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A visit to the Taj Mahal is apilgrimage, as much for its architecturalbeauty, as for an emperor's undyinglove and the wondrous monument heraised to perpetuate it.
Verbal efforts generally fail toconvey the incredible beauty, theromance and the legend that shroudthe Taj Mahal. Rabindranath Tagorecalled it a teardrop glistening on thecheek of time. Edwin Arnold cameequally close when he remarked thatit was "not a piece of architecture,as other buildings are, but the proudpassion of an emperor's love wroughtin living stone."
Shah Jehan, the fifth Mughalemperor built the Taj Mahal in 1631 asa loving tribute to the memory of hissecond wife,Mumtaz Mahal. When sheextracted a promise from the emperorto build the world's most beautifulmausoleum in her memory, to keep thestory of their love alive, perhaps sheintuitively knew that her end was near?Shortly after, she died in Burhanpurwhile accompanying her husband ona military campaign, after giving birthto their 14th child. It is believed thatShah Jahan was inconsolable to thepoint of contemplating abdication infavour of his sons.It is also claimedthat the emperor was so devastatedthat over the next few months his hairbecame completely grey.
Shortly after her burial inBurhanpur, it became obvious thatthe cost of transporting the mind-boggling amount of marble stone toBurhanpur would be prohibitivelyhigh. Besides, the emperor's personalsupervision would be negligible ifthe monument was built so far awayfrom the capital of the empire. Aftergreat deliberation, the decision wastaken to construct the mausoleum inAgra on a large strip of land near theYamuna.Six months after her burialin Burhanpur, her body was exhumedand re-buried in a temporary grave inAgra. After completion of the Taj, itwas planned to transfer the Empress'remains to the crypt of the newtomb. However, she lay in hertemporal grave for twenty-twoyears, while the work on hertomb continued, unabated.
The construction began in 1631, with almost twenty thousandpeople labouring on it for almost a quarter century. The tomb wasprovided with sumptuous fittings and furnishings, including richPersian carpets, gold lamps and candlesticks. The monument is builton a high, red sandstone plinth. This is topped by an enormouswhite marble terrace. It is on this platform that the edifice with thefamous dome, flanked by four tapering minarets, rests?The whitemarble of the Taj Mahal assumes subtle variations of light, tint andtone at different times of the day. At dawn it takes on a soft dreamyaspect: at noon, it appears a dazzling white, and in the moonlight thedome looks like a huge iridescent pearl.
Not surprisingly, then,the Taj is today regardedworldwide as a supremelabour of love. In a crypt,lies the jewel-inlaid grave ofthe queen. So remarkable isthe workmanship that the Tajhas been described as having been designed by giants andcompleted by incrediblyaccomplished jewellers.It is a unique example ofarchitectural balance, artistryand exquisite workmanship.
The emperor was dcposed by his son Aurangzeb in 1658. andimprisoned in the Agra Fort where he spent the last eight years of hislife. He was held captive in Jasmine Tower, which he had built forhis wile. It is an octagonal building and surmounts the largest bastionof the Agra Fort and faces the river side, and a clear view of the Tajstanding beside the Yamuna river,l~ During his incarceration. his onlycompanion was his favourite daughter Jahanara, who was elected toshare her father's imprisonment. By forbidding him from visiting theTaj Mahal, Aurangzeb ensured that Shah Jehan did not ever leave hisprison. The heartbroken former emperor's only solace was perhaps tolook eastwards from his prison, with nostalgic yearning at the templeof love he had created for his beloved Mumtaz. However, after hisfather's death, Aurangzeb had the old emperor's body laid to rest inthe Tai Mahal, beside his soul mate.
Verbal efforts generally fail toconvey the incredible beauty, theromance and the legend that shroudthe Taj Mahal. Rabindranath Tagorecalled it a teardrop glistening on thecheek of time. Edwin Arnold cameequally close when he remarked thatit was "not a piece of architecture,as other buildings are, but the proudpassion of an emperor's love wroughtin living stone."
Shah Jehan, the fifth Mughalemperor built the Taj Mahal in 1631 asa loving tribute to the memory of hissecond wife,Mumtaz Mahal. When sheextracted a promise from the emperorto build the world's most beautifulmausoleum in her memory, to keep thestory of their love alive, perhaps sheintuitively knew that her end was near?Shortly after, she died in Burhanpurwhile accompanying her husband ona military campaign, after giving birthto their 14th child. It is believed thatShah Jahan was inconsolable to thepoint of contemplating abdication infavour of his sons.It is also claimedthat the emperor was so devastatedthat over the next few months his hairbecame completely grey.
Shortly after her burial inBurhanpur, it became obvious thatthe cost of transporting the mind-boggling amount of marble stone toBurhanpur would be prohibitivelyhigh. Besides, the emperor's personalsupervision would be negligible ifthe monument was built so far awayfrom the capital of the empire. Aftergreat deliberation, the decision wastaken to construct the mausoleum inAgra on a large strip of land near theYamuna.Six months after her burialin Burhanpur, her body was exhumedand re-buried in a temporary grave inAgra. After completion of the Taj, itwas planned to transfer the Empress'remains to the crypt of the newtomb. However, she lay in hertemporal grave for twenty-twoyears, while the work on hertomb continued, unabated.
The construction began in 1631, with almost twenty thousandpeople labouring on it for almost a quarter century. The tomb wasprovided with sumptuous fittings and furnishings, including richPersian carpets, gold lamps and candlesticks. The monument is builton a high, red sandstone plinth. This is topped by an enormouswhite marble terrace. It is on this platform that the edifice with thefamous dome, flanked by four tapering minarets, rests?The whitemarble of the Taj Mahal assumes subtle variations of light, tint andtone at different times of the day. At dawn it takes on a soft dreamyaspect: at noon, it appears a dazzling white, and in the moonlight thedome looks like a huge iridescent pearl.
Not surprisingly, then,the Taj is today regardedworldwide as a supremelabour of love. In a crypt,lies the jewel-inlaid grave ofthe queen. So remarkable isthe workmanship that the Tajhas been described as having been designed by giants andcompleted by incrediblyaccomplished jewellers.It is a unique example ofarchitectural balance, artistryand exquisite workmanship.
The emperor was dcposed by his son Aurangzeb in 1658. andimprisoned in the Agra Fort where he spent the last eight years of hislife. He was held captive in Jasmine Tower, which he had built forhis wile. It is an octagonal building and surmounts the largest bastionof the Agra Fort and faces the river side, and a clear view of the Tajstanding beside the Yamuna river,l~ During his incarceration. his onlycompanion was his favourite daughter Jahanara, who was elected toshare her father's imprisonment. By forbidding him from visiting theTaj Mahal, Aurangzeb ensured that Shah Jehan did not ever leave hisprison. The heartbroken former emperor's only solace was perhaps tolook eastwards from his prison, with nostalgic yearning at the templeof love he had created for his beloved Mumtaz. However, after hisfather's death, Aurangzeb had the old emperor's body laid to rest inthe Tai Mahal, beside his soul mate.