Tell About Taj Mahal

The calligraphy done over the walls of Taj Mahal are mostly taken from the holy book, Quran. Apart from the walls of Taj Mahal, the verses are inscribed on the Tomb of Queen Mumtaz Mahal and Emperor Shah Jahan.

The marble stones used in the construction were bought from different regions and countries. Out of which the translucent white marble was bought from Makrana, a well-known place for marbles in Rajasthan; Jade & Crystal was imported from China, the Jasper from Punjab, Lapis Lazuli from Afghanistan, Carnelia from Arabia and Turquoise from Tibet.

The rest of the Taj Mahal complex included a main gateway of red sandstone and a square garden divided into quarters by long pools of water, as well as a red sandstone mosque and an identical building called a jawab (or “mirror”) directly across from the mosque. Traditional Mughal building practice would allow no future alterations to be made to the complex.

One of the first selfies taken at Taj were by George Harrison. He used the fish-eye lens.

The Taj Mahal is taller than Qutub Minar (with a difference of five feet).

As the story goes, Shah Jahan intended to build a second grand mausoleum across the Yamuna River from the Taj Mahal, where his own remains would be buried when he died; the two structures were to have been connected by a bridge.

Traditional Mughal building practice would allow no future alterations to be made to the complex.As the story goes, Shah Jahan intended to build a second grand mausoleum across the Yamuna River from the Taj Mahal, where his own remains would be buried when he died; the two structures were to have been connected by a bridge.

Early accounts of the Taj Mahal’s original garden includes abundant daffodils, roses and fruit trees. It was then by the end of the 19th Century the British empire took the control over three fifth of India and they changed the landscaping according to their liking which resembled the lawns of London.

Under Aurangzeb’s long rule (1658-1707), the Mughal empire reached the height of its strength.

However, his militant Muslim policies, including the destruction of many Hindu temples and shrines, undermined the enduring strength of the empire and led to its demise by the mid-18th century.

Did you know Agra was not supposed to be the actual site for Taj Mahal? Yes, you read it right. Earlier, Taj Mahal was to be built in Burhanpur (Madhya Pradesh) where Mumtaz died during the childbirth. But unfortunately, Burhanpur couldn’t supply enough white marble and so the final decision was taken to build the Taj Mahal in Agra which has now become a popular domestic tourist attraction in Agra.

the Taj Mahal suffered from neglect and disrepair in the two centuries after Shah Jahan’s death. Near the turn of the 19th century, Lord Curzon, then British viceroy of India, ordered a major restoration of the mausoleum complex as part of a colonial effort to preserve India’s artistic and cultural heritage.

Lord Curzon’s name is inscribed on a lamp inside the Taj Mahal. The beautiful lamp weighing around 60 kgs is made of copper and is placed under one of the royal gates where the visitors get the first glimpse of the Taj.

The tomb contains 99 different names of Allah as calligraphic inscriptions.

Shah Jahan’s other wives and favourite servants are buried in the mausoleums (outside the Taj Mahal but in the same complex).

The latter was initiated by Lord George Curzon, governor general of the Indies from 1899 to 1905,

We all have learned about Taj Mahal and things associated with it like when, who and for whom it was built, in our school life. Being one of the recognizable monuments in the world, it holds one of the most powerful and famous testimonies of love.

As per the Islamic tradition, graves aren’t supposed to be decorated. Perhaps this the reason why Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz were buried in a plain crypt beneath the inner chamber of Taj Mahal.

The Taj is pinkish in the morning, milky white in the evening and golden when the moon shines.

Taj Mahal which is one of the most visited and beautiful monuments in India, has over 4-8 million visitors annually. Sometimes there are over 40-50 thousand visitors on one single day to capture the iconic sight of this magnificent building.

The Taj changes its colour depending on the amount of light and time. In the sense, the Taj would appear to be pinkish in the morning, milky white in the evening and golden in the moonlight. If you have ever visited the Taj Mahal, then you probably must have noticed it. If not then do notice the next time when you plan to go.

The UNESCO World Heritage classified the Taj as one of the ‘Seven Wonders of the World’ in the year 2007, with over 100 million votes.

About 28 types of precious and semi-precious stones were used for adorning the Taj and they were sourced from Tibet, China, Sri Lanka and some parts of India.

The Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays for prayers since it has an active working mosque in its premises. So, do not plan your trip to Taj Mahal on fridays.

The story of arms of artisans being cut-off to make sure that no such monument was ever built again is a hoax as the same man- Ustad Ahmad Lahauri (a Persian from Iran) who was the supervisor of the architect team, laid the foundation of Red Fort too.