Taj
Mahal
Built by a grief stricken Emperor Shah Jehan as a
memorial to his beloved wife Mumtaj Mahal , the Taj Mahal has a structural elegance
and pristine beauty that has been rarely matched .
It
took 20 thousand men nearly 22 years to build the mausoleum and the finest
of skilled artisans were brought in to inlay the white marble edifice with
precious stones and to conjure filigreed marble screens around the centaphs
of the emperor and his beloved queen . there is a jewel -like quality about
the taj mahal .
The beautiful proportioned octagonal structure
topped by a perfect dome is balanced by 4 soaring minarets that stand at the
corners of the plinth .
The taj mahal is ethereal at any part of
the day - blushing in the rosy glow of down or sunset , appearing like a
pearly mirage in the moonlight or reflected in the pools of the garden .
perhaps the most moving view of the taj is from an octogonal tower in the
agra fort further along the river yamuna . It was here that the emperor shah
jehan was imprisoned and wherehe spent his last day gazing at the tomb of
his beloved wife .
It is said that he had planned to build a
similar tomb for himself in black marble across the river - but it was not
to be
TAJ MUSEUM Timings: 10 am. to 5 pm.
Original drawings available here show the precision with which
the architect had planned this monument. He even anticipated that it would
be completed in 22 years. Drawings of the interiors show the position of the
graves in such precision that the foot of the graves faces the viewer from
any angle. Many more such breathtaking collections are here which can also
be seen.
THE MOSQUE & THE JAWAB To the
left of the Taj is a mosque made of red sandstone. It is common in Islam to
build a mosque next to a tomb. as it sanctifies the area and provides for a
place for worship. This mosque is still used for Friday prayers.
An identical mosque is also built to the right of the Taj and is known as
the Jawab (answer). Prayers are not held here as it faces west i.e. away
from Mecca. the holy city of the Muslims. It was built to maintain symmetry.
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