Taj Mahal

How many times have seen the Taj Mahal on the bigger screen? How many times have you seen couples giving mushy poses in front of the Taj Mahal on social media sites?  The truth is while the Taj Mahal looks grand on-screen, it looks even more elegant in real. Some poet has rightly described Taj Mahal  as ‘The Teardrop on the Cheek of Eternity.’

Apart from the elegance that the Taj Mahal holds, the structure is also popular for its historical value. History says, Shah Jahan got married to his mother’s niece, Mumtaz Mahal. They had a very good marriage life and she was loved by the locals because she was compassionate. She worked on bettering the lifestyle of widows and orphans. Mumtaz Mahal was one of the most trusted advisors of the king and she used to travel with him on all his trips. 

However, while on a military trip, Mumtaz died while giving birth to a baby girl, their 14^th child.  She was buried near a tent there. Shah Jahan and Mumtaz were married for 19 years when she died, and Shah Jahan never got closure on her death. He later on got her body moved back to Agra. He then decided to build a spectacular monument which could be compared to any other monument, in memory of his wife. 

Taj Mahal was built in Agra between the years 1631-1648. It is one of the most admired structure universally and an epitome of Mughal Art in India. 

Few Interesting Facts About Taj Mahal

• It took 22,000 labourers, painters, embroidery artists and stonecutters to construct Taj Mahal in white marble. Legend has it that Shah Jahan cut the workers fingers after Taj Mahal was built so that they would not be able to build such beautiful structure ever again.
• It is believed that Shah Jahan wanted to build a similar Taj Mahal in black marbel across the river but a war with his sons did not let that happen.
• It took a long period of 17 years to complete this genius architectural structure.
• It took almost 1000 elephants to transport the construction materials to the site. 
• The British army, in the year 1857, during the Indian rebellion ripped off many precious stones that were adorned on the wall of the mausoleum. 

Taj Mahal is a must-visit place when in India. On one hand the river Yamuna flows gracefully while on the other hand is MehtabBagh which is the great place to view the entire complex. The beauty of Taj Mahal is more mesmerizing and exceptional on a full-moon night.