Nothing can quite prepare you for the shock, wonder and, sheer amazement you feel when you see the Taj Mahal for the first time. The best time to visit is at dawn when the sun’s rays catch the white marble of this immense gleaming monument. They say that you should visit the Taj at least twice, at dawn and at sunset. It shines like a jewel on a full moon night, however the government has discontinued night visits.
Built for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal (1593 -1631) by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan (1592 -1666), the Taj Mahal at Agra is the ultimate symbol for undying love. As per historians, building the Taj Mahal was her dying wish to her husband. Although Shah Jahan had 3 wives, Mumtaz Mahal was his favourite. They were inseparable and she even accompanied him on his military campaigns. She died in childbirth while delivering her 13th child. It is said that Shah Jahan was so shocked and depressed that all his hair turned white.
The Taj Mahal was built between 1631 – 1653 AD and took 20,000 labourers 22 years to complete. The entire Taj Mahal complex consists of five major parts, the main gateway, the gardens, the mosque, the rest house and the main mausoleum. The architecture of the Taj Mahal is a fusion of Persian and Islamic architecture. The main focus of the complex is on the tomb. This large, white marble structure stands on a square plinth.The central dome is 58 feet in diameter and 213 feet in height, and stands bordered by four subsidiary domed chambers. The height of the four minarets is 138 feet. The white marble used to clad the monument was sourced from Makrana in Rajasthan. There were twenty eight different types of precious and semi-precious stones inlaid into the white marble. There is beautiful calligraphic work on the Taj Mahal and this consists verses and passages from the holy book of the Koran.
It is said that Shah Jahan cut the hands of his architects and sculptors and even blinded some, so that they would never be able to build a monument as beautiful as the Taj Mahal. In 1657 when Shah Jahan fell ill, Aurangzeb imprisoned him in Agra fort. He crowned himself emperor of India and assumed the title Alamgir (Conqueror of the World) in 1659.
We are extremely lucky to still have the Taj Mahal because apparently during the British rule, the then Governor of India Lord William Bentinck, planned to demolish it and send the marble to England. However the cost of transportation was so high that it was not financially feasible.
In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was one of the original seven wonders of the world. It is now also one of the seven new wonders of the world.
So what can I say ??? Waah Taj !
( Video courtesy of A. R. Rahman )
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