The story of Taj Mahal reflects the intensity of love. The fairy tale began
when walking through the bazaar of Agra prince qhurram saw a girl. The girl
was exceptionally beautiful. It was a love at first sight for both of them.
Agra, the city of the Taj Mahal and once the capital of the Mughal empire, has
several monuments which display the splendour of Mughal architecture. It was
here that Babar, the founder of the dynasty, had the first formal Persian garden
laid out on the banks of the river Yamuna.
The construction of Taj Mahal was started in A.D. 1632 and completed at the
ended in 1648 A.D. For seventeen years, twenty thousand workmen are said to
have been employed on it daily, for their accommodation a small town, named
after the deceased empress- 'Mumtazabad', now known as Taj Ganj, was built adjacent
to it.
The structure of Taj Mahal adheres to the Islamic style (Mughal style) of architecture,
which flourished in India during the medieval period. The Islamic style of architecture
is also referred to as the Indo-Islamic style of architecture.
Unlike other Mughal tombs, the garden of the Taj Mahal has been laid out entirely
in front of the tomb and does not play any part in the 'background'. Instead,
the background has been provided by the sky. This background is not constant;
Taj Mahal Building
Details
Despite several controversies that claim that the Taj Mahal was designed
by an Italian Geronimo Veroneo, or a French silversmith Austin de Bordeaux,
the first real evidence of the architect's identity emerged in the 1930s when
a seventeenth century manuscript called the Diwan-i-Muhandis was found to mention
the Taj Mahal.
The Garden in essense is based on symmetry and geometrical measurements. The
lush green garden expands from the main gateway to the plinth, over which stands
the tomb. The Persian style garden has a close link with paradise, since Quran
describes paradise as a beautiful garden.
The Taj Mahal is situated more than 900 ft. (275 m.) away from the entrance
at the opposite end of the garden. Towering almost 200 ft. (76m.) in height,
the tomb stands on its own marble plinth, which rests on a red sandstone platform
that serves to level the land as it slopes to the river.
On either side of the Taj Mahal are buildings of red sandstone. The one to the
west is a Mosque. It faces towards Mecca and is used for prayer. Before we have
a look at the mosque, let us take note of a small stone enclosure along the
western boundary wall where the well of the Mosque is located.
Taj Mahal is a monument of love. Taj is the pride of India. The story behind
Taj Mahal is also as beautiful as the monument. It is the love story of a prince
and a beauty girl that turned into a legend.
Taj Mahal Interior
The interior of the mausoleum comprises a lofty central chamber, a crypt immediately
below this and four octagonal corner rooms originally intended to house the
graves of other royal family members.
Delhi: Delhi is the capital of India since old times. Delhi's history dates
back to the first millenium BC, when it was known as Indraprastha. The Tomar
Rajputs built Lal Kot, the core of the first of Delhi's seven cities. It is
the epicenter of the nation's politics, economy and culture. History is alive
and throbbing in Delhi, the capital of India.
BY AIR: Indian Airlines (Domestic Airline in India) runs daily flights from
Delhi to Agra. Kheria Airport (Airport of Agra) is about 6 km from the Agra
city centre and is easily accessible by taxis and auto-rickshaws at nominal
rates.
