Taj Mahal – A Tribute To Love

The Taj Mahal, popularly known as the Taj, is an epitome of love built on the bank of the River Yamuna in Agra (India). It beholds the finest Indian architectural splendor developed by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in the reminiscence of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. According to the sources, in 1983, the Taj Mahal formed the part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site and was designated as “the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world’s heritage.”

The Taj, white domed marble mausoleum, encloses many structures within its vicinity and is also known as the Taj complex.

History

The construction of the Taj laid its foundation in 1632 under imperial supervision, which finally came to an end in 1653 with the help of thousands of artisans and craftsmen.

After the completion of this world famous historical monument, Shah Jahan’s son Aurangzeb threw overthrew his own father and locked him in the house arrest at the close by Agra Fort. On the death of Shah Jahan, Aurangzeb laid his body to rest in a tomb next to Shah Jahan’s wife, both tombs existing in the Taj even today.

In the late 19th century, many parts of the buildings were already into a very poor condition. During the national uprising of 1857, the British vandalized the monument by taking away precious stones and lapis lazuli from the walls. However, at the end of the 19th century, the British viceroy Lord Curzon took an effort to restore the monument’s condition, which was finally achieved in 1908. Not only this, he ordered a large lamp to be kept in the internal chamber, which is similar to the one in the mosque at Cairo. To add to his concern of this heritage, the gardens were rebuilt to look like British-style lawns.

Architecture

The Taj exhibits a mixture Persian, Indian, and Islamic styles with an adoption of the interlocking arabesque concept. This huge structure completely made up of white marble is set on a raised square platform surrounded by four 162.5 m minarets with an iwan, an arch-shaped doorway whose apex consists of a large dome and finial. The four shortened corners/minarets are purposely not made long enough so that the spherical dome is highlighted. This middle dome, which is 58 feet in diameter and 213 feet in height, is erected in line with the four subsidiary domed chambers.

Sites of Attractions

The complex consists of the five major constituents, which are listed below.

• Darwaza (The main gateway)
• Bageecha (The gardens)
• Masjid (The mosque)
• Naqqar Khana (The rest house)
• Rauza (The main mausoleum)

The Darwaza is located at the end of the long water pool consisting of a domed central compartment. The mosque lies on one side of the Taj, while the Naqqar Khana is on the other side to retain the proportion of the complex. A faint committal tomb consists of the tombs of Shah Jahan and his wife. There are false tombs in the chamber just above these tombs, but they are of Mughals.

The Gateway

Decorated with Hindu motifs in a Hindu style, the gateway is a tall symmetrical doorway whose outline is of an arch and reaches until mid-height of the monument. It consists of Arabic calligraphy of the Quran’s verses. Intertwined leaves, wines, and flowers, mainly red lotuses (symbol of Lord Brahma), made in semi-precious stones stucked in marble decorate its sloping sides.

Interiors (Gardens)

The Charbagh gardens are in a Persian style wherein you can see flowers, fruits, leaves, birds, and symmetry. They start from the darwaza and end until the base of the monument. Babur initiated the Persian style in India. The geometric arrangements of nature forming their base, they looked naturally on their own without any efforts. The secret behind the development of these gardens is the arrangements were according to the number four (the holiest number in Islam) and its multiples. For instance, the gardens consist of two marble canals with fountains passing through its center. In each of its quarters, stoned pathways split 16 flowerbeds.

Cyprus (denoting death) or fruit bearing (denoting life) trees cover these gardens in a symmetrical style. At the north end of the garden, is the Taj Mahal. At the gardens’ center (portion between the monument and gateway) lies a raised marble lotus-tank of water in which the Taj is reflected.

The Mosque

This religious place of Muslims is made up of red sandstone and is externally decorated with pietra dura. Its significance is that it is in the direction of the holy city, Mecca. The edge near the mosque’s well encloses a small stone where the remains of Mumtaz Mahal are present. The mosque exhibits four octagonal towers and three splendid domes. Its glowing floor is attractive with 539 prayer carpets. The interiors display calligraphy referring the name Allah and religious quotations.

Rest House

This is a red sandstone monument also known as the Jawab (Answer) and is built exactly like the Taj Mahal mosque. However, no prayers happened there and even until today, no one knows the purpose of this structure. A popular belief is that it was built to preserve the monument’s symmetry. It is ornamented by flower designs and other marble decorative items.

The Taj Mahotsav

This festival lasts for 10 days and is celebrated in the month of February. It is mainly arranged to promote Uttar Pradesh’s arts, handicrafts, cuisine, dance, and folk music. In reality, it is an acknowledgment to the people who have contributed to these fields.

This festival is celebrated at Shilpgram, just a few steps away from the Taj. A procession involving ornamented elephants and camels, folk artists, artisans, and drum players marks the advent of this festival. This gives the message to retain the culture that was lost during the Mughal period. Variety of crafts exhibited includes:

• Woodcarvings
• Brass and other metal ware
• Handmade carpets
• Blue pottery
• Chikan work
• Silk work

Another must attend arrangement is the Food Festival. Here, you can enjoy some of the oldest and typical varieties of Uttar Pradesh. For complete entertainment, do not forget to be a part of folk music and folk dances of Bundelkhand, Nautanki (Drama), and Sapera dance of Rajasthan.

Days of Attraction

The best time is from October to March. The monument remains closed on Fridays and its visiting time is from morning 6 a.m. to evening 7:30 p.m. However, you will have to pay the entrance fees.

Reaching Taj Mahal

By air, the nearest airport is Agra and is the fastest way of reaching the monument.

By rail, Agra is the nearest station and is well connected with Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta, and Chennai. In between Agra and Delhi, Palace on Wheels, Shatabdi, Rajdhani, and Taj Express provide good service.

By road, regular bus services are available from Agra.

Once you reach the city of Agra, you can easily take a taxi, tempo, auto-rickshaw, or cycle rickshaw to reach the monument.