TAJ MAHAL

      Often referred to as the romantic Taj Mahal, this structure reflect not only love, but the splendor of an era of Indian history. It is the most visited monument in all of India with over 2.5 million visitors each year, over 2 million are domestic visitors and 500,000 are travelers from abroad.1
      The Taj Mahal is a white marble mausoleum built for love from a King to his Queen. It is located in Agra, India and is usually top on travelers lists when considering How to Visit India. It is considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient and modern world. It has inspired many an architech to build such beautiful buildings. The symmetry, design, reflection in the surrounding pools is a beautiful sight that changes depending on the time of day you visit and the position of the sun. Once you see it up close, you will see the intricate engraved writing- most of the text is short verses from the Qur’an (Koran). There is also amazing detailing of the inlaid jewels, perforated marble screens and other decorative carvings. 2
     Located nearby, many visitors also go to see the “mini-Taj” called “Bibi Ka Maqbara”. It was built by “Aurangzeb” in 1679 to honor his mother and wasmodeled on the original Taj Mahal. 3 There are also certain areas near the Taj Mahal that are popular to visit to get a view of the amazing building from a distance, giving it yet a different perspective.
The Taj Mahal houses the graves of beloved wife “Mumtaz Mahal” who died giving birth to their 15th child and Emperor “Shah Jahan” who built theTaj in her honor. 4 The architectural concept used is referred to as “interlocking arabesque.” The design is based on the principles of self-replicating, balancing and aligning geometric shapes. Taj Mahal is part of a large complex with a main gateway, a big garden, a guest house a Mosque and several other buildings. The garden has 4 pools which shows the reflection of Taj. The garden as well the Taj Mahal stands as separate elements but when viewed it constitutes a whole, complete and beautiful image.5
Fast Facts:
Located in the city of Agra
Nearest airport: Agra (domestic) Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi
Open from Sunrise to 7pm daily
Entrance fee is 750 Rupees for foreign visitors
It took around 20 years and 20,000 laborers to complete
Buidling began in 1632 and it was completed around 1653
Built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his 3rd wife, Mumtaz Mahal
Mahal died while giving birth to their 15th child
Most popular tourist attraction in India
2-3 million visitors each year (over 2 million are domestic visitors and 500,000 from abroad)
Entirely made of white marble
Meaning: “Crown Palace”
Built on the bank of the river “Yamuna” in Agra
General Description
The Taj Mahal was constructed in the 17th century by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a mauseoleum for his recently deceased wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died while bearing their 14th child. Some historians believe it was built to not only honor the emperor’s wife whom he deeply loved, but also as a “noble tribute to the grace of Indian womanhood.” 6
Many historians believe that architect Ustad Ahmad Lahauri designed the highly symmetrical edifice, which features four minarets surrounding a central domed tomb. Decorating the tomb are passages from the Koran, written in jasper inlaid in marble. Surrounding the grounds are gardens, and a long reflecting pool leads up to the mausoleum.
Construction
Over 1,000 elephants and 20,000 workers participated in the construction of the project, which took over 20 years to complete. Today, the Taj Mahal is the most popular attraction in India, attracting between two and three million visitors per year. Many legends surround the construction of the building, including one that says the emperor had the hands of the workers who built the structure cut off so that they could not build anything as beautiful again. However, this story is false.