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| Taj Mahal in Agra |
The Taj Mahal is standing on the banks of the Yamuna River. It was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in the loving memory of his wife Mumtaj Mahal. In 1628, Shah Jahan became the ruler of the Mughal emperor and only three years later his dearly loved wife died shortly after giving birth to their 14th child. But before dying she extracted four promises from him. One of the promises was to build a memorial for her. Shah Jahan kept the promise and envisioned the memorial. In 1632, Shah Jahan began the project of tomb for his wife Mumtaj Mahal.
The story - Sixteen years old prince Shah Jahan was strolling down the Meena Bazaar where he saw Mumtaj Mahal and got spellbound by her beauty. After five years and a wife later, at the age of twenty the royal married nineteen years old Mumtaj as a bride and it was an eternal union from the start, one that held out legal barriers and fight for progression.
Taj Mahal - Quintessence of Love - 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.
Construction of Taj Mahal 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.
Reason Behind Taj Mahal Construction - 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.
Love Story of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz -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.
Death of Mumtaz Mahal - In 1631, Mumtaz Mahal as usual went on an epedition with Shah Jahan. She was pregnant at that time and died due to extreme weakness during the child birth. 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.
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 Jewel of World - 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. This is the undying story that has now became an integral part of the Taj Mahal history and its construction.