One of the most beautiful buildings in the world, the Taj Mahal consistently draws romantics, historians, awe struck tourists and Indian natives alike every year to revel in its superlative Mughal architecture and evocative ambience. The Taj Mahal has roots in Indian royalty. Its construction dates back to a regal Asian love story in the 16th Century. Some would say its history has been embroidered a little by myth, but there is no escaping from the fact that the motivation for the construction of the Taj Mahal was a story of love and devotion.
The chosen one of the palace
The tales that have been handed down over the centuries tell the story of the Emperor Shah Jahan who fell in love with Arjumand Bano Begum. The Shah christened her Mumtaz Mahal or €Chosen one of the palace.€ He made her his wife and she bore him 13 children. Unfortunately she died while giving birth to the fourteenth child. In his grief, and in an effort to keep her name and spirit alive he decided to build the palace we now know as the Taj Mahal - this name has its origins in English: a derivative of Mumtaz Mahal.
At one with the moon
The Taj Mahal was an enormous project and a monument to breath-taking architecture as well as to passion and love. Over a period of 20 years from 1632 to 1652 the Shah Jahan promoted the use of a mix of Persian and Mughal design. The walls are white marble inlaid with semi-precious stones and decorated with intricate flowers and calligraphy carving. Depending on what time of the day it is, and whether or not there is a moon at night, the Taj Mahal appears to be a different colour every time. Some even believe that this changing pattern of colours depict different moods of a woman.
The walls speak of the religion of the time
Considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World the Taj Mahal is also a UNESCO Heritage site. This Islamic tomb was built by 20,000 workers. In order to carry the complex and heavy materials to the building site more than 1,000 elephants were used. The decoration is unsurpassed and it also speaks of the religion of the time. Passages from the Quran have been used as decorative elements throughout the complex. On the sides of the actual tomb of Mumtaz Mahal, 99 names of Allah can be found as calligraphic inscriptions.
The Taj Mahal is found in Agra, a city on the River Yamuna in the Northern state of Pradesh. It is advised to be guided by an India Travel specialist before planning your tour to India to ensure this once in a lifetime gem does not remain unseen.
The chosen one of the palace
The tales that have been handed down over the centuries tell the story of the Emperor Shah Jahan who fell in love with Arjumand Bano Begum. The Shah christened her Mumtaz Mahal or €Chosen one of the palace.€ He made her his wife and she bore him 13 children. Unfortunately she died while giving birth to the fourteenth child. In his grief, and in an effort to keep her name and spirit alive he decided to build the palace we now know as the Taj Mahal - this name has its origins in English: a derivative of Mumtaz Mahal.
At one with the moon
The Taj Mahal was an enormous project and a monument to breath-taking architecture as well as to passion and love. Over a period of 20 years from 1632 to 1652 the Shah Jahan promoted the use of a mix of Persian and Mughal design. The walls are white marble inlaid with semi-precious stones and decorated with intricate flowers and calligraphy carving. Depending on what time of the day it is, and whether or not there is a moon at night, the Taj Mahal appears to be a different colour every time. Some even believe that this changing pattern of colours depict different moods of a woman.
The walls speak of the religion of the time
Considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World the Taj Mahal is also a UNESCO Heritage site. This Islamic tomb was built by 20,000 workers. In order to carry the complex and heavy materials to the building site more than 1,000 elephants were used. The decoration is unsurpassed and it also speaks of the religion of the time. Passages from the Quran have been used as decorative elements throughout the complex. On the sides of the actual tomb of Mumtaz Mahal, 99 names of Allah can be found as calligraphic inscriptions.
The Taj Mahal is found in Agra, a city on the River Yamuna in the Northern state of Pradesh. It is advised to be guided by an India Travel specialist before planning your tour to India to ensure this once in a lifetime gem does not remain unseen.