Mughal Emperors were always popular due to their interest in art, fabulous architecture, and grandeur. One such monument that stands as a testament to the Mughal’s resplendence is the Taj Mahal. The Taj Mahal was built during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. The Mughal Emperor built this beautiful mausoleum in the loving memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It is said, that Mumtaz Mahal died due to some complexity during the childbirth of their fourteenth child.
This ivory-white facade is a result of the emperor’s efforts, resources, and love for his wife. These things are visible in the form of exceptional monumental scale, captivating gardens, elegant ornamentation, and use of white marble.
Location
The Taj Mahal was built in Agra, where the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan took the throne in the year 1628. Over the years, Agra has seen rapid growth. The city was first conquered by the Muslim invaders in the 11th century and became a center of trade during the reign of Shah Jahan. Agra is located alongside the banks of the Yamuna River.
History And Architecture
The Mughal Empire was one of the richest empires in the world during the rule of Shah Jahan. Building the Taj Mahal was and still is considered one of the most priciest monuments. At present, the cost of the Taj Mahal is $1 billion and INR 70 Billion.
Shah Jahan used all his resources to build this masterpiece. There were 20,000 workers to speed up the construction work. Before the start of construction, workers lay the 624-foot-long plinth as a foundation. That will become the base of the Taj, mosque, and side red sandstone guest houses. The layout of the Taj was to be an octagonal structure constructed using marble-covered brick.
Marble
The white marble used in constructing the Taj Mahal was brought from Makrana city in Rajasthan. Overall 1000 elephants and n number of oxen were used to drag the heavy marbles. To use the heavy white marble pieces, a 10-mile-long earthen ramp was built. At that time, creating a huge double-shelled dome at a height of 240 meters was tremendously difficult. There are four white minarets are also constructed which stand slightly outward surrounding the mausoleum.
Calligraphy and Inlaid Flowers
The inscriptions shown on the Taj Mahal are passages from the Quran in calligraphy. The calligrapher Amanat Khan masterfully did the verses that were inlaid with black marble. Only 22 passages were taken from the Quran. Another wonder is the delicate work of flowers done by using Parchin kari. The highly skilled stone cutters carefully carved intricate floral designs into the white marble along with precious and semi-precious stones. A total of 43 kinds of stones were used like lapis lazuli from Sri Lanka, jade from China, malachite from Russia, and turquoise from Tibet.
Gardens
Gardens hold very important value in the holy book of the Quran. It is believed that gardens hold the image of Paradise as a garden. Thus, the garden at the Taj Mahal became an integral part of making it look like a heaven on Earth. The Garden of the Taj Mahal is situated to the South of the mausoleum and is divided into four quadrants. The water from the Yamuna River fills these four small rivers which eventually go to the central pool.
Timings and Tickets
The Taj Mahal is open every day except Friday. The ticket pricing is different for all.
For Indians: INR 45 (Additional INR 200 to see the main mausoleum)
For Foreigner/NRI: INR 1050 (Additional NR 200 to see the main mausoleum)
For SAARC/BIMSTEC: INR 535 (Additional INR 200 to see the main mausoleum)
Free entry for childern below the age 15.
