Taj Mahal Facts :-Any person, visiting or planning to visit the Taj Mahal, is interested to know more about the Taj Mahal. There are many queries and questions about the Taj Mahal- who built the Taj, why was it built, when can I visit…in fact, there is no end to such queries. This section on the "Taj Mahal facts" is intended to provide you a quick knowledge about this great monument of love. Read on to get some quick information about Taj Mahal and Agra…

Year of Construction : 1631

Completed In: 1653

Time Taken: 22 years

Dedicated to: Mumtaz Mahal (Arjumand Bano Begum), the wife of Shah Jahan

Location: Agra (Uttar Pradesh)

Building Type: Islamic tomb

Architecture: Islamic

Cost of Construction: 32 crore rupees

Number of workers: 20,000

Highlights: One of the Seven Wonders of the World

A UNESCO World Heritage site :

Timings : 6:00 am to 7:30 pm (Friday closed)

Fee : Rs 970 (Foreigners)
         Rs 20 (Indians, during daytime)
         Rs 110 (Indians, during sunrise and sunset)




Tajmahal - A Tribute to Beauty : Agra, once the capital of the Mughal Empire during the 16th and early 18th centuries, is one and a half hours by express train from New Delhi. Tourists from all over the world visit Agra not to see the ruins of the red sandstone fortress built by the Mughal emperors but to make a pilgrimage to Taj Mahal,Taj Mahal stands on the bank of River Yamuna, which otherwise serves as a wide moat defending the Great Red Fort of Agra, the center of the Mughal emperors until they moved their capital to Delhi in 1637. It was built by the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan in 1631 in memory of his second wife, Mumtaz Mahal, a Muslim Persian princess. The Taj rises on a high red sandstone base topped by a huge white marble terrace on which rests the famous dome flanked by four tapering minarets. Within the dome lies the jewel-inlaid cenotaph of the queen. So exquisite is the workmanship that the Taj has been described as "having been designed by giants and finished by jewellers". The dome is made of white marble, but the tomb is set against the plain across the river and it is this background that works its magic of colours that, through their reflection, change 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.

Taj Mahal Commentary : "The Mausoleum of the Taj Mahal at Agra stands in a formally laid-out walled garden entered through a pavilion on the main axis. The tomb, raised on a terrace and first seen reflected in the central canal, is entirely sheathed in marble, but the mosque and counter-mosque on the transverse axis are built in red sandstone. The four minarets, set symmetrically about the tomb,"The interior of the building is dimly lit through pierced marble lattices and contains a virtuoso display of carved marble. Externally the building gains an ethereal quality from its marble facings, which respond with extraordinary subtlety to changing light and weather."

Brief Description : 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, the Taj Mahal is the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage.

History of Taj Mahal : The history of the Taj Mahal tells us "why was the Taj Mahal built" and many other myths and facts associated with this wonderful structure. Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan erected the Taj Mahal in the memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Shah Jahan (then Prince Khurram) met Mumtaz Mahal (then Arjumand Banu Begum) at the age of fourteen and fell in love at the first sight. She was a Muslim Persian princess and Shah Jahan was the son of the Mughal Emperor, Jehangir. Five years later,

Mumtaz Mahal, an inseparable companion of Shah Jahan, died in 1631, while giving birth to their 14th child. It is believed that during her last moments, Mumtaz Mahal obtained a promise from Shah Jahan that he will build world's most beautiful monument in her memory. But this has not been proven to be true, till date. However, Shah Jahan did indeed build a magnificent monument as a tribute to her wife, which we today know as the "Taj Mahal". Shah Jahan, himself also, lies entombed in this mausoleum along with his wife.

The construction of Taj Mahal started in the year 1631 and it took approximately 22 years to build it. An epitome of love, it made use of the services of 22,000 laborers and 1,000 elephants. It was built entirely out of white marble, which was brought in from all over India and central Asia. After an expenditure of approximately 32 million rupees (approx US $68000), Taj Mahal was finally completed in the year 1653. However, the history of Taj Mahal of India still has some gaps. For example, there are many theories regarding the architect of this magnificent monument.

Male Protagonist : Shah Jahan (Prince Khurram)

Female Protagonist : Mumtaz Mahal (Arjumand Banu Begum)

Shah Jahan met Mumtaz Mahal and fell in love. He married her after five years and they were leading a very happy life. While giving birth to their last child, Mumtaz Mahal died due to some complications. A few years later Shah Jahan built the world's most beautiful monument "Taj Mahal" in the memory of his wife.
The match got solemnized after five years i.e., in the year 1612. Shah Jahan became the Emperor in the year 1628 and entrusted Arjumand Banu with the royal seal. He also bestowed her with the tile of Mumtaz Mahal, meaning the "Jewel of the Palace". Though Shah Jahan had other wives also, but, Mumtaz Mahal was his favorite and accompanied him everywhere, even on military campaigns. In the year 1631, when Mumtaz Mahal was giving birth to their 14th child, she died due to some complications.

It is said that Shah Mahal was so heartbroken after her death that he ordered the court into morning for two years. Some time after her death, Shah Jahan undertook the task of erecting the world's most beautiful monument in the memory of his beloved. It took 22 years and the labor of 22,000 workers to construct the monument, which is also said to be the last wish of Mumtaz Mahal. This magnificent monument came to be known as "Taj Mahal" and now counts amongst the Seven Wonders of the World.

 

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

Taj Mahal architecture is a kind of fusion of Persian, Central Asian and Islamic architecture. The main gateway, with its domed central chamber, is situated at the end of the long watercourse. On one side of the Taj Mahal is the Mosque and on the other, the Naqqar Khana, built mainly to maintain its symmetry. The main building, that of the Taj itself, stands on a raised, square platform with its four abridged corners, forming an unequal octagon. The architecture of Taj Mahal of Agra has made use of the interlocking arabesque concept.

A shadowy burial crypt inside the Taj Mahal houses the tombs of Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Above these tombs is the main chamber that has the false tombs, typical of mausoleums of the Mughals. Perforated marble screens were used to transmit light into the central chamber. A major irony behind Taj Mahal is that the man who got this magnificent monument built is himself responsible for disturbing its symmetry. His tomb, which lies next to that of Mumtaz Mahal, was never planned and deranges Taj's interior.

 Taj Mahal Calligraphy : One of the ornamentations done on the surface of the Taj Mahal is the beautiful calligraphic work. The calligraphy of the Taj Mahal mainly consists of the verses and passages from the holy book of Koran. It was done by inlaying jasper in the white marble panels. These passages were inscribed by a Persian calligrapher, Amanat Khan in an illegible Thuluth script. A number of the panels also bear his signatures.

"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."
Shah Jahan (Badshah Nama)

"It appears like a perfect pearl on an azure ground. The effect is such I have never experienced from any work of art."
British painter Hodges

"I cannot tell what I think. I do not know how to criticize such a building but I can tell what I feel. I would die tomorrow to have such another over me."
British officer, Colonel Sleeman's wife

"Did you ever build a castle in the Air? Here is one, brought down to earth and fixed for the wonder of ages".
American novelist, Bayard Taylor

"You know Shah Jahan, life and youth, wealth and glory, they all drift away in the current of time. You strove therefore, to perpetuate only the sorrow of your heart? Let the splendor of diamond, pearl and ruby vanish? Only let this one teardrop, this Taj Mahal, glisten spotlessly bright on the cheek of time, forever and ever."
Rabindranath Tagore

Height: 93 Ft High

Period of Construction: 1632-1638

The main gateway of the Taj Mahal is one of the five main elements of this magnificent monument. Adorned with Hindu motifs, the Taj gateway is a tall niche doorway in the shape of an ogival arch that rises till the mid-height of the structure. With a vertical symmetry, the main gateway of Taj Mahal stands bordered with Arabic calligraphy of verses from the Quran, made up of black stone. Entwined flowers, mainly red lotus ones, leaves and vines ornament the sloping sides of the niche. These motifs were formed by semi-precious stones inlaid in the marble.

Many poetic illustrations have often been made around the Taj Mahal at moonlit nights. However, the thought of spending a night at Taj Mahal is merely a dream. This is because the monument is closed for public viewing at night and Taj Mahal night tour is not allowed. Some time back, Supreme Court of India did allow the opening of Taj Mahal at night, at full moon nights in specific months. However, this practice has now been discontinued. But, even though you cannot visit the monument at night, we can tell you "how to spend a night at Taj"…

When you think about visiting Taj, a question may come up in your mind about "how to spend a day at Taj". Even though Taj Mahal seems to be a single building, but there are so many structures inside it that you will feel that a day at the Taj Mahal is just insufficient to explore this amazing monument. If you want to appreciate the beauty of this splendid monument fully, we suggest that you should visit it atleast twice. In the morning, Taj Mahal, veiled with mist and immersed in a soft red glow, looks straight out of a fairy tale. The reflection of the sunlight falling on its white marble facade changes color from soft gray and yellow to pearly cream and dazzling white, as the day passes.