A real Tribute to Beauty and Human Love, The Taj Mahal monument is located in Agra, India and is constructed between 1631 and 1654 by a workforce of 22,000 humans. The Muslim Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned its construction as a mausoleum for his favourite wife, Arjumand Bano Begum, who is better known as Mumtaz.

The Taj Mahal (sometimes called “the Taj”) is generally considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements of Indian, Islamic and Persian architectures. The Taj Mahal has achieved special note because of the romance of its inspiration. While the white domed marble mausoleum is the most familiar part of the monument, the Taj Mahal is actually an integrated complex of structures.

The Mausoleum of the Taj Mahal at Agra stands in a formally laid-out walled garden entered through a pavilion on the main axis. The tomb, raised on a terrace and first seen reflected in the central canal, is entirely sheathed in marble, but the mosque and counter-mosque on the transverse axis are built in red sandstone. The four minarets, set symmetrically about the tomb, are scaled down to heighten the effect of the dominant, slightly bulbous dome. The mosques, built only to balance the composition are set sufficiently far away to do no more than frame the mausoleum. In essence, the whole riverside platform is a mosque courtyard with a tomb at its centre. The great entrance gate with its domed central chamber, set at the end of the long watercourse, would in any other setting be monumental in its own right.

The postcard picture of Taj Mahal does not adequately convey the legend, the poetry and the romance that shroud what Rabindranath Tagore calls “a teardrop on the cheek of time”. Taj Mahal means “Crown Palace” and is in fact the most well preserved and architecturally beautiful tomb in the world. It is best described by the English poet, Sir Edwin Arnold, as “Not a piece of architecture, as other buildings are, but the proud passions of an emperor’s love wrought in living stones.” It is a celebration of woman built in marble and that’s the way to appreciate it.

What inspired the building of Taj Mahal?

When Mumtaz Mahal was still alive, she extracted four promises from the emperor: first, that he build the Taj; second, that he should marry again; third, that he be kind to their children; and fourth, that he visit the tomb on her death anniversary. He kept the first and second promises. Construction began in 1631 and was completed in 22 years. Twenty thousand people were deployed to work on it. The material was brought in from all over India and central Asia and it took a fleet of 1000 elephants to transport it to the site. It was designed by the Iranian architect Ustad Isa and it is best appreciated when the architecture and its adornments are linked to the passion that inspired it. It is a “symbol of eternal love”.

The Taj rises on a high red sandstone base topped by a huge white marble terrace on which rests the famous dome flanked by four tapering minarets. Within the dome lies the jewel-inlaid cenotaph of the queen. So exquisite is the workmanship that the Taj has been described as “having been designed by giants and finished by jewellers”. The only asymmetrical object in the Taj is the casket of the emperor which was built beside the queen’s as an afterthought. The emperor was deposed by his son and imprisoned in the Great Red Fort for eight years but was buried in the Taj. During his imprisonment, he had a view of the Taj.

As a tribute to a beautiful woman and as a monument for enduring love, the Taj reveals its subtleties when one visits it without being in a hurry. The rectangular base of Taj is in itself symbolic of the different sides from which to view a beautiful woman. The main gate is like a veil to a woman’s face which should be lifted delicately, gently and without haste on the wedding night. In indian tradition the veil is lifted gently to reveal the beauty of the bride. As one stands inside the main gate of Taj, his eyes are directed to an arch which frames the Taj.

The dome is made of white marble, but the tomb is set against the plain across the river and it is this background that works its magic of colours that, through their reflection, change the view of the Taj. The colours change at different hours of the day and during different seasons. Like a jewel, the Taj sparkles in moonlight when the semi-precious stones inlaid into the white marble on the main mausoleum catch the glow of the moon. The Taj is pinkish in the morning, milky white in the evening and golden when the moon shines. These changes, they say, depict the different moods of woman.

There are quite many consistent repeated design elements are employed throughout the complex of Taj Mahal. So if you are n a walk there you will for sure see all of them, which i will describe below:

* Finial: decorative crowning element of the Taj Mahal domes
* Lotus decoration: depiction of lotus flower sculpted on tops of domes
* Onion dome: massive outer dome of the tomb (also called an amrud or apple dome)
* Drum: cylindrical base of the onion dome, raising it from the main building
* Guldasta: decorative spire attached to the edge of supporting walls
* Chattri: a domed and columned kiosk
* Spandrel: upper panels of an archway
* Calligraphy: stylised writing of verses from the Qu’ran framing main arches
* Arch: also called pishtaq (Persian word for portal projecting from the facade of a building) and
* Dado: decorative sculpted panels lining lower walls

Taj Mahal complex has a really astonishing and amazing garden. Measuring 320 m × 300 m, the garden has sunken parterres or flowerbeds, raised pathways, avenues of trees, fountains, water courses, and pools that reflect the Taj Mahal. Each of the four quarters of the garden is divided into 16 flowerbeds by raised pathways. A raised marble water tank at the centre of the garden, halfway between the tomb and the gateway, reflects the Taj Mahal. The charbagh garden was introduced to India by the first Mughal emperor Babur, a design inspired by Persian gardens. The charbagh is meant to reflect the gardens of Paradise (from the Persian paridaeza — a walled garden). Early accounts of the garden describe its profusion of vegetation, including roses, daffodils, and fruit trees in abundance. As the Mughal Empire declined, the tending of the garden declined as well. When the British took over management of the Taj Mahal, they changed the landscaping to resemble more the formal lawns of London.

The Taj Mahal complex is bounded by a crenellated red sandstone wall on three sides. Outside the wall are several additional mausoleums, including those of many of Shah Jahan’s other wives, and a larger tomb for Mumtaz’s favourite servant. These structures, composed primarily of red sandstone, are typical of smaller Mughal tombs of the era. The main gateway (darwaza) is a monumental structure built primarily of red sandstone. At the far end of the complex, two grand red sandstone buildings open to the sides of the tomb. Their backs parallel the western and eastern walls. The mosque’s basic design is similar to others built by Shah Jahan, particularly to his Jama Masjid in Delhi: a long hall surmounted by three domes.

Other tips and insights on the Taj Mahal:

* When to go? March to April and October to mid December are the ideal times.
* Least desirable months? Heavy monsoon rains fall in July to mid September – and temperatures can be scorching from April to June.
* Expect exceptional high tourist traffic during the days surrounding full moons.
* The site is in Agra city, about 200 kilometers (125 miles) south of the capital of India. You can easily reach Agra from Delhi by rail, road or air.
* Air pollution from factories, cars and other sources has been slowly but surely corroding the wonder. However, the government of India is now making an effort to alleviate this serious problem.
* The wonder is in Agra, about 200 kilometers (125 miles) south of New Delhi, the capital of India. You can easily travel to Agra from this city by air (as well as by road and rail).

Major international airlines that fly to Delhi, India include Air Canada, Air France, Air India, ANA, Alitalia, American Airlines, Asiana, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, China Air, Delta, Iberia, Japan Airlines, KLM, Korean Airlines, Lufthansa, Qantas, Scandinavian Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways , Swissair, Thai Airlines, United Airlines, and Virgin Atlantic.

Different people have different views of the Taj but it would be enough to say that the Taj has a life of its own that leaps out of marble, provided you understand that it is a monument of love. As an architectural masterpiece, nothing could be added or substracted from it.

Google Earth Placemark – Tribute to Beauty at Taj Mahal travel wonder in India