The Taj Mahal - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com Google Taj Mahal: Shah Jahan’s Romantic Gesture Shah Jahan was a member of the Mughal dynasty that ruled most of northern India from the early 16th to the mid 18th-century. After the death of his father, King Jahangir, in 1627, Shah Jahan emerged the victor of a bitter power struggle with his brothers, and crowned himself emperor at Agra in 1628. At his side was Arjumand Banu Begum, better known as Mumtaz Mahal (“Chosen One of the Palace”), whom he married in 1612 and cherished as the favorite of his three queens. Did You Know? According to one gruesome (and most likely sensational) story, Shah Jahan had his minions cut off the hands of the Taj Mahal's architect and his workers after the structure was completed, ensuring they would never build another of its kind. In 1631, Mumtaz Mahal died after giving birth to the couple’s 14th child.

The grieving Shah Jahan, known for commissioning a number of impressive structures throughout his reign, ordered the building of a magnificent mausoleum across the Yamuna River from his own royal palace at Agra. Construction began around 1632 and would continue for the next two decades. The chief architect was probably Ustad Ahmad Lahouri, an Indian of Persian descent who would later be credited with designing the Red Fort at Delhi. In all, more than 20,000 workers from India, Persia, Europe and the Ottoman Empire, along with some 1,000 elephants, were brought in to build the mausoleum complex. Design and Construction of the Taj Mahal Named the Taj Mahal in honor of Mumtaz Mahal, the mausoleum was constructed of white marble inlaid with semi-precious stones (including jade, crystal, lapis lazuli, amethyst and turquoise) forming intricate designs in a technique known as pietra dura. Its central dome reached a height of 240 feet (73 meters) and was surrounded by four smaller domes; four slender towers, or minarets, stood at the corners.

In accordance with Islamic tradition, verses from the Quran were inscribed in calligraphy on the arched entrances to the mausoleum, in addition to numerous other sections of the complex. Inside the mausoleum, an octagonal marble chamber adorned with carvings and semi-precious stones housed the cenotaph, or false tomb, of Mumtaz Mahal. The real sarcophagus containing her actual remains lay below, at garden level. 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. 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.

In fact, Aurangzeb (Shah Jahan’s third son with Mumtaz Mahal) deposed his ailing father in 1658 and took power himself. Shah Jahan lived out the last years of his life under house arrest in a tower of the Red Fort at Agra, with a view of the majestic resting place he had constructed for his wife; when he died in 1666, he was buried next to her. The Taj Mahal Over the Years 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. Even as Mughal power crumbled, 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.

Today, some 3 million people a year (or around 45,000 a day during peak tourist season) visit the Taj Mahal. Air pollution from nearby factories and automobiles poses a continual threat to the mausoleum’s gleaming white marble façade, and in 1998, India’s Supreme Court ordered a number of anti-pollution measures to protect the building from deterioration. Some factories were closed, while vehicular traffic was banned from the immediate vicinity of the complex. Tags History » The Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal > History History The crown of all the palaces has a deep history of romance, madness, remorse, loss and immense love. The Taj Mahal is a story of how deeply a man loved his better half that even after she remained but a memory, he assured that this memory would never fade away. This man was the Indian Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan who built Taj Mahal for his wife Mumtaz Mahal during 17th Century. Amongst all his wives, she was the most loved and trusted.

The creation of Taj Mahal is story none other than a love between a Muslim Persian Princess and a Mughal Emperor Jehangir, the grandson of Akbar the Great. They tied the bond of togetherness in the year of 1612. While giving birth to their 14th child, Mumtaz took her last breath in 1631. It is said that the loss crushed the Emperor so bad that he secluded himself in a room without food for a week. The construction of Taj Mahal took 22 years. The location of the site was an obvious choice of the emperor as it was clearly visible from the Agra Fort (his palace). Soon after the completion of Taj mahal, Shah Jahan was abandoned and deposed by his son Aurangzeb and was put under arrest. Shah Jahan also lies entombed in this mausoleum along with his wife. Taj Mahal is an epitome of faith and love. The entire world especially India will be grateful to the emperor for this beautiful monument. Leave a comment Taj Mahal: Was India's 'monument to love' built out of guilt?

- BBC News BBC News Taj Mahal: Was India's 'monument to love' built out of guilt? By Geeta Pandey BBC News, Delhi 25 June 2014 Close share panel Image copyright Other Often described as one of the wonders of the world, the stunning 17th Century white marble Taj Mahal was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a mausoleum for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth. But a new play which recently premiered in India gives a dramatic and unexpected twist to historical events. The production of Shah Jahan-o-Mumtaz suggests that all was not well in the lovers' paradise and questions the motive behind the building of the Taj. Everyone knows it as a monument to love, but could it in fact have been built out of guilt? The play was originally written in English in the 1970s as the Tale of the Taj by Dilip Hiro, a London-based author, playwright and expert on international affairs. "Conflict is the driving force in my script," Mr Hiro told the BBC. And here, he explores "the conflict between the couple whose mutual love is embossed on the popular psyche".

Mumtaz was a far-sighted political thinker, an astute strategist and schemer, and the woman behind as well as ahead of her man M Sayeed Alam, Director of Shah Jahan-o-Mumtaz "As an Indian, one is mesmerised by the Taj. The conventional story behind it is Shah Jahan's eternal love for Mumtaz. "To put it bluntly, there is no drama in sentimental mush praising beauty and so on, so the play had to be about achieving the supreme power - the imperial throne." The play is being performed for the first time in Urdu, a language extensively used by people during Shah Jahan's reign and still spoken and understood by large numbers of Indians today. Not a beautiful-dutiful wife? Mumtaz was Shah Jahan's third and favourite wife and their love story is legendary. It is generally believed that she was a beautiful and devoted wife who was content to have lots of children with her husband - she died giving birth to their 14th child. "But there was another side to her that's not well-known - that she was not at all the beautiful-dutiful wife.

She was a very good chess player, far better than Shah Jahan, and that she was ambitious and ruthless," says director M Sayeed Alam of the Delhi-based theatre group Pierrot's Troupe. Historians agree that imperial women in the Mughal period exercised significant political authority. Image caption The Taj Mahal was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal "Mumtaz wielded considerable political power and influence and there are plenty of historical documents confirming her involvement in administrative matters and government orders," Delhi University professor Farhat Hasan says. The play recreates 17th Century Delhi, buzzing with political intrigue where the fight for political power was often ugly and bloody. It opens with the rivalry for the imperial throne between Shah Jahan and his brother Prince Pervez, and Mumtaz plays a crucial role in her husband's victory by poisoning his rival. As the play progresses, different shades of Mumtaz's personality come to the fore - a devoted wife who is a guide and adviser to her husband, but at the same time with a mind of her own.

"She's a far-sighted political thinker, an astute strategist and schemer, and the woman behind as well as ahead of her man," Mr Alam says. Image copyright other Image caption Shah Jahan cradles his dying wife after the fall The play's great surprise centres on a high-stakes game of chess played one evening, when a pregnant Mumtaz nudges the emperor to bet his throne. When he loses the game she ascends the throne, giving free rein to her ruthlessness and ambition. The emperor then realises that his beloved queen must be stopped. A tussle over the royal seal ends with her fall from the throne, and soon Mumtaz dies in childbirth. But was it a mere accident or was she pushed? The play is open-ended - it doesn't say in so many words that Mumtaz was killed. But it does leave one with a lingering suspicion, that perhaps the emperor did have a role in her death. The departure from accepted historical fact certainly didn't trouble the audience the night I went along - they gave it a standing ovation, and there have been rave reviews.

"The play focuses on the politician in Mumtaz rather than the lover boy in Shah Jahan," The Hindu said, describing it as a "great idea". The Deccan Herald welcomed the fact that "what has been etched in our memories" had been questioned and the audience challenged to look at events from a female perspective. So, as some critics are asking - is the Taj Mahal truly "a monument to murder"? Well, it really is a work of fiction - there is no suggestion in history that she could have been murdered. Mr Hiro says it is actually "faction" - where "fiction blends ingeniously with facts" to create interesting drama. The next performance of Shah Jahan-o-Mumtaz is at the Epicentre, Gurgaon, on Sunday, 29 June.

Indian Century - Taj Mahal Indian Century Graphics brought to you by: Syngraphics Experience the Synergy of Art and Information Anyone interested in Vinod Khosla's Microlending in India, please click here We invite you to visit a gallery of artists: ePaintings.com Please scroll down to the end of the article for a video on Taj Mahal Ever since this marble mausoleum was erected by the fifth Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife Mumtaz Mahal, the Taj Mahal has symbolized eternal love and has served as a classical example of an Indian architectural masterpiece. It is India’s Eiffel Tower, its Big Ben, its Great Pyramid and its Great Wall. Many a writer had searched in vain to describe it in mere words and failed miserably. “Poetry in Marble”, Dream in Marble” and many other descriptive terms do not come close to capturing the emotions one experiences during a face to face encounter with the Taj. One comes away awestruck in appreciating not only the symmetry and beauty, the exquisite inlays and intricate patterns but also its sheer size. The Taj is situated on the banks of the river Yamuna in Agra in the state of Uttar Pradesh in North India.

It was built over the course of 17 years (1631 to 1648 AD), by the hard labor of 20,000 laborers and artisans and it cost the phenomenal sum of Rs 4,18,48,427. The main material used for construction, Markana marble was imported from Iran but inlays used many semi-precious stones and others such as neelam, zamurral, ruby, pearl, agate etc. The total height of the monument is 243’6”. The structure was designed by Ustad Ahmed Lahauri, and the chief architect was Ustad Isa Afandi of Iran. While Taj Mahal continues to be the number one attraction for foreign tourists to India, concerns have been raised about the ill-effects of industrial pollutants. Steps have been taken to address this issue but at the threshold of the new millennium, this superb marble edifice still faces this challenge. The following are some more images of the Taj: Did you know?!

A particularly gruesome aspect to this tribute in marble to eternal love is the fact that, in the name of preventing the construction of another building of similar grandeur, the Emperor had the thumbs of the architect cut off! Some reports suggest he had actually cut off the whole arms of the architect and many of the workers. I suppose, this adds even more melancholy to the story… Taj Mahal | mausoleum, Agra, India | Britannica.com Taj Mahal Agra Taj Mahal, also spelled Tadj Mahall, mausoleum complex in Agra , western Uttar Pradesh state, northern India . It is situated in the eastern part of the city on the southern (right) bank of the Yamuna (Jumna) River . Agra Fort (Red Fort), also on the right bank of the Yamuna, is about 1 mile (1.6 km) west of the Taj Mahal . Taj Mahal, Agra, India. © TMAX/Fotolia Taj Mahal, Agra, India, designated a World Heritage site in 1983.

In its harmonious proportions and its fluid incorporation of decorative elements, the Taj Mahal is distinguished as the finest example of Mughal architecture , a blend of Indian, Persian , and Islamic styles. One of the most beautiful structural compositions in the world, the Taj Mahal is also one of the world’s most iconic monuments, visited by millions of tourists each year. The complex was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983. History of construction The Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahān (reigned 1628–58) to immortalize his wife Mumtāz Maḥal (“Chosen One of the Palace”). The name Taj Mahal is a derivation of her name. She died in childbirth in 1631, after having been the emperor’s inseparable companion since their marriage in 1612. The plans for the complex have been attributed to various architects of the period, though the chief architect was probably Ustad Aḥmad Lahawrī, an Indian of Persian descent. The five principal elements of the complex—main gateway, garden, mosque .

jawab (literally “answer”; a building mirroring the mosque), and mausoleum (including its four minarets)—were conceived and designed as a unified entity according to the tenets of Mughal building practice, which allowed no subsequent addition or alteration. Building commenced about 1632. More than 20,000 workers were employed from India, Persia , the Ottoman Empire , and Europe to complete the mausoleum itself by about 1638–39; the adjunct buildings were finished by 1643, and decoration work continued until at least 1647. In total, construction of the 42-acre (17-hectare) complex spanned 22 years. Red sandstone mosque (left, west) and mausoleum, in the Taj Mahal complex, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, … © Ron Gatepain (A Britannica Publishing Partner) Similar Topics Agra Fort A tradition relates that Shah Jahān originally intended to build another mausoleum across the river to house his own remains. That structure was to have been constructed of black marble, and it was to have been connected by a bridge to the Taj Mahal.

He was deposed in 1658 by his son Aurangzeb , however, and was imprisoned for the rest of his life in Agra Fort. Layout and architecture Resting in the middle of a wide plinth 23 feet (7 metres) high, the mausoleum proper is of white marble that reflects hues according to the intensity of sunlight or moonlight. It has four nearly identical facades, each with a wide central arch rising to 108 feet (33 metres) at its apex and chamfered (slanted) corners incorporating smaller arches. The majestic central dome, which reaches a height of 240 feet (73 metres) at the tip of its finial , is surrounded by four lesser domes. The acoustics inside the main dome cause the single note of a flute to reverberate five times. The interior of the mausoleum is organized around an octagonal marble chamber ornamented with low-relief carvings and semiprecious stones (pietra dura). Therein are the cenotaphs of Mumtāz Maḥal and Shah Jahān.

Those false tombs are enclosed by a finely wrought filigree marble screen. Beneath the tombs, at garden level, lie the true sarcophagi. Standing gracefully apart from the central building, at each of the four corners of the square plinth, are elegant minarets. The Taj Mahal at sunrise, Agra, India. © Galyna Andrushko/Shutterstock.com (image digitally enhanced) All About Asia Flanking the mausoleum near the northwestern and northeastern edges of the garden, respectively, are two symmetrically identical buildings—the mosque, which faces east, and its jawab, which faces west and provides aesthetic balance. Built of red Sikri sandstone with marble-necked domes and architraves , they contrast in both colour and texture with the mausoleum’s white marble. Britannica Stories Ringling Bros. Folds Its Tent The garden is set out along classical Mughal lines—a square quartered by long watercourses (pools)—with walking paths, fountains, and ornamental trees. Enclosed by the walls and structures of the complex, it provides a striking approach to the mausoleum, which can be seen reflected in the garden’s central pools.

The southern end of the complex is graced by a wide red sandstone gateway with a recessed central arch two stories high. White marble paneling around the arch is inlaid with black Qurʾānic lettering and floral designs. The main arch is flanked by two pairs of smaller arches. Crowning the northern and southern facades of the gateway are matching rows of white chattris (chhattris; cupola-like structures), 11 to each facade, accompanied by thin ornamental minarets that rise to some 98 feet (30 metres). At the four corners of the structure are octagonal towers capped with larger chattris. The sandstone gateway at the southern end of the Taj Mahal complex, Agra, India. © snaptitude/Fotolia Gateway to the Taj Mahal complex, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. © Ron Gatepain (A Britannica Publishing Partner) Two notable decorative features are repeated throughout the complex: pietra dura and Arabic calligraphy .

As embodied in the Mughal craft, pietra dura (Italian: “hard stone”) incorporates the inlay of semiprecious stones of various colours, including lapis lazuli , jade , crystal , turquoise , and amethyst, in highly formalized and intertwining geometric and floral designs. The colours serve to moderate the dazzling expanse of the white Makrana marble. Under the direction of Amānat Khan al-Shīrāzī, verses from the Qurʾān were inscribed across numerous sections of the Taj Mahal in calligraphy, central to Islamic artistic tradition. One of the inscriptions in the sandstone gateway is known as Daybreak (89:28–30) and invites the faithful to enter paradise. Calligraphy also encircles the soaring arched entrances to the mausoleum proper. To ensure a uniform appearance from the vantage point of the terrace, the lettering increases in size according to its relative height and distance from the viewer. A marble portal of the Taj Mahal in Agra, India.

© TMAX/Fotolia Taj Mahal - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up) Before it became the name of one of the world’s most beautiful buildings, Taj Mahal was the name of a woman. She was Arjumand Banu Begum (begum is a title for a Muslim woman of high social rank), the favorite wife of Shah Jahan, who was the Muslim ruler of India’s Mughal Empire from 1628 to 1658. He affectionately called her Mumtaz Mahal, meaning "ornament of the palace." The name Taj Mahal came from this term of endearment and was given to the mausoleum he built for her. Article History Taj Mahal Travel Guide Home � Taj Mahal Travel Guide Taj Mahal The Largest and most expensive mausoleum of the world. Also, one of the seven wonders of the world. Agra in the North Indian State of Uttar Pradesh in India. Taj Mahal, is synonymous with India. It is the most familiar travel icon of India.

Taj Mahal is the mausoleum of the Mughal Empress Mumtaz Mahal, built in her memory by her husband Shah Jehan (the Vth Mughal Emperor) after her death. It was Shah Jehan's everlasting love for Mumtaz that led to the genesis of the Taj Mahal. After 22 laborious years, and the combined effort of over 20,000 labors and master craftsmen, the complex was finally completed in 1648 AD on the banks on the river Yamuna in Agra, the 17th century capital of the Mughal monarchs. Situated on the bank of the river Yamuna in Agra, Taj Mahal is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular buildings of the world. Renowned for its architectural magnificence and aesthetic beauty, it counts among man's proudest creations and is invariably included in the list of the world's foremost wonders. As a tomb, it has no match upon earth, for mortal remains have never been housed in greater grandeur.

The Architectural Wonder of Taj - The dome is made of white marble, but the tomb is set against an awesome backdrop of the river and it is this background that works its magic of colours through their reflection and transforms the view of the Taj. The colours change at different hours of the day and during different seasons. Like a jewel, the Taj sparkles in moonlight when the semi-precious stones inlaid into the white marble on the main mausoleum catch the glow of the moon. The Taj is pinkish in the morning, milky white in the evening and golden when the moon shines. These changes, they say, depict the different moods of woman. This monument of love is an architectural masterpiece, nothing could be added or subtracted from it. Reaching Taj Mahal - Air : Agra has its own airport, so accessibility by air is not a problem. Rail : Agra has well laid railway tracks, which is connected to all the major cities of India. Road : Agra is well linked to all the major cities of Uttar Pradesh. which are easily approachable from any part of India.

The Taj Mahal » The wonder of Love The sight of this mansion creates sorrowing sighs and makes sun and moon shed tears from their eyes. In this world this edifice has been made to display, thereby, the Creator’s glory. – said Shah Jahan, the Mughal Emperor who built the Taj Mahal in the 17th century (Badshah Nama) Art The crowning jewel of Indo-Islamic architecture blends Persian, Islamic and Hindu styles. Calligraphic inscriptions of the Qur'anic verses, floral motifs that embellish the marble surfaces, stone flowers with soft lyricism... Architecture Taj Mahal is an exceptional funeral monument with an integrated complex of many structures. The construction took around 22 years and employed around 20,000 artisans and craftsmen. History The Taj is a symbol of India’s rich history. Built in the 17th Century by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan to house the tomb of his beloved wife - Mumtaz Mahal, the Taj is an emblem of the Mughal civilization on the Indian Soil.

Taj Mahal replica to be built in Dubai - BBC News BBC News Taj Mahal replica to be built in Dubai 4 October 2012 Read more about sharing. Close share panel Image caption The iconic Taj Mahal is a Unesco World Heritage site and was built in the 17th Century A $1bn (£621m) project to build a replica of the Taj Mahal has been unveiled in the Gulf emirate of Dubai. The Taj Arabia complex would be much bigger than the original monument to love and include a 300-room hotel, shops and commercial buildings, developer Arun Mehra said. It would be ready by 2014 and be known as the "New City of Love", he said. The complex will also house other structures such as the Eiffel Tower, Pyramids and the Great Wall of China. The Taj Mahal, which is situated in the northern Indian town of Agra, is a Unesco World Heritage site. It was completed more than 350 years ago by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a shrine for his wife Mumtaz and took more than 20 years to build.

The white marble mausoleum, situated on the banks of the river Yamuna, is sometimes known as a teardrop on the cheek of time. The Taj Arabia complex will be built around the Taj Mahal which is a "symbol of love and will include various facilities to encapsulate the beauty of life, love and romance mixed with the long established Mughal architecture", Mr Mehra, who is the chairman of Link Global Group, told the Press Trust of India. The developers say they hope that the Taj Arabia will become a new wedding destination and attract couples to it. An earlier plan to build the complex was shelved when the company was hit by the global economic downturn. Taj Mahal - Wikiquote Taj Mahal It is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World The Taj Mahal (/ˈtɑːdʒ məˈhɑːl/ often /ˈtɑːʒ/;, from Persian and Arabic , "crown of palaces", pronounced [ˈt̪aːdʒ mɛˈɦɛl]; also "the Taj") is a white marble mausoleum located in Agra , Uttar Pradesh , India .

It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal . The Taj Mahal is widely recognized as "the jewel of Muslim art " in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world 's heritage . It is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World . Taj Mahal’s central dome is approximately equal to a skyscraper of 25 stories. It is as high as 240 feet with intricate Quran verses inscribed on its entrance, keeping in line with the Islamic tradition. Contents Quotes[ edit ] Not a piece of architecture , as other buildings are, but the proud passions of an emperor’s love wrought in living stones. Not a piece of architecture , as other buildings are, but the proud passions of an emperor’s love wrought in living stones. Edwin Arnold in: Shefali Patel A Penchant for Love , iUniverse, 2006, p.

246 Along with the masses of labourers flocking to Agra once news of its [Taj Mahal] inception spread, materials for the construction had also begun arriving; red sand stone from local quarries in Fatehpur Sikri and marble dug from the hills of far-off Makrana in Rajasthan . In order to transport the marble, a ten-mile long ramp of tampered earth was built through Agra on which an unending parade of thousand elephants and bullock carts continually dragged the blocks of marble to the building site. Jim Ford in: Don't Worry, Be Happy: Beijing to Bombay with a Backpack , Troubador Publishing Ltd, 2006, p. 442. One can imagine having a procedural rule that anything ambiguous should be treated as the Taj Mahal unless we see that it is labelled " fog "...The motorist replies: "What sort of rule is this? Surely the best guarantee I can have that the fog is fog is if I fail to see the sign saying 'fog' because of the fog." The soul of Iran incarnate in the body of India . M.

Grousset on the blended architecture [of Taj Mahal] which developed in India in the creation of Taj Mahal quoted in: Rajendra Prasad Dube in: Jawaharlal Nehru: A Study in Ideology and Social Change Mittal Publications, 1988, p. 35 Different people have different views of the Taj but it would be enough to say that it has a life of its own that leaps out of marble, provided you understand that it is a monument of love . As an architectural masterpiece, nothing could be added or substracted from it. Bina Gupta in: Shrine Of Love- Taj Mahal , binaguptapoetry.com Post card image - ...I am one of the declared seven wonders of the world Global admirers are amazed as my beauty is unfurled Like unveiling of a blushing bride under many covers My beauty too unfolds in layers beckoning in whispers...

Shrine of Love -Taj Mahal I am the tear drop of a grieving lover A magnificent declaration of his ardor A marble symphony by maestro carvers A magnum opus , an aria by Wagner to savor I am the tomb royal of departed Mumtaz Mahal I change many hues like her moods that dapple I am homage to Shah’s Queen that held him in thrall My exquisite inlaid work in crafting do my visitors enthrall I am one of the declared seven wonders of the world Global admirers are amazed as my beauty is unfurled Like unveiling of a blushing bride under many covers My beauty too unfolds in layers beckoning in whispers I am the legendary love epic’s poetry in marble, a tomb immortal Lovers exchange vows before me with faces lit like candles Yet for all my magnificence and breathtaking glory I am tainted by amputated limbs of craftsmen, a fact gory I am piece de resistance , an epitome of architectural magnificence For centuries I am a benevolent provider to many folks in silence As visitors stand n behold me in awe they forget my real significance I am a symbol of death , a tomb signifying all life ends as it is transient I am the tear drop of a

 grieving lover A magnificent declaration of his ardor A marble symphony by maestro carvers A magnum opus, an aria by Wagner to savor.

Bina Gupta in:"Shrine Of Love- Taj Mahal" When you do music concerts at Taj Mahal and the Acropolis , you have to be careful about your performance being appropriate with the place that surrounds you. It has to be appropriate to the culture - it should fit the building behind you, the environment you are playing it in and the culture of that place. And the sun and the moon shed tears from their eyes . In this world this edifice [Taj Mahal] has been made; To display thereby the creator 's glory . - Emperor Shah Jahan . 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 [Taj Mahal] has been made; To display thereby the creator 's glory . Emperor Shah Jahan in: [Mahajan, Vidya Dhar (1970). Muslim Rule In India. p. 200] and David Carroll, Newsweek, inc.

Book Division The Taj Mahal , Newsweek, 1973 "Aye, build it on these banks," the monarch said, "That when the autumn winds have swept the sea, They may come hither with their falling rains, A voice of mighty weeping o'er her grave." Letitia Elizabeth Landon , Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1832 (1831), 'The Taj-Mahal, at Agra - The Tomb of Muntaza Zemani' Yeah, I can understand that. All the splendor of the Taj Mahal, without the inconvenience and expense of traveling to India. Stephenie Meyer in: Eclipse , Hachette UK, 26 February 2009, p. 109 ...approached the Taj with a radiant smile , ready to experience great beauty . We were privileged to see the delicate semi-precious-stone floral inlays and lacey marble screen carvings through his sensitive fingertips, And to hear him describe what his fingers saw. I shut my eyes and let my fingers trace exquisite inlay patterns and follow the intricate carvings.

I felt the power of enduring beauty created by craftsman centuries before and learned from Rodney a deeper way of seeing. Rodney Mohag, blind Fulbright student expressing his views on Taj Mahal as explained by Jean Durgin Harlan Landing Right Side Up in Nehru's India: Field Notes from a Punjab Sojourn , iUniverse, 12 November 2012, p. 143 It was built up by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan , who wanted his beloved wife to be remembered by one and all, with help of architectural geniuses like Ustad Isa , Isa Mohammad Effendi and Puru of Persia . The result that came across was a fine piece of Mughal architecture , fused with Persian , Islamic , and Indian architectural styles ; or is believed so by many. Walter Pennacchietti in: La sottile linea rosa , Lulu.com, p. 18. She ran off with my plunge router guide. How am I supposed to build that scale model of the Taj Mahal out of cherry wood without my plunge router guide?

Carmen Sandiego in: The Great Train Slobbery , CBS Interactive Inc., 15 December 1992 ...inspected the 16th Century Humayun's Tomb --a forerunner to the Taj Mahal--and cruised past scores of international embassies... - Harry Shattuck. The most impressive in the Taj Mahal complex next to the tomb, is the main gate which stands majestically in the centre of the southern wall of the forecourt. The gate is flanked on the north front by double arcade galleries. The garden in front of the galleries is subdivided into four quarters by two main walk-ways and each quarters in turn subdivided by the narrower cross-axial walkways, on the Timurid-Persian scheme of the walled in garden. The enclosure walls on the east and west have a pavilion at the centre. It is a perfect symmetrical planned building, with an emphasis of bilateral symmetry along a central axis on which the main features are placed. The building material used is brick-in-lime mortar veneered with red sandstone and marble and inlay work of precious/semi precious stones.

It is good to recall that three centuries ago, around the year 1660, two of the greatest monuments of modern history were erected, one in the West and one in the East; St. Paul's Cathedral in London and the Taj Mahal in Agra . Between them, the two symbolize, perhaps better than words can describe, the comparative level of architectural technology , the comparative level of craftsmanship and the comparative level of affluence and sophistication the two cultures had attained at that epoch of history . But about the same time there was also created—and this time only in the West—a third monument, a monument still greater in its eventual import for humanity. This was Newton's Principia , published in 1687. Newton 's work had no counterpart in the India of the Mughals . I would like to describe the fate of the technology which built the Taj Mahal when it came into contact with the culture and technology symbolized by the Principia of Newton. Taj has been described as having been designed by giants and finished by jewellers. Renu Saran in: Wonders of the World , Diamond Pocket Books Pvt Ltd, 22 April 2014, p.

10 As a tribute to a beautiful woman and as a monument of enduring love , it reveals its subtleties when one visits it without being in a hurry. Its ctangular base is in itself a symbolic of the different sides from which to view a beautiful woman. The main gate is like a veil to a woman’s face which should be lifted delicately, gently and without haste on the wedding night. In Indian tradition , the veil is lifted gently to reveal the beauty of the bride . As one stands inside the main gate of it, his eyes are directed to an arch which frames the Taj. Renu Saran in: “Wonders of the World”, p. 10 We had admired the presidential palace and parliament houses, paused beside the striking India Gate , inspected the 16th Century Humayun's Tomb --a forerunner to the Taj Mahal--and cruised past scores of international embassies. Harry Shattuck in: The old and the new of Delhi , Houston Chronicle, 14 May 2006 It is a celebration of woman built in marble and that’s the way to appreciate it. Susant Pal in: Imbibed In Faith , Partridge Publishing, 2014, p.

104 The Taj is pinkish in the morning, milky white in the evening and golden when the moon shines. These changes, they say, depict the moods of woman. Susant Pal in: "Imbibed In Faith" P.104 It rises above the banks of the river like a solitary tear suspended on the cheek of time. Rabindranath Tagore in: Dini Von Mueffling The 50 Most Romantic Things Ever Done , N.A. Talese, 1997, p. 50 Alternate version: A tear drop on the cheek of eternity . Rabindranath Tagore in:"Imbibed In Faith" P.104 An immense mausoleum of white marble, built in Agra between 1631 and 1648 by order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favourite wife, it is the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage. Unesco in: Taj Mahal , unesco.org It is considered to be the greatest architectural achievement in the whole range of Indo-Islamic architecture.

Its recognised architectonic beauty has a rhythmic combination of solids and voids, concave and convex and light shadow ; such as arches and domes further increases the aesthetic aspect. The colour combination of lush green scape reddish pathway and blue sky over it show cases the monument in ever changing tints and moods. The relief work in marble and inlay with precious and semi precious stones make it a monument apart. Unesco in: "Taj Mahal" The most impressive in the Taj Mahal complex next to the tomb, is the main gate which stands majestically in the centre of the southern wall of the forecourt. The gate is flanked on the north front by double arcade galleries. The garden in front of the galleries is subdivided into four quarters by two main walk-ways and each quarters in turn subdivided by the narrower cross-axial walkways, on the Timurid-Persian scheme of the walled in garden. The enclosure walls on the east and west have a pavilion at the centre. Unesco in: "Taj Mahal" It is a perfect symmetrical planned building, with an emphasis of bilateral symmetry along a central axis on which the main features are placed.

The building material used is brick-in-lime mortar veneered with red sandstone and marble and inlay work of precious/semi precious stones. Unesco in: "Taj Mahal" Although an important amount of repairs and conservation works have been carried out right from the British period in India these have not compromised to the original qualities of the buildings. Unesco in: "Taj Mahal" The Taj Mahal[ edit ] Panoramic view - It is a complex of buildings; a mosque , a guest house, an enormous entrance gate , four minaret towers and the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal, Shah Jahan’s wife. It is laid out in a rectangular grid on 42 acres along the Yamuna River , with water fountains and gardens and reflecting pools. Lesley A. DuTemple in: The Taj Mahal ,Twenty-First Century Books, 1 January 2003 Shah Jahan , the fifth emperor of the Mughal Empire , commissioned the building of the Taj Mahal as a tomb for his beloved wife. p. 4 It is in Agra , a city in India, which was part of the Mughal Empire in the seventeenth century.

A Monument To Love, India's Taj Mahal is a beautiful example of a great building feat. With the exception of its gardens , it is exactly as it was designed in 1631. In: p. 6 It is a complex of buildings; a mosque , a guest house, an enormous entrance gate , four minaret towers and the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal, Shah Jahan ’s wife. It is laid out in a rectangular grid on 42 acres along the Yamuna River , with water fountains and gardens and reflecting pools. In: p. 6 Wagon loads of colorful gemstones arrived from all parts of Asia and Europe . Its story is one of great passion and sorrow . Shah Jahan built it as a tomb for his beloved Mumtaz Mahal, whose beauty inspired many royal poets . He chose to express his grief through architecture . It is a testament to his undying love . In: p. 7 The mystery surrounding it does not dim its beauty . It has been called one of the wonders of the world. In modern times millions of visitors journey to India every year to see the tomb, its grounds and the buildings around it.

Sixty thousand people visit the site every day, making it one of the popular tourist attractions in the world . They find an extraordinary white marble building, shimmering like a jewel on the banks of the Yamuna River – the famous Taj Mahal, tangible evidence of a love story that has endured for centuries. In: p. 7 No single person designed the whole Taj Mahal complex. The buildings were the work of many people – architects , engineers , artists , calligraphers , and Shah Jahan himself. In: P.23 Europeans could not believe that anything so beautiful could have been designed by a non-European. Europeans of the time considered the people of India uncivilized . They recognized that it was a magnificent building. So they thought it couldn’t have been designed by an Indian . On the question as to who built the Taj Mahal, whether it was Austin de Bordeaux, a Frenchman or Geronimo Veroneo who were both in the Mughal court at the time quoted in: P.23 Base, dome and minaret - The tomb sits on a large marble platform , called a plinth . At each corner of this platform is a minaret .

The building is a domed structure made of white marble inlaid with colourful gemstones in the shapes of flowers. Passage from the Quran are inlaid in black marble. In: P.23 The tomb sits on a large marble platform , called a plinth . At each corner of this platform is a minaret (a tall, narrow tower from which a Muslim calls the devout to prayer ). It is this building which is called the Taj Mahal, although the name often refers to the whole complex. In: p. 25 Mughal court records refer to Mumtaz Mahal’s tomb as the illuminate tomb, probably because of the beautiful decorations and passages from the Quran inlaid in the marble. (“Illuminated” refers to lustrous decoration and marble reflects light well). As the years passed, though, the tomb and surrounding complex came to be called the Taj Mahal. Historians aren’t really sure why, but most likely the name is an abbreviation of “Mumtaz Mahal”. In: P.25-26 It is a spectacular example of Mughal architecture , blends Islamic, Hindu, and Persian styles.

In: P.26 Many of the architectural features found in it were first tried out in other buildings, such as the tombs of the emperors Humayun and Akbar . in: P.27 It Never Disappoints; The Taj Mahal has the sort of majestic beauty that catches you unawares[ edit ] Bill Coles in: It Never Disappoints; The Taj Mahal has the sort of majestic beauty that catches you unawares , The Wall Street Journal, 25 February 2006, the Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi. It is, like the Mona Lisa , one of those masterpieces with which you will be outstandingly familiar long before you ever get to see it...it does not disappoint. It does not disappoint the first time you see it, nor the third time, nor even the 30th time... Its appearance is constantly changing. It might sound strange to say this of an inanimate building , but every time you see the Taj, it looks different. The color of its white marble changes throughout the day, from the waxy yellow at dawn through to the pastel blue-gray of a full moon . Its appearance is constantly changing.

It might sound strange to say this of an inanimate building , but every time you see the Taj, it looks different. The color of its white marble changes throughout the day, from the waxy yellow at dawn through to the pastel blue-gray of a full moon . It is, according to almost every guidebook, the world 's "greatest monument to love . ... the Taj was long ago plundered of its loot, and all that remains in the crypt are the ornate marble tombs of Shah Jahan and his Mumtaz . After the main building had been completed, the most lavish detail was added. w:Jade:Jade and crystal were shipped in from China , lapis lazuli from Afghanistan . And coral and mother-of-pearl were garnered from the Indian Ocean . The tomb itself had gold lamps and a door of solid jasper , and was guarded by gates of silver . Sadly, the Taj was long ago plundered of its loot, and all that remains in the crypt are the ornate marble tombs of Shah Jahan and his Mumtaz .

Shah Jahan was said to have been so delighted with the end result that he had the architect beheaded, the better to ensure that no other building would ever rival the Taj. Even to this day, the emperor's wish would appear to have come true...later on in his life , he planned to build a black Taj for himself on the other side of the Yamuna . It was to have been every bit as magnificent as the white Taj, and the two were to have been connected with a bridge of solid silver . If the light is right, you can squint at the Taj and see the specter of its black twin on the other side of the Yamuna -- and it is then that you truly marvel not just at the Taj, but at the wonder of what might have been. Giles Tillotson in: Taj Mahal , Profile Books, 1 October 2010 It is the queen of architecture . Other buildings may be as famous, but no other is so consistently admired for a beauty that is seen as both feminine and regal . Many people feel that to class Taj Mahal as architecture is a mistake: it is both too personal and too magnificent . In: p.

1 To too many people in India it suggests not only a building but a blend of tea . It is also cry of admiration as Wah Taj!, indicative of Mughal sophistication and elegance ...There are several appropriations to the building name to brand names such as of hotels, tea, saffron , and bars of soap and so forth. In; P.2 It is a tomb , most famous of the Mughals, whose empire flourished in India between the fifteenth and eighteenth centuries, enshrining the remains of the fifth emperor of the dynasty , [[w:Shah Jahan|Shah Jehan| and those of his second wife Mumtaz Mahal . She died before him and construction of the complex began immediately. In: p. 3 The building ’s [[beauty is a metaphor for hers [Mumtaz Mahal] and is thus contemplated as feminine. It is builder's feeling for the woman interred within. What else but passion, they ask, could have inspired something so perfect? In: P.4 The idea of Taj as an expression of love has made it a favorite destination for honeymooners ... observing the ritual of getting photograph taken while seated on a marble bench as a backdrop.

Such images are so widely circulated that Princess Diana had to appear in this pose alone on a royal tour of India shortly before the break-up of her marriage with Prince Charles , to convey to the world her sense of loneliness and loss . The bench was a later addition, about 100 years ago, quoted in: p. 4 So grand a structure cannot be purely and simply a tomb. Wayne Begley commenting on the ideological agenda of Taj Mahal, quoted in: p. 6 As a symbol of love it does not quite work for her, since its overwhelming beauty demands a passive response that is irritating to the [[adventurous. Ebba Koch in: p. 6 Its secondary career has been as a symbol of India . The prize piece of Indian heritage , it is seen to embody the country’s celebrated history and civilization ...Elevated to the national symbol by outsiders, not until about 1900 was it accepted as such by Indians . In: P.6 Early Indian visitors to the Taj, who came either as pilgrims or sightseers , were far outnumbered by those going elsewhere. And this continues. Today it is seen by two million Indians per year.

The Tirupati temple in southern India , meanwhile welcomes nearly twelve million pilgrims per year. Yet it is the Taj that is recognized as the symbol of India. In: p. 6 The other seeming oddity of its role as a national symbol is that it has achieved this status for Indians in spite of it being Islamic. In: P.6 The year 2005 was declared as the buildings 350th anniversary, and in September of that year, a crowd of people collectively offered at the building a shawl measuring 100 m in length....as a standard gesture of congratulations meted out to persons but offering a shawl at a tomb is a religious rite in Islam . To avoid any misunderstanding the members of this crowd were at pains to point out that they represented many different religions and theirs was a ‘secular shawl’. Reverence for the Taj was thereby removed from any specifically ‘Islamic’ context and a common ownership was declared. In: P.7-8 No one it seems is willing to play by the rules . The original builders overlooked orthodoxy ( Islamic ), and modern devotees overlook unwanted historical associations, both in order to shape the Taj according to their own desires . In: p.

8 One of the first to do [including Taj under the Seven Wonders of the world] so was the French physician François Bernier , who was present in India at the time of its construction and averred: 'this monument deserves much more to be numbered among the wonders of the world than the pyramids of Egypt ’, which he described by comparison as ‘unshapen masses and heaps of stone’. The Taj has achieved inclusion among the New Seven Wonders of the World , the subject of a worldwide popular internet vote organized by the Swiss adventurer Bernard Weber. In: P.11 There was a major restoration programme initiated by Lord Curzon . His efforts at the Taj Mahal have had a mixed reception. They are often judged to be largely benign , and they even received complimentary accolades from Jawaharlal Nehru . Post-colonial critics of the Raj have predictably been less willing to exonerate this exemplar of aristocracy . In: p. 14 ...how Mughal is the name Taj Mahal anyway?

It is usually said that the name derives from Mumtaz Mahal, the title given to the empress which means ‘select of the palace.’ There is room for doubt about this; ‘taj’ need not be abbreviation of ‘mumtaz’ since it is itself a perfectly good Persian word meaning ‘ crown ’. It is also worth noting that the building is not called Taj Mahal in the contemporary Mughal sources. Abdul Hamid Lahauri , the author of Padshahnama , the official history of Shah Jahan’s reign calls it rauza-i munawwara, meaning the illumined or illustrious tomb (where rauza implies specifically a tomb in a garden . In: P.14 ...Crowning this dome of heavenly rank, the circumference of whose outer girth is 110 yards, there has been affixed a golden filial 11 yards high, glittering like the sun , with its summit rising to a total height of 107 yards above the ground. - w:Abdul Hamid Lahauri Abdul Hamid Lahauri .

Above the inner domes, which is radiant like the hearts of angels , has been raised another heaven-touching, guava - shaped dome , to discover the minute mathematical degrees of which would confound even the celestial geometrician. Crowning this dome of heavenly rank, the circumference of whose outer girth is 110 yards, there has been affixed a golden filial 11 yards high, glittering like the sun , with its summit rising to a total height of 107 yards above the ground. Abdul Hamid Lahauri in Padshanama quoted in: p. 86 At the corner of the white marble platform, which is 23 yards above the level of the ground, stand four minarets , also of marble, with interior staircases and capped by cupolas , which are 7 cubits in diameter and rise to a total of 32 cubits from the pavement of the said platform to the filial, appearing as it were, like ladders reaching towards the heavens . - w:Abdul Hamid Lahauri Abdul Hamid Lahauri .

At the corner of the white marble platform, which is 23 yards above the level of the ground, stand four minarets , also of marble, with interior staircases and capped by cupolas , which are 7 cubits in diameter and rise to a total of 32 cubits from the pavement of the said platform to the filial, appearing as it were, like ladders reaching towards the heavens . Abdul Hamid Lahauri in Padshanama quoted in:p.86 Its designers drew inspiration from three related traditions : the architecture of the Mughals ' central Asian homeland; the buildings erected by earlier Muslim rulers of India, especially in the Delhi region; and the much older architectural expertise of India itself. In: p. 46 For a building that is supposedly a symbol of love , it has generated a lot of anger . Or rather, some people have been angered by what others have said about it, and have felt called on to defend its honour . In: p.

85 Nerina Rustomji]] in: The Garden and the Fire: Heaven and Hell in Islamic Culture , Columbia University Press, 1 October 2013 The interior dome of the mausoleum was built to evoke eternity , since it held a single tone for nearly half a minute. What is remarkable about it is not only the complete and sophisticated program that included architecture , inscriptions and floral imagery to project a permanent garden , but also the intention that the complex would be visited by a large public purpose. Ebba Koch in: p. 178 It was built with posterity in mind ; we the viewers are part of its concept.

Question: In what century was the Indian mausoleum the Taj Mahal built?
Answer: 17th