The Taj Mahal - Demonstration of Love and Grief

It was about 20 years ago when I was first ever introduced Taj Mahal by my History teacher. She informed us so many things about Taj Mahal, with sparkling eyes. No wonder why she was like that. The Taj Mahal is indeed a magnificent monument of India, famous for its glimpse in the entire world. No matter how much you have seen it, it always catches your sight and you can't resist admiring its beauty every time when it pops up in front of you. We perceive its beauty but know not much about its hidden stories and fantasies.

Let me tell you some facts and fantasies about "The Taj."

Taj Mahal is a well-known monument in India, which needs no introduction. Visitors come here to see its beauty from all around the world, after its inclusion in the seven wonders of the World by UNESCO, the number has increased so far. It is India’s most famous and widely recognized building after that.

Generally, most people know that The Taj is the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan, but it is much more than that.

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Where everyone sees it as the mesmerising white marble structure, I and many like me look at it as a demonstration of love and emotion, a person who desperately loved his wife, that after her sudden death left him heartbroken. In great grief and sorrow, he built the most beautiful building in the world.

 

Brief introduction

 The Taj Mahal was built by Shah Jahan, the Mughal emperor (ruled around 1628-58) in memory of his late wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died while giving birth to her 14th child, in 1631. In the deep agony of his loss, he didn't appear in public for an entire year. Her daughter Jahanara Begum helped him to overcome his pain.

The monument is located in the eastern part of the city of Agra, Utter Pradesh, on the bank of the Yamuna River (the second most famous and 4th largest river in India).

The Taj Mahal is the most spectacular and finest example of the Mughal Era and the architecture of the Taj is a mixture of Indian, Persian, and Islamic architecture. The complex was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983.

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The commencement of the Taj Mahal was started around 1632 with the help of 20,000 workers. Indians, Persians and Europeans workforce worked together to build this masterpiece.

She also mentioned a story about the Taj. It’s been said that after the completion of the Taj, the hands of the workers were cut off on the order of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan so that nothing as beautiful would ever be built again. However, the fact is there are no historical records or evidence to prove it. Isn't it surprising?

Construction

It took almost 22 years to finish most of its parts. The tomb is the central focus of the entire complex which is around 42 acres (17 hectares) of the Taj Mahal, which was essentially completed around 1643 to 1648; the rest is a big beautiful garden in front, minaret, mosque and painted or carved walls and window. The more I say, the less it looks. We'll go deep in the next part.

Most of the Mughal buildings like the Red Fort (Delhi), Himau Tomb (Delhi), Red Fort (Agra) etc. were made of red sandstone whereas the Taj Mahal was built with white marble from Makrana in Rajasthan. It is well known for being the finest marble in the world and now is Asia’s first Global Heritage Stone Resource (GHSR).

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The beauty of the Taj mesmerizes you at every Pahar (Time) of the day. It has as many shades as any kind of beauty can ever have! The Taj is pinkish in the morning, milky white in the evening, and golden when the moon shines. Its beauty attracts from 7 to 8 million visitors annually, with more than 0.8 million from overseas.