now used as a museum.

Arches in the Taj Mahal Mosque interior

The main gateway (darwaza) is a monumental structure built primarily of marble which is reminiscent of Mughal architecture of earlier emperors. Its archways mirror the shape of tomb's archways, and itspishtaq arches incorporate the calligraphy that decorates the tomb. It utilizes bas-relief and pietra dura inlaid decorations with floral motifs. The vaulted ceilings and walls have elaborate geometric designs, like those found in the other sandstone buildings of the complex.

Taj Mahal mosque or masjid

At the far end of the complex, there are two grand red sandstone buildings that are open to the sides of the tomb. Their backs parallel the western and eastern walls, and the two buildings are precise mirror images of each other. The western building is a mosque and the other is the jawab (answer), whose primary purpose was architectural balance, although it may have been used as a guesthouse. The distinctions between these two buildings include the lack of mihrab (a niche in a mosque's wall facing Mecca) in the jawab and that the floors of jawabhave a geometric design, while the mosque floor was laid with outlines of 569 prayer rugs in black marble. The mosque's basic design of a long hall surmounted by three domes is similar to others built by Shah Jahan, particularly to his Masjid-Jahan Numa, or Jama Masjid, Delhi. The Mughal mosques of this period divide the sanctuaryhall into three areas, with a main sanctuary and slightly smaller sanctuaries on either side. At the Taj Mahal, each sanctuary opens onto an enormous vaulting dome. These outlying buildings were completed in 1643.

[edit]Construction

Ground layout of the Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal was built on a parcel of land to the south of the walled city of Agra. Shah Jahan presented Maharajah Jai Singh with a large palace in the center of Agra in exchange for the land.[25] An area of roughly three acres was excavated, filled with dirt to reduce seepage, and leveled at 50 metres (160 ft) above riverbank. In the tomb area, wells were dug and filled with stone and rubble to form the footings of the tomb. Instead of lashed bamboo, workmen constructed a colossal brick scaffold that mirrored the tomb. The scaffold was so enormous that foremen estimated it would take years to dismantle. According to the legend, Shah Jahan decreed that anyone could keep the bricks taken from the scaffold, and thus it was dismantled by peasants overnight. A fifteen kilometer (9.3 mi) tamped-earth ramp was built to transport marble and materials to the construction site and teams of twenty or thirty oxen pulled the blocks on specially constructed wagons. An elaborate post-and-beam pulley system was used to raise the blocks into desired position. Water was drawn from the river by a series of purs, an animal-powered rope and bucket mechanism, into a large storage tank and raised to a large distribution tank. It was passed into three subsidiary tanks, from which it was piped to the complex.

The plinth and tomb took roughly 12 years to complete. The remaining parts of the complex took an additional 10 years and were completed in order of minarets, mosque and jawab, and gateway. Since the complex was built in stages, discrepancies exist in completion dates due to differing opinions on "completion". For example, the mausoleum itself was essentially complete by 1643, but work continued on the rest of the complex. Estimates of the cost of construction vary due to difficulties in estimating costs across time. The total cost has been estimated to be about 32 million Rupees at that time.[26]

The Taj Mahal was constructed using materials from all over India and Asia and over 1,000 elephants were used to transport building materials. The translucent white marble was brought from Makrana, Rajasthan, the jasper from Punjab, jade and crystal from China. Theturquoise was from Tibet and the Lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, while the sapphire came from Sri Lanka and the carnelian from Arabia. In all, twenty eight types of precious and semi-precious stones were inlaid into the white marble.

Artist's impression of the Taj Mahal, from the Smithsonian Institution

A labour force of twenty thousand workers was recruited across northern India. Sculptors from Bukhara, calligraphers from Syria and Persia, inlayers from southern India, stonecutters from Baluchistan, a specialist in building turrets, another who carved only marble flowers were part of the thirty-seven men who formed the creative unit. Some of the builders involved in construction of Taj Mahal are:

             Ismail Afandi (a.ka. Ismail Khan) of the Ottoman Empire — designer of the main dome.[27]

             Ustad Isa and Isa Muhammad Effendi of Persia — trained by Koca Mimar Sinan Agha of the Ottoman Empire and frequently credited with a key role in the architectural design.[28][29]

             'Puru' from Benarus, Persia — has been mentioned as a supervising architect.[30]

             Qazim Khan, a native of Lahore - cast the solid gold finial.

             Chiranjilal, a lapidary from Delhi — the chief sculptor and mosaicist.

             Amanat Khan from Shiraz, Iran — the chief calligrapher.[31]

             Muhammad Hanif — a supervisor of masons.

             Mir Abdul Karim and Mukkarimat Khan of Shiraz — handled finances and management of daily production.

[edit]History

Taj Mahal by Samuel Bourne, 1860.

Soon after the Taj Mahal's completion, Shah Jahan was deposed by his son Aurangzeb and put under house arrest at nearby Agra Fort. Upon Shah Jahan's death, Aurangzeb buried him in the mausoleum next to his wife.[32]

By the late 19th century, parts of the buildings had fallen badly into disrepair. During the time of the Indian rebellion of 1857, the Taj Mahal was defaced by British soldiers and government officials, who chiseled out precious stones and lapis lazuli from its walls. At the end of the 19th century, British viceroy Lord Curzon ordered a sweeping restoration project, which was completed in 1908.[33][34] He also commissioned the large lamp in the interior chamber, modeled after one in a Cairo mosque. During this time the garden was remodeled with British-style lawns that are still in place today.[24]

[edit]Threats

Protective wartime scaffolding

In 1942, the government erected a scaffolding in anticipation of an air attack by German Luftwaffeand later by Japanese Air Force. During the India-Pakistan wars of 1965 and 1971, scaffoldings were again erected to mislead bomber pilots.

More recent threats have come from environmental pollution on the banks of Yamuna Riverincluding acid rain[36] due to the Mathura Oil Refinery,[37] which was opposed by Supreme Court of India directives. The pollution has been turning the Taj Mahal yellow. To help control the pollution, the Indian government has set up the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ), a 10,400 square kilometer (4,015 square mile) area around the monument where strict emissions standards are in place.

The Taj Mahal attracts from 2 to 4 million visitors annually, with more than 200,000 from overseas. Most tourists visit in the cooler months of October, November and February. Polluting traffic is not allowed near the complex and tourists must either walk from parking lots or catch an electric bus. The Khawasspuras (northern courtyards) are currently being restored for use as a new visitor center.[39][40] The small town to the south of the Taj, known as Taj Ganji or Mumtazabad, originally was constructed withcaravanserais, bazaars and markets to serve the needs of visitors and workmen.[41] Lists of recommended travel destinations often feature the Taj Mahal, which also appears in several listings of seven wonders of the modern world, including the recently announced New Seven Wonders of the World, a recent poll[42] with 100 million votes.

The grounds are open from 6 am to 7 pm weekdays, except for Friday when the complex is open for prayers at the mosque between 12 pm and 2 pm. The complex is open for night viewing on the day of the full moon and two days before and after,[43] excluding Fridays and the month of Ramzan. For security reasons[44] only five items—water in transparent bottles, small video cameras, still cameras, mobile phones and small ladies' purses—are allowed inside the Taj Mahal.

Ever since its construction, the building has been the source of an admiration transcending culture and geography, and so personal and emotional responses have consistently eclipsed scholastic appraisals of the monument.[45]

Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, one of the first European visitors to the Taj Mahal

A longstanding myth holds that Shah Jahan planned a mausoleum to be built in black marble across the Yamuna river.[46] The idea originates from fanciful writings of Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, a European traveller who visited Agra in 1665. It was suggested that Shah Jahan was overthrown by his son Aurangzeb before it could be built. Ruins of blackened marble across the river in Moonlight Garden, Mahtab Bagh, seemed to support this legend. However, excavations carried out in the 1990s found that they were discolored white stones that had turned black.[47] A more credible theory for the origins of the black mausoleum was demonstrated in 2006 by archeologists who reconstructed part of the pool in the Moonlight Garden. A dark reflection of the white mausoleum could clearly be seen, befitting Shah Jahan's obsession with symmetry and the positioning of the pool itself.

No evidence exists for claims that describe, often in horrific detail, the deaths, dismemberments and mutilations which Shah Jahan supposedly inflicted on various architects and craftsmen associated with the tomb. Some stories claim that those involved in construction signed contracts committing themselves to have no part in any similar design. Similar claims are made for many famous buildings.[49] No evidence exists for claims that Lord William Bentinck, governor-general of India in the 1830s, supposedly planned to demolish the Taj Mahal and auction off the marble. Bentinck's biographer John Rosselli says that the story arose from Bentinck's fund-raising sale of discarded marble from Agra Fort.[50]

In 2000, India's Supreme Court dismissed P.N. Oak's petition to declare that a Hindu king built the Taj Mahal.[49][51] Oak claimed that origins of the Taj, together with other historic structures in the country currently ascribed to Muslim sultans pre-date Muslim rule of India and thus, have a Hindu origin.[52] A more poetic story relates that once a year, during the rainy season, a single drop of water falls on the cenotaph, as inspired by Rabindranath Tagore's description of the tomb as "one tear-drop...upon the cheek of time". Another myth suggests that beating the silhouette of the finial will cause water to come forth. To this day, officials find broken bangles surrounding the silhouette

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taj_Mahal

Real facts of Taj mahal:

Any person, visiting or planning to visit the Taj Mahal, is interested to know more about the Taj Mahal. There are many queries and questions about the Taj Mahal- who built the Taj, why was it built, when can I visit…in fact, there is no end to such queries. This section on the "Taj Mahal facts" is intended to provide you a quick knowledge about this great monument of love. Read on to get some quick information about Taj Mahal and Agra…

Year of Construction: 1631

Completed In: 1653

Time Taken: 22 years

Built By: Shah Jahan

Dedicated to: Mumtaz Mahal (Arjumand Bano Begum), the wife of Shah Jahan

Location: Agra (Uttar Pradesh)

Building Type: Islamic tomb

Architecture: Islamic

Cost of Construction: 32 crore rupees

Number of workers: 20,000

Highlights: One of the Seven Wonders of the World

A UNESCO World Heritage site

Timings: 6:00 am to 7:30 pm (Friday closed)

Fee: Rs 970 (Foreigners)

         Rs 20 (Indians, during daytime)

         Rs 110 (Indians, during sunrise and sunset)

In the following lines, we have mentioned some more Taj Mahal trivia:

•             Before his accession to the throne, Shah Jahan was popularly known as Prince Khurram.

•             Shah Jahan fell in love with the beautiful Arjumand Bano Begum and married her, making her his third wife.

•             Arjumand Bano Begum christened by Shah Jahan as Mumtaz Mahal, meaning the "chosen one".

•             Shah Jahan lost Mumtaz Mahal when she got giving birth to their 14h child.

•             It is believed that in her last breath Mumtaz secured a promise from Shah Jahan that he would construct the most beautiful monument in the her memory.

•             For the transportation of the construction materials, more than 1,000 elephants were made use of.

•             As many as 28 different varieties of semi-precious and precious stones were used to adorn the Taj with exquisite inlay work.

http://www.tajmahal.org.uk/taj-mahal-facts.html

Taj Mahal is a symbol of eternal affection and stands for the pious love even after the death of the two lovers who loved each other more than the almighty GOD. Taj Mahal has been an inspiration for those who are true lover of art, human emotions, also for painters, poets, writers and musicians who try to express human emotions in form of paintings, words, poetries and songs.

The beautiful structure was built in the city of Agra, in state of Uttar Pradesh. The colossal architecture is situated on the banks of the Yamuna River and has a huge ground on its back side which gives a beautiful starry background to it. Taj Mahal was build in memory of the beautiful wife of Mughal Prince, her name was Arjuman Bano Begum. The prince Khurram (who was third son of Mughal Emperor Jahangir) and his wife loved each other so much that they never stayed away from each other, even when the prince went on for wars, they lived together.

The prince on becoming king after some years; changed his name and was called "Shahjahan" which means 'Ruler/King of the whole World'. Shahjanan then honored his wife Arjuman Bano with name 'Mumtaz Mahal'. The king and queen continued loving each other the way they did, and the queen accompanied king Shahjahan in every campaign he set for, even when she was pregnant. Around year 1631 when Mumtaz Mahal was pregnant, she accompanied the king when he started his campaign to win the southern states of India. Mumtaz Mahal, who gave birth to about fourteen children (of which only four male and three female children survived), died during childbirth at Burhanpur, at the age of 39 years.

Some stories say that the devastated king was so sad that he had imprisoned himself in a room in remembrance of his lovely wife. Some stories also state that the Shahajahan had banned music, feasts and any kind of party for about two years in his regime. No matter how hard he tried, but Shahjahan could never forget his wife and he decided to build a monument in the remembrance of his beloved wife. He wanted to build a huge, beautiful monument, entirely made up of marble which will be only one of its types in whole world.

Shahajahan chose a garden on the banks of the Yamuna River to build the structure. The reason of choosing this spot was that, there was no other structure which could overshadow the beauty and uniqueness of the structure he wanted to build. This was not the only reason why the spot was chosen for the monument, but the place was well visible from the king Shahajahan's palace in Fort of Agra. Shahajahan gifted with four huge havelis against the garden he wanted to build the monument in, with the king of Amber who owned the garden.

The construction of the monument began in 1633. The monument was so huge that about 20,000 workers worked for more than 17 years to build it. The King had brought skilled workers from all over India and some neighboring countries also such as Baghdad, Turkey etc. A renowned architect Ustaad Ahmed Lahori was the chief architect for this project; he was accompanied by the counterparts who were from Delhi an Baghdad. Every outline, every look of the structure were discussed in details, many trials were carried out in order to find out the appropriate choice for every possible artwork. Various beautiful parts of the Taj Majal were specially ordered from various countries.

The main dome of Taj Mahal measures about 110 yards in circumference and is about 107 yards above the ground. The base on which the Taj Mahal is resting is called Mahajar-e-Mushababbak, which was specially designed from Turkish designers. It is said that the tombs of Humayun and Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khana (Delhi) inspired the design and structure of the monument Taj Mahal at certain extent. The cost of building such a huge architectural structure was about 50 lakhs in those days.

There are many minute details which are not at all possible to explain in words such as beautiful calligraphy used on the marble stones, marvelous work of artists who carved the marble stone in various designs etc.

http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/12-20-2004-63187.asp

The Taj Mahal was built by the fifth Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. She died in childbirth while accompanying her husband to Burhanpur to control a rebellion. The Taj Mahal was the outcome of the one of the four promises that Mumtaz Mahal extracted from Shah Jahan while she was alive. Taj Mahal symbolizes eternal love of a man for his wife. The body of the queen was buried temporarily in the Zainabadi Garden in Burhanpur and moved to Agra after six months.

The land on which the Taj Mahal was built was acquired from Raja Jai Singh. The construction began in 1631 AD and completed in 22 years. 20,000 labors and artisans were employed for the work. The material for the mausoleum was brought from all over India and central Asia. The Iranian architect Ustad Isa designed the structure.

The Taj is situated 900 ft away from the entrance gate at the opposite end of the garden. The tomb is built over a marble plinth, which rests over a high sandstone base. Four tapering minarets on the four corners of the marble plinth flank the tomb. The minarets rise to a height of 138 ft and are crowned by with eight windowed cupolas over the marble plinth.

The main building is built of marble and is square in plan with chamfered corners. Each side of the corner has an iwan adorned with calligraphy. There are small rectangular double arches one over the other on both sides of the iwan. The arched alcoves of equal sizes at the angles of the tomb are semi-octagonal. The pilasters demark each section of the façade on both side, which rises from plinth of the tomb up to the frieze and are topped by beautiful pinnacles with lotus buds and finials.

The central chamber is octagonal in shape. The height of the hall is 80 ft from the pavement to the side of the interior dome. The crowning glory of the mausoleum is the bulbous onion-shaped double dome. The height from the base of the drum to the top of the finial is 145 ft. The dome provides a desirable and harmonious ceiling to the inner hall and present a majestic and stately effect from outside by giving the desired height. Four small kiosks around the dome reduce the severity of the perpendicular stress.

The jewel-laid cenotaph of the queen lies within the dome. The cenotaph of the emperor was built beside the queen in 1666 AD upon his death. The cenotaph of Mumtaz is in the center while that of Shah Jahan's is on the west side of the enclosure. Pietra dura inlay work decorates the marble surface of the screen and the cenotaphs with various motifs like flowers, delicate arabesques and superb calligraphy. The red sandstone was quarried from local quarries and marble was dug from the hills of Makrana in Rajasthan. Nephrite jade and crystal was brought from Central Asia, turquoise from Tibet yellow amber from Burma, lapis lazuli from Badakshan and chrysolite from Egypt. Some of the rare shells, coral, and mother-of-pearl were taken out from the Indian Ocean. Forty-three kinds of gems including topaz, onyx, garnet, sapphire and bloodstone were used in embellishing the Taj Mahal. The marble was transported through a ten-mile long ramp of packed earth and placed by an elaborate post and beam pulley. The tomb was the first building to be constructed. The mosques on the two side were erected the next, then the four minarets and lastly the gateway and the auxiliary buildings.

The Taj is entered through a massive gate that opens to the south. The gate symbolizes an entrance into the paradise and represented the transition point between the outer world and the inner world. The 150 ft wide and 100 ft high gate is made of red sandstone. The gateway has a series of eleven attached chhatris with marble cupolas flanked by pinnacles above the central portal on the north and south sides. The door at the base is made of eight different metals and studded with knobs.

A green carpet of garden runs from the main gateway to the foot of the Taj laid in the Persian Char Bagh concept. Two marble canals studded with fountains and lined with cypress trees symbolizing death cross in the center of the garden dividing it into four equal squares. The fountains and canals provide the reflection of the Taj. The mausoleum, instead of occupying the central point unlike other Mughal mausoleums, stands majestically at the far end just above the river.

On either side of the Taj Mahal are buildings of red sandstone. The one to the west is a mosque, which faces towards Mecca and is used for prayer. There is a small stone enclosure along the western boundary wall of the Mosque. The structure, measuring 19 ft by 6.5 ft is the site where the remains of Mumtaz Mahal were buried when first brought to Agra. On the east side of the Taj stands the twin of the Mosque, a parallel structure also made of red sandstone, referred to as the jawed, or "answer". It was built to counterbalance the mosque and preserve the symmetry of the entire design on the platform.

The Taj Mahal is immortalized as the 'Monument of Love'. It is one of the most photographed monuments in India. It is in the list of UNESCO's World Heritage Site. Tourists from world over come to have the glimpse of this monument.

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