The Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of The World has been the pride of India since its inception. Hailed as the ‘Epitome of Love and Beauty’, the great monument was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, after the death of his dearest wife Mumtaz Mahal, as a memorial.
The architecture of
the Taj
Mahal is a combination of Indian, Persian, and Islamic styles of
architecture. The construction of the Taj Mahal began in 1632 and was
completed in 1653. It took a total of twenty-two years to complete the
construction of this monument.
The mausoleum is located on the right bank of the river Yamuna at a point where it
takes a sharp turn and flows eastwards. Originally, the land where the Taj
Mahal presently stands belonged to the Kachhwahas of Ajmer (Rajasthan). The land
was acquired from them in lieu of four havelis as is testified by a court
historian, Abdul Hamid Lahauri, in his work titled the Badshah-Namah and the
firmans (royal decrees). For construction, a network of wells was laid along
the river line to support the huge mausoleum buildings. Masons, stonecutters,
inlayers, carvers, painters, calligraphers, dome-builders, and other artisans
were requisitioned from the whole of the empire and also from Central Asia and
Iran. While bricks for internal constructions were locally prepared, white
marble for external use in veneering work was obtained from Makrana in
Rajasthan. Semi-precious stones for inlay ornamentation were brought from
distant regions of India, Ceylon, and Afghanistan. Red sandstone of different
tints was requisitioned from the neighboring quarries of Sikri, Dholpur, etc.
It took 17 years for the monument complex to be completed in 1648.
The architecture of the mahal
The
Taj Mahal incorporates and expands on the design traditions of Persian and
earlier Mughal architecture. Specific inspiration came from successful
Timurid and Mughal buildings including the gur-e-amir (the tomb of Timur,
the progenitor of the Mughal dynasty, in Samarkand,), Humayun tomb which inspired
the charbhag gardens and hasht-beshat (architecture) plan of the site, Itmad-Ud-Daulah's Tomb (sometimes called
the Baby Taj), and Shah Jahan's own jama masjid in Delhi.
While earlier Mughal buildings were primarily constructed of red sandstone, Shah Jahan promoted the
use of white marble inlaid with a semi-precious stone. Buildings under his patronage
reached new levels of refinement.
Tomb
The most spectacular feature is the marble dome that surmounts the tomb. The dome
is nearly 35 meters (115 ft) high which is close in measurement to the
length of the base and accentuated by the cylindrical "drum" it sits
on, which is approximately 7 meters (23 ft) high. Because of its shape,
the dome is often called an onion dome or amrud (guava dome). The
top is decorated with a lotus design which also
serves to accentuate its height. The shape of the dome is emphasized by four
smaller domed chattris (kiosks)
placed at its corners, which replicate the onion shape of the main dome. The
dome is slightly asymmetrical. Their columned bases open through the roof
of the tomb and provide light to the interior. Tall decorative spires (guldastas) extend from edges of base walls and provide visual
emphasis to the height of the dome. The lotus motif is repeated on
both the chattris and guldastas. The dome and
chattris are topped by a gilded finial that mixes traditional Persian and
Hindustani decorative elements.
Exterior
decoration
The
calligraphy on the Great Gate reads "O Soul, thou art at rest. Return to the Lord at
peace with Him, and He at peace with you. The calligraphy was created in 1609 by a
calligrapher named Abdul Haq.
Shah Jahan conferred the title of "Amanat Khan" upon him as a reward
for his "dazzling virtuosity. Near the lines from the Qur'an at the
base of the interior dome is the inscription, "Written by the
insignificant being, Amanat Khan Shirazi. Much of the calligraphy is
composed of the florid thuluth script made of jasper or black marble] inlaid in white marble panels.
Higher panels are written in the slightly larger scripts to reduce the skewing
effect when viewed from below. The calligraphy found on the marble cenotaphs in the tomb is
particularly detailed and delicate.
Interesting facts about the taj mahal
· Year of construction: From 1632 to 1653.
· Material: White marble.
· Cost of building: ~ 32 million Indian Rupees.
· Built by: Shah Jahan (the Mogul emperor)
· Architect: Ustad Ahmad Lahauri.
· Location: Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India.
· Entrance fee: 1000 Rupees for foreigners.
· Yearly visitors: 7-8 million people.
Taj Mahal
interesting fact for kids
· Year of construction: From 1632 to 1653.
· Material: White marble.
· Cost of building: ~ 32 million Indian Rupees.
· Built by: Shah Jahan (the Mogul emperor)
· Architect: Ustad Ahmad Lahauri.
· Location: Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India.
· Entrance fee: 1000 Rupees for foreigners.
· Yearly visitors: 7-8 million people.
Surprising fact
about taj mahal
· Year of construction: From 1632 to 1653.
· Material: White marble.
· Cost of building: ~ 32 million Indian Rupees.
· Built by: Shah Jahan (the Mogul emperor)
· Architect: Ustad Ahmad Lahauri.
· Location: Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Entrance fee: 1000 Rupees for foreigners.
Yearly visitors: 7-8 million people.
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