Monday, October 24, 2011

Tajmahal

Tajmahal


Taj Mahal is regarded as one of the eight wonders of the world, and some Western historians have noted that its architectural beauty has never been surpassed. The Taj is the most beautiful monument built by the Mughals, the Muslim rulers of India. Taj Mahal is built entirely of white marble. Its stunning architectural beauty is beyond adequate description, particularly at dawn and sunset. The Taj seems to glow in the light of the full moon. On a foggy morning, the visitors experience the Taj as if suspended when viewed from across the Jamuna river.


Taj Mahal was built by a Muslim, Emperor Shah Jahan (died 1666 C.E.) in the memory of his dear wife and queen Mumtaz Mahal at Agra, India. It is an "elegy in marble" or some say an expression of a "dream." Taj Mahal (meaning Crown Palace) is a Mausoleum that houses the grave of queen Mumtaz Mahal at the lower chamber. The grave of Shah Jahan was added to it later. The queen’s real name was Arjumand Banu. In the tradition of the Mughals, important ladies of the royal family were given another name at their marriage or at some other significant event in their lives, and that new name was commonly used by the public. Shah Jahan's real name was Shahab-ud-din, and he was known as Prince Khurram before ascending to the throne in 1628.

Taj Mahal was constructed over a period of twenty-two years, employing twenty thousand workers. It was completed in 1648 C.E. at a cost of 32 Million Rupees. The construction documents show that its master architect was Ustad ‘Isa, the renowned Islamic architect of his time. The documents contain names of those employed and the inventory of construction materials and their origin. Expert craftsmen from Delhi, Qannauj, Lahore, and Multan were employed. In addition, many renowned Muslim craftsmen from Baghdad, Shiraz and Bukhara worked on many specialized tasks.

The Taj stands on a raised, square platform (186 x 186 feet) with its four corners truncated, forming an unequal octagon. The architectural design uses the interlocking arabesque concept, in which each element stands on its own and perfectly integrates with the main structure. It uses the principles of self-replicating geometry and a symmetry of architectural elements.

The mausoleum is a part of a vast complex comprising of a main gateway, an elaborate garden, a mosque (to the left), a guest house (to the right), and several other palatial buildings. The Taj is at the farthest end of this complex, with the river Jamuna behind it. The large garden contains four reflecting pools dividing it at the center. Each of these four sections is further subdivided into four sections and then each into yet another four sections. Like the Taj, the garden elements serve like Arabesque, standing on their own and also constituting the whole.




History of Tajmahal

Sign  Of Love -Taj Mahal


In an antique land, witness the living legacy of eternal love. For centuries, the Taj Mahal has inspired poets, painters and musicians to try and capture its elusive magic in word, color and song. It is one of the most flawless architectural creations of the world. The architectural wonder is described as having been designed by giants and finished by jewelers, a lustrous pearl and a tender elegy in marble. The white marble mausoleum with stunning architecture speaks of the bygone splendor. Glorifying history of Taj Mahal is quite interesting and surprising.

Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal Love Story


Shah Jahan, the eldest son of Emperor Jahangir possessed very attractive looks. He was young handsome prince with sharp features. The year 1607 was a momentous year for him. As he was on his way to Meena Bazaar, he saw a mirror shop where Arjumand Banu (Mumtaz Mahal) sat to sell silk and glass beads. He bought the piece of mirror from the shop and along with that he also carried image of this pristine beauty in his mind, who was very beautiful and generous. After five years when he was twenty and the beautiful lady was 19, they got married. Their love story is the most important factor behind the Taj Mahal history.

Mumtaz Mahal passes away

n 1631, Shahjahan went on an expedition to the south and, as always, Mumtaz Mahal accompanied him. But she died in childbirth at Burhanpur. She had borne Shahjahan fourteen children, of whom four sons and three daughters survived. When Mumtaz Mahal died, she was just 39 years old. Shahjahan was inconsolable and contemporary chronicles tell of the royal court mourning for two years. there was no music, no feasting, and no celebration of any kind.

Taj Mahal Construction Reasons

The queen before her death extracted four promises from her husband (a) to build a memorial of their undying love, b) he should remarry after her death,) take every care of her children and d) he should visit the memorial every year on her death anniversary. The history of Taj Mahal dates back to 17th century AD. In 1630, Shah Jahan and his wife were sheltered in a campaign at Burhanpur. At the same time Mumtaz went into a labour pain. She gave a birth to her 14th child, a baby girl. But soon after her delivery, she became very weak and her condition became worse. She took last breathe in arms of her husband. This is the sad chapter behind the Taj Mahal history.




The History begins!!!
The undying love and wild passion of Shah Jahan for his beloved wife, led him to erect a memorial in pristine marble. Emperor was a passionate builder who visualized the Taj Mahal. He picked up the best elements from designs offered by several architects, who came from different parts of the country. The construction of white mausoleum began in the year 1632 and took 22 years for its completion. It was completed in 1653 by a labour force of 20, 000 people. A board of finest architects, inlay craftsmen, stone-carvers, calligraphers and mansions were appointed to build this ultimate memorial. Ustad Ias Khan, the Persian master builder played an important role in designing the mausoleum. Abd Ul-Karim Ma'mur and Makramat Khan, the skilled architects were also employed to design the monument. Renowned artists from other parts of the world like Baghdad, Bokhara, Syria, Baluchistan, Samarkand and South India were also engaged to assemble this stupendous edifice.

Emperor as The Architect


Shah Jahan was passionate for architecture and jewelery and both are reflected in Taj Mahal. He visualized the monument in marble and then adorned with semi-precious stones and gems. Different elements and materials used in the construction were imported from different parts of the world and all across the India. It was this passion that led to the making of wonderful history of Taj Mahal.

The Simbol of Love is Taj Mahal

The white marble was brought from Makrana in Rajasthan, yellow marble and rockspar from the bank of Narmada river, black marble form Charkoh and red sandstone from Sikri. Taj Mahal building is adorned with semi precious stones inlaid with the delicacy of handcrafted jewelery. The finest gems were collected from different countries of the world like turquoise from Tibet, jade and crystal from China, chrysolite from Egypt, lapis from Afghanistan, sapphires from Sri Lanka, agates from Yemen, coral from Arabia, amethyst from Persia, quartz from the Himalayas, malachite from Russia and diamonds from Hyderabad in India.




No comments:

Post a Comment