It was a time period of 1632-1653 when Taj Mahal was built. Shah Jahan spent nearly 32 million rupees on the construction of what we now recognize as the epitome of love.
About 28 types of precious and semi-precious stones were used for adorning the Taj and they were sourced from Tibet, China, Sri Lanka and some parts of India.
Materials from all over India and Asia were used in the construction of Taj Mahal. It is said that over 1,000 elephants were used for transporting the construction material.
The reason why it was constructed in such a way was to protect the main tomb (gumbad) from being damaged with the falling of minarets on it in case of any natural calamity like an earthquake.
The architecture of the Taj Mahal truly expands and depicts the early Mughal designs which is a combination of Indian, Persian and Islamic design tradition.
The calligraphy done over the walls of Taj Mahal are mostly taken from the holy book, Quran. Apart from the walls of Taj Mahal, the verses are inscribed on the Tomb of Queen Mumtaz Mahal and Emperor Shah Jahan.
The Taj Mahal is taller than Qutub Minar (with a difference of five feet).
It was then by the end of the 19th Century the British empire took the control over three fifth of India and they changed the landscaping according to their liking which resembled the lawns of London.
Lord Curzon’s name is inscribed on a lamp inside the Taj Mahal. The beautiful lamp weighing around 60 kgs is made of copper and is placed under one of the royal gates where the visitors get the first glimpse of the Taj.
The tomb contains 99 different names of Allah as calligraphic inscriptions.
Shah Jahan’s other wives and favourite servants are buried in the mausoleums (outside the Taj Mahal but in the same complex).
As per the Islamic tradition, graves aren’t supposed to be decorated. Perhaps this the reason why Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz were buried in a plain crypt beneath the inner chamber of Taj Mahal.
Taj Mahal which is one of the most visited and beautiful monuments in India, has over 4-8 million visitors annually.
Sometimes there are over 40-50 thousand visitors on one single day to capture the iconic sight of this magnificent building.
The Taj changes its colour depending on the amount of light and time. In the sense, the Taj would appear to be pinkish in the morning, milky white in the evening and golden in the moonlight.
The UNESCO World Heritage classified the Taj as one of the 'Seven Wonders of the World' in the year 2007, with over 100 million votes.
The Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays for prayers since it has an active working mosque in its premises. So do not plan your trip to Taj Mahal on fridays.
A well-known fact is, it took 22 long years to build the Taj Mahal (from the year 1632-53). Although work did not complete completely as small refinements continued even after that.
During the Sepoy Rebellion (Mutiny) of 1857, it is belived that some British soldiers, laid their hands on the precious and semi-precious stones from the walls of the tomb.
Over 20,000 labourers were employed to contribute in the massive project of building this symbol of love.
Over the period of time, the white marble of Taj seemed to be turning yellow due to the air pollution. So, only electric vehicles are allowed near the surrounding area in order to conserve the cultural heritage of India.
Tourists/visitors have to take a walk from the parking area to the Taj Mahal. Also, it is forbidden for an aircraft to fly over the Taj Mahal (so it’s a no-fly zone).
The Taj was concealed by the ASI (Archeological Survey of India) during World War-II. It was covered with a huge scaffold which made it to appear like stockpile of bamboo.
You can see the Taj Mahal from the Jasmine Tower of Agra Fort (also known as Musamman Burj- where Shah Jahan was imprisoned by his son, Aurangzeb).
During British rule in India, the garden was landscaped to look more like the manicured lawns in London, England. The original garden was adorned with lots of roses and daffodils.
Ustad Ahmad Lahauri, generally regarded as the chief architect of the Taj Mahal, was not Indian; he was a Persian from Iran.
Islamic tradition forbids the decoration of graves, so Shah Jahan and his wife are actually buried in a plain crypt beneath the main inner chamber of the Taj Mahal.
Over 1,000 elephants were used to transport heavy materials and supplies for construction.
A total of 28 types of precious and semiprecious jewels are set in the marble. The turquoise came from Tibet, and jade came from China.
British soldiers pried precious stones from the walls of the Taj Mahal during the Sepoy Rebellion in 1857.
An estimated 20,000 laborers were recruited from all over Asia to contribute to the massive projects.
Following the Taj Mahal's completion, Shah Jahan was put under house arrest in 1658by his son, Aurangzeb.
False structures and scaffolding were constructed around the Taj Mahal throughout different conflicts to confuse German, Japanese, and Pakistani bomber pilots.
The Taj Mahal's white marble is rapidly turning yellow because of terrible air pollution in Agra.
Only electric vehicles are allowed near the structure, and a 4,000-square-mile environmental radius was declared around the monument to help control emissions.
The Taj Mahal is actually cracking at an alarming rate due to lack of groundwater beneath the structure.
Wooden foundations — once submerged — are thought to be rotting. Even the minarets are beginning to lean more.
The Taj Mahal was declared one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007, receiving more than 100 million votes.
Voting for the Taj Mahal actually helped push the controversial internet-and-phone-based poll into the world spotlight.
In 2008, a Bangladeshi filmmaker constructed a replica of the Taj Mahal at a cost of US $56 million dollars so that his impoverished countrymen in Bangladesh could enjoy the famous monument without traveling to India.
A Taj-inspired luxury hotel, event, and shopping complex is under construction in Dubai. The Taj Arabia, as the replica is called, will be four times the size of the original and will cost an estimated US $1 billion.
हिंदुओ के अनुसार ताजमहल एक शिव मंदिर है जिसका असली नाम है तेजोमहालय क्योकिं किसी भी मुस्लिम देश में ऐसी कोई इमारत नही है जिसके नाम में महल आए. महल मुस्लिम शब्द नही हैं. ऐसी ही और भी कई बातें हैं.
विश्व के सात अजूबों में शामिल ताजमहल को बनाने में 22 साल लगे थे. इसे बनाने का काम 1632 में शुरू हुआ और 1653 में खत्म हुआ. इसे पूरा करने में लगभग 22,000 मजदूरों का हाथ था.
1632 में ताजमहल को बनाने में 3.2 करोड़ रूपए खर्च हुए थे. लेकिन यदि आज ताज़महल बनाया जाता तो लगभग 6800 करोड़ रूपए खर्च होते.
आपको शायद मेरी तरह अजीब लगे, ताज़महल लकड़ियों पर खड़ा हुआ है. ये ऐसी लकड़ी है जिसे मजबूत रहने के लिए नमी की जरूरत होती है जो यमुना नदी से मिलती रहती हैं.
ताज़महल के चारों मीनारों को इस तरह से बनाया गया है, कि चाहे भूकंप आए या बिजली गिरे ये बीच वाले गुबंद पर नही गिरेगी.
ताजमहल दुनिया में सबसे ज्यादा देखी जाने वाली इमारत है. हर रोज पूरी दुनिया से लगभग 12,000 लोग इसे देखने आते हैं.
ताज़महल को बनाने में 28 अलग-अलग पत्थरों का इस्तेमाल किया गया. इसमें लगा हुआ संगमरमर पत्थर राजस्थान, चीन , अफगानिस्तान और तिब्बत से आया था. ताजमहल की सजावट का समान ले जाने के लिए 1,000 हाथियों का इस्तेमाल किया गया था.
ताज़महल का रंग बदलता है सुबह देखने पर गुलाबी, रात को दुधिया सफेद और चाँदनी रात को सुनहरा दिखाई देता हैं. लेकिन बढ़ते प्रदूषण के कारण ताजमहल का रंग हल्का पीला पड़ने लगा है इसलिए इसके आसपास पेट्रोल और डीजल के वाहन बंद है.
ताजमहल के सभी फव्वारें एक साथ काम करते है क्योकिं सभी फव्वारों के नीचे एक तांबे का टैंक है. ये सभी टैंक एक साथ भरते है और दबाव बनने पर एक साथ पानी छोड़ते हैं.
World War II, 1971 भारत-पाक युद्ध और 9/11 के हमले के बाद ताज़महल को बांस के घेरों से ढक दिया था. ताकि ताजमहल को क्षति से बचाया जा सके.
सफेद ताजमहल बनने के बाद शाहजहाँ का सपना था कि वह अपने लिए एक ऐसा ही काला ताज़महल भी बनवाएँ. लेकिन उनके बेटे औरंगजेब ने उन्हें घर में ही कैद कर दिया और उसका सपना पूरा नही हो सका.
यदि आपसे पूछा जाए कि ताजमहल ऊँचा या कुतुब मीनार ? तो आप कहेंगे कुतुब मीनार. लेकिन आपको बता दे कि ताजमहल, कुतुब मीनार से 5 फुट ऊँचा हैं.