History of the World Heritage Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal, Agra (INDIA)

Today we will talk about the history and some major facts of India’s Taj Mahal which is one of the 7 wonders of the world. Taj Mahal has also been declared as World Heritage by UNESCO which is why millions of travellers across the world visit to see this monument. When we talk about Taj Mahal, it is widely considered one of the most beautiful and romantic buildings in the world. We can say that Taj Mahal was built to honour the favourite wife of an emperor.

History of Taj Mahal

As far as the history of Taj Mahal is concerned it is a mausoleum of the Queen called "Mumtaz Mahal" named (Arjumand Bano Begum) which is splendidly created by King Called "Shah Jahan" ( 5th Emperor of the Mughal Dynasty) in her memory, who died in 1631. Like many of his predecessors, Shah Jahan married several wives over the course of his adult life. Although Shah Jahan spread his heart around, none of these ladies found quite the same favour as his third wife (but first love), Arjumand Banu Begum, more famously known as Mumtaz Mahal. Their union lasted 19 years and led to the birth of 14 children. Complications during the birth of the final child led to Mahal’s untimely passing at the age of 39. Shah Jahan was so stricken by the loss of his longtime companion that he decided to memorialize Mahal with a spectacular tomb. The construction of Taj Mahal started in 1631 A.D and It took 22 years to get complete and was completed in 1653 A.D. As per the google search the total built-in cost of Taj Mahal in 1631 was 32 million Indian rupees and cost estimate in 2015 would be 52.8 billion Indian rupees.

Construction and Foundation

Taj Mahal was constructed by architect Ustad Ahmad Called "Lahori" and his team member of 22000 workers including labours, painters, stone cutters, embroidery artists and many others musicians. The complete monument is entirely built with white marble brought from all over India and Asia. There were around 1000 elephants who handled the transportation of heavy building materials used during the two-decade construction of this hardcore project.

Architecture

The dimensions on which Taj Mahal situated is around 170000 sq. m complex; 57 m at the base; 68 m in height and raised platform height 6 m. The height of Taj Mahal is 73 metres, it may sound weird to you all but it is true that the Qutub Minar is smaller than the Taj Mahal. The Delhi’s monument Qutub Minar is 72.5 meters tall whereas the Taj Mahal is 73meters tall. The Four sides of Taj Mahal i.e 4 Minars were made perfectly identical to same height i.e 4o meters, creating an astonishingly mirrored image on each side, to give it all look same from all sides. Taj Mahal is surrounded by gardens, buildings, mosques, fountains, guest houses making up of total 17 hectares of land. Construction of the Taj Mahal started in the year 1632. Around 22,000 masons, stonecutters, calligraphers and artisans, from all over India and Central Asia were employed during the construction period of 22 years. The marble used for the building was sourced from various parts of India and around 1000 elements were employed for this purpose. A board of architects oversaw the design elements under imperial supervision. The main tomb took 10 years to build and other ancillary buildings took another 12 years to complete. Taj Mahal is part of an elaborate complex consisting of a decorative gateway, a beautifully designed garden, a wonderful water system and a mosque. The complex is situated on the southern banks of river Yamuna. The complex stretches in a south to north incline towards the river and is constructed in steps.

Calligraphy

Exterior of the Taj Mahal

The central focus of the complex is the Tomb structure. Made completely out of white marble, its beauty lies in the symmetry of its architecture. The structure is situated on a raised square plinth, also made of white marble, at a height of 50 m from the river level, at one end of the complex. The tomb itself is situated at the center of the plinth, framed by four equidistant minarets. The Taj Mahal is a square structure with sides measuring 55 m. The minarets are spread at a distance of 41.75 m from the tomb wall and have a height of 39.62 m. There is a bulbous central dome in the main building, 18.28 m in diameter and 73 m in height. The dome is elevated from the top of the building by a 7 m high cylindrical base. It is decorated at its top by lotus motif and ends in a gilded finial topped with the Islamic half-moon. The spherical and grand aspect of the central dome is emphasized by incorporation of smaller domes on both sides in the form of chhatris, also capped in gilded finials. Each minaret is divided into three equal segments by two balconies and has an octagonal base. The delicate curve of the dome is emphasized by the tapering structure and slightly angular placement of the minarets. The entrance to the main tomb is framed by a huge arched vault or Iwan which in turn is again framed by two similar but smaller arches on each side. These arches indicate stacked balconies along two different levels. This is called pishtaqs, which is replicated on all the eight edges of the building affording it another dimension of symmetry. The exteriors of the Taj are inlaid with intricate decorations. Generously inlaid with precious gemstones like opals, lapis lazuli and jade, the decorations offer stunning flashes of colour against a white background. Stucco and paintings cover the exterior walls along with calligraphy of verses from Quran or excerpts from poems in black marble. Murals of herringbone inlays and marble jaalis, mosaics of coloured stones in geometric patterns along with abstract tessellations cover the exterior floors and surfaces.

Interior of the Taj Mahal

The interior of Taj Mahal is dominated by a cavernous octagonal central chamber with eight smaller chambers radiating from it. The smaller chambers are levelled across two floors making a total of 16 such niches. The central chamber is the main funerary chamber housing the cenotaphs of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan. The two ornate marble cenotaphs are enclosed within a marble screen and face the south. The actual sarcophagi are housed below the tomb is a relatively simple crypt. Although Islam prohibits elaborate decoration of tombs, Shah Jahan flamboyantly overlooked the dictate and commissioned opulent detailing of the interior surfaces. Inlays of Pietra dura and lapidary adorn the floors and works on the walls and floors. Copious amounts of gemstones were used for the design along with coloured stones. Highly polished surfaces reflect the light filtered through marble latticework in the windows and arches. Calligraphic inscriptions of the 99 names of God is carved on the tombs itself and on Shah Jahan’s tomb an addition passage has been inscribed in impeccable calligraphy reading "He travelled from this world to the banquet-hall of Eternity on the night of the twenty-sixth of the month of Rajab, in the year 1076 Hijri.

The breathtaking calligraphy written on the main gate is actually the 99 names of Allah and countless beautifully printed lines of Muslim scripture line the walls of the Taj Mahal, each of which was transcribed from the Quran under the supervision of head calligrapher Abd-al Haqq, known professionally as Amanat Khan Shirazi. Abd-al Haqq also received attribution for his calligraphy, an exceptionally rare opportunity for the era.

Historic Monuments inside Taj Mahal

The Garden (Mughal Garden) at the Taj Mahal

The garden is an intricate part of Mughal mausoleums and is commonly known as Charbagh. Raised red sandstone pathways divide the Mughal garden into four segments which are in turn fractioned into 16 symmetrical sections. A raised square marble pool is situated midway between the Taj Mahal and the Entrance. The Hawd al-Kawthar or Tank of Abundance positioned on the north-south axis offer a beautiful reflection of the Taj in all its glory. Various fruit-bearing trees and Cyprus trees symbolizing life and death respectively are arranged in symmetrical equidistant patterns along the raised central pathway. The garden is designed in such a way that it offers unhindered view of the Taj from any random point.

Other Buildings in the Taj Complex

Every element of the Taj complex was designed to uphold the majesty and beauty of the Taj Mahal. The main entrance gateway or Darwaza-e-Rauza is constructed with red sandstone and is designed in such a way that standing outside the archway one cannot see the Taj, but upon entering it manifests offering a breathtaking effect.

The mosque on the western side of the Taj Mahal and the Nakkar Khana or guest house on the eastern side are made with red sandstone. They are mirror images of each other in design, which in Mughal architectural terms is called Jawab, and enhance the symmetry of the Taj along with emphasizing the translucent beauty of the white marble structure.

Taj Mahal - Myths & Legends

Several myths surround the Taj Mahal. The most widespread of them is that after completion of construction, Shah Jahan ordered the thumbs of the architects and workers to be cut of so that they cannot reproduce the work they did for him. however, this does not have any historical evidence. There is also the myth of Shah Jahan commissioning a Black Taj Mahal but was unable to finish it since his rule was overthrown by his son Aurangzeb. Some historians believe that the ruins excavated in the Mehtab Bagh, situated on the opposite bank of river Yamuna, are the incomplete remains of the structure owing to its similarity with Taj Mahal’s symmetrical architecture. An Indian writer, P. N. Oak claimed that the Taj Mahal was built on the site of a Shiv Temple called Tejo Mahalaya that was originally built by a Hindu king Parmar Dev. However, this claim was dismissed by the Supreme Court of India despite petitions for excavations. Last eight years of Shah Jahan was spent in confinement in the Shah Burj of the Agra Fort. It is said that he spent his days gazing towards the Taj Mahal from a small jharokha in his cell and remembering his beloved Mumtaz Mahal.