The+Taj+Mahal+-+Crisan+Bogdan

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The history of the Taj Mahal tells us "why was the Taj Mahal built" and many other myths and facts associated with this wonderful structure. Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan erected the Taj Mahal in the memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Shah Jahan (then Prince Khurram) met Mumtaz Mahal (then Arjumand Banu Begum) at the age of fourteen and fell in love at the first sight. She was a Muslim Persian princess and Shah Jahan was the son of the Mughal Emperor, Jehangir. Five years later, in 1612, they got married. As you read further you will come to know more about the history of the Taj Mahal at Agra…

Mumtaz Mahal, an inseparable companion of Shah Jahan, died in 1631, while giving birth to their 14th child. It is believed that during her last moments, Mumtaz Mahal obtained a promise from Shah Jahan that he will build world's most beautiful monument in her memory. But this has not been proven to be true, till date. However, Shah Jahan did indeed build a magnificent monument as a tribute to her wife, which we today know as the "Taj Mahal". Shah Jahan, himself also, lies entombed in this mausoleum along with his wife.

The construction of Taj Mahal started in the year 1631 and it took approximately 22 years to build it. An epitome of love, it made use of the services of 22,000 laborers and 1,000 elephants. It was built entirely out of white marble, which was brought in from all over India and central Asia. After an expenditure of approximately 32 million rupees (approx US $68000), Taj Mahal was finally completed in the year 1653. However, the history of Taj Mahal of India still has some gaps. For example, there are many theories regarding the architect of this magnificent monument.
 * Taj Mahal Story

**The story of Taj Mahal reflects the intensity of love. The fairy tale began when walking through the bazaar of Agra prince qhurram saw a girl. The girl was exceptionally beautiful. It was a love at first sight for both of them. After five years, on an auspicious day they were married and from that moment began the great epic of love.

Prince qhurram was the fifth son of emperor Jahangir. He was the man of extraordinary brilliance, a great diplomat, a warrior and a lover of art. Once Jahangir wrote, "In art, in reason, in battle there is no comparison between him and my other children". In the honor of his numerous victories Jahangir entitled him as "Shah Jahan", "The King of the World". After Jahangir's death all his sons quarreled for the thrown, after fighting for years Shah Jahan killed all his brothers under suspicious circumstances and became the emperor, besides him stood his queen, comrade and confidante.
 * Shah Jahan, "The King Of The World"**

Shah Jahan titled her "Mumtaz Mahal", "The chosen one of the palace". A rare found combination of beauty and brain. She was her husband's best friend and confidante. She would counsel him in the diplomatic matters. She too was a great lover of art.
 * Mumtaz Mahal "The chosen one of the palace"**

In 1631 Shah Jahan set up to berahanpur with his troops to subdue a rebellion, accompanied by Mumtaz Mahal Unfortunately during childbirth she suffered some complications and died. According to legend before dieing she extracted a promise from Shah Jahan that he would build a mausoleum as a tribute to their love.
 * The End of the Fairy Tale** [[image:http://www.india-travel-packages.com/taj-mahal-agra/gifs/taj-agra.jpg width="200" height="147" align="right" caption="Taj Mahal, Agra Tourism"]]

The story of Taj Mahal begins Shah Jahan was obsessed to fulfill his wife's last wish. He invited the architects and artisans all over the world and planned for the building with absolute perfection. Taj Mahal was structured in Persian style combined with carvings of artisans called from Afghanistan and the garden designers from Kashmir. It took 22years to complete the Taj Mahal, a memento of love with the perfection of art. The carvings of Taj Mahal were decorated with very precious gemstones.

The story of Taj Mahal is unique in itself. It is an evidence that how the emotions and feelings are important to human life. The story of Taj Mahal is an example of devotion and faith. The story of Taj Mahal is a love story not found in papers but stands in the structural form. The story of Taj Mahal is rare. //This article is about the Indian monument. For other uses, see Taj Mahal// Taj Mahal The names "Taj" and "Mahal" are of Urdu origin. Taj in Urdu means crown or diadem. While Mahal means palace/edifice or a stately mansion, it is sometimes simply and evocatively referred to as //the Taj//. There is a theory proposed by the Indian writer P.N. och that the term 'Taj Mahal' is derived from 'Tejo Mahalaya' - a Hindu temple of the God Shiva. And it is believed by supporters of this theory that the present day Taj is one such temple converted. This theory is not accepted by mainstream scholars. It must be emphasised that the design of the Taj Mahal cannot be ascribed to any single master-mind. The Taj is the culmination of an evolutionary process. It is the perfected stage in the development of Mughal architecture. The names of many of the builders who participated in the construction of the Taj in different capacities have come down to us through Persian sources. A project as ambitious as the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal demanded talent from many quarters. From Turkey came Ismail Khan, a designer of hemispheres and a builder of domes. Qazim Khan, a native of Lahore, travelled to Agra to cast the solid gold finial that crowned the Turkish master's dome. Chiranjilal, a local lapidary from Delhi, was chosen as the chief sculptor and mosaicist. Amanat Khan from Persian Shiraz was the chief calligrapher, and this fact is attested on the Taj gateway where his name has been inscribed at the end of the inscription. Muhammad Hanif was the Supervisor of masons, while Mir Abdul Karim and Mukkarimat Khan of Shiraz handled finances and the management of daily production. Sculptors from Bukhara, calligraphers from Syria and Persia, inlayers from southern India, stonecutters from Baluchistan, a man who specialised in building turrets, another who carved only marble flowers - thirty seven men in all formed the creative nucleus, and to this core was added a labour force of twenty thousand workers recruited from across northern India. According to most commonly accepted theory, the Taj Mahal was constructed using materials from all over India and Asia. Over 1,000 elephants were used to transport building materials during the construction. The white marble was brought from Rajasthan, the jasper from Punjab and the jade and crystal from China. The turquoise was from Tibet and the Lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, while the sapphire came from Sri Lanka and the cornelian from Arabia. In all, 28 types of precious and semi-precious stones were inlaid into the white marble. The total cost of construction was about 40 million Rupees, at a time when 1 gram of gold was sold for about 1.3 Rupees. Details of the outside wall The architectural complex of the Taj Mahal covers an area of approximately 1900 ft × 1000 ft (580 m × 300 m) and comprises of five main components: the //darwaza// (gateway), the //bageecha// (garden) which is in the form of the typical Mughal //charbagh// (garden divided into four parts), the //masjid// (mosque), the //mihman khana// (guest house), and finally the //mausoleum// or the tomb of Taj Mahal, at the Northern end of the complex. Schematic plan of Taj complex The tomb complex was designed to be accessed from both the northern and the southern sides, from the river Yamuna as well as by land. The entry from the landside has the gateway and other utility buildings constituting the front (and Southern) part of the complex. On entering the gateway which visually frames the tomb, one is inside the //charbagh//. Measuring 1000 ft × 1000 ft (300 m × 300 m), the garden has sunken parterres or flower-beds, raised pathways, water channels that reflect the Taj and avenues of trees. At the termination and along the central axis articulated by the garden is the tomb. To the Western or Mecca side of the tomb is a mosque of red sandstone that sanctifies the complex and provides a place for pilgrims to worship. On the Eastern side is a structure that duplicates the mosque in order to maintain architectural symmetry. This is known as the //jawab// ("answer") and was put to use as a guest house. Gateway to the Taj Mahal, view from Charbagh The tomb of Queen Mumtaz-ul-Zamani stands on a raised terrace with four minarets at each corner framing the tomb. The minarets are slanting outwards so that in the event of an earthquake they will fall away from the tomb. Like most Mughal tombs, the Taj shows a great amount of Persian influence. There are some typical Hindu-influenced characteristics as well; the dome is a upside down lotus-flower, as well as the pillars. In the ceiling of the dome, there is a drawing of the Sun. Both the lotus and sun are central elements of Hinduism. A derivative of a square in plan with edges chamfered, it is a multi-chambered structure with a central main chamber surrounded by eight divisions (of which four are important bays) with openings in the form of arched alcoves. The central chamber is surmounted by a bulbous double dome (having inner and outer layers) generally referred to as the onion or Tartar or Persian dome because of its form. There are four Kiosks (//chattris//, small domes over pavilions) over the surrounding bays which articulate the main dome. The cenotaph is at the entry level of the main chamber whereas the grave is at the level below. The black and white chessboard marble floor inside the tomb chamber and the //pietra dura// artwork that includes geometric patterns, plants and flowers are impressive. Various studies on the Taj speculate on what makes it unique and beautiful. One reason is attributed to its perfect proportions and geometry. Another is ascribed to the various moods that the Taj presents to its viewers. Clad in delicate, white Makrana marble, the Taj changes its character across time as the light changes- dawn, noon, twilight, night. The shadows that fall on the marble too enhance the effect, being very delicate. The Taj is considered especially ethereal when viewed on a full moon night. For Tagore, the Taj was a "tear in the face of eternity". Taj Mahal, view from South-Eastern gardens An unlikely legend claims that after the completion of the **Taj Mahal**, Shah Jahan had the eyes of architect Ustad Ahmed gouged, ensuring that nothing could be built competing with its magnificence. Other exaggerated stories tell of skilled scupltors and artisans whose hands were lopped off after their work was complete to prevent them from ever making anything as glorious as the Taj again. An identical complex was originally supposed to be built on the other side of the river, in black marble instead of white. There is some archaeological evidence to support this theory. If plans for such a structure did exist, however, it was never completed. The most widely accepted explanation is that Shah Jahan was overthrown by his son Aurangzeb who was uninterested in building a black Taj Mahal. As part of the struggle for succession, Shah Jahan was put under house arreet at nearby Agra Fort by his son Aurangzeb, and legend has it that he spent the remainder of his days there gazing from a window at the Taj. Upon Shah Jahan's death, Aurengzeb buried him in the Taj Mahal, next to his wife, the only disruption of the otherwise perfect symmetry in the architecture. By the late 19th century, parts of the Taj Mahal had fallen badly into disrepair, and some of the cut marble had been stolen for use elsewhere. British viceroy Lord Curzon ordered a restoration project. At the same time the traditional garden was replaced with the more English-looking lawns that are visible today. The Taj Mahal, as of 1983, is an UNESCO World Heritage Site and a major tourist destination. The Taj is one of the nominees for the modern seven wonders of the world. See also Persian architecture
 * Taj Mahal** is the name of a monument located in Agra, India. It was commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Sash Jahan the son of Jahangir as a mausoleum for his persian wife, Arjumand Banu Begum, also known as Mumtaz-ul-Zamani. It took 23 years to complete {1630-1650}
 * Taj Mahal** is the name of a monument located in Agra, India. It was commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Sash Jahan the son of Jahangir as a mausoleum for his persian wife, Arjumand Banu Begum, also known as Mumtaz-ul-Zamani. It took 23 years to complete {1630-1650}
 * Taj Mahal** is the name of a monument located in Agra, India. It was commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Sash Jahan the son of Jahangir as a mausoleum for his persian wife, Arjumand Banu Begum, also known as Mumtaz-ul-Zamani. It took 23 years to complete {1630-1650}