Wahhhhh Taj !!!. Review on Agra

Recently I have visited Taj Mahal with my friends. I tried to analyse the place and the things associated with Taj. Here is some of the Points I would like to mention about Taj Mahal.

*1.Desc:

*    The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum located in Agra, India. The Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned it as a mausoleum for his favorite Persian wife, Mumtaz Mahal.

Construction began in 1632 and was completed in approximately 1648.

Some dispute surrounds the question of who designed the Taj Mahal; it

is clear a team of designers and craftsmen were responsible for the

design, with Ustad Ahmad Lahauri considered the most likely candidate

as the principal designer.

The Taj Mahal(sometimes called "the Taj") is generally considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements of Persian, Turkish, Indian, and Islamic architectural styles. While the white domed marble

mausoleum is the most familiar part of the monument, the Taj Mahal is

actually an integrated complex of structures. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 when it was described as a "universally admired masterpiece of the world's heritage.

2.Garden:

The complex is set in and around a large charbagh(a formal Mughal garden divided into four parts). Measuring 300 meters × 300 meters, the garden uses raised pathways which divide each quarter of the garden into 16 sunken parterres or flowerbeds. A raised marble water tank at the center of the garden, halfway between the tomb and the gateway, and a linear reflecting pool on the North-South axis reflect the Taj Mahal. Elsewhere the garden is laid out with avenues of trees and fountains

*3.Outlying Building:

    The main gateway(darwaza*) is a monumental structure built

primarily of marble. The style is reminiscent of that of Mughal

architecture of earlier emperors. Its archways mirror the shape of the tomb's archways, and its pishtaq arches incorporate the calligraphy that decorates the tomb. It utilises bas-relief and pietra dura

(inlaid) decorations with floral motifs. The vaulted ceilings and walls

have elaborate geometric designs, like those found in the other

sandstone buildings of the complex.

*4.The Tomb:

*    The focus of the Taj Mahal is the white marble tomb. Like most Mughal

tombs, the basic elements are Persian in origin consisting of a

symmetrical building with an iwan, an arch-shaped doorway, topped by a large dome. The tomb stands on a square plinth. The base structure is a large, multi-chambered structure. The main chamber houses the cenotaphs of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan with the actual graves located a level below.

*5.Exterior Decoration:

Nearly every surface of the entire complex has been decorated. The

exterior decorations of the Taj Mahal are among the finest to be found

in Mughal architecture of any period.

Once again, decoration motifs are repeated throughout the complex.

As the surface area changes — a large pishtaq has more area than a

smaller — the decorations are refined proportionally.

*6.Interior Decoration:

*    The interior chamber of the Taj Mahal steps far beyond traditional

decorative elements. One may say without exaggeration that this chamber

is a work of jewellery. Here the inlay work is not pietra dura, but lapidary. The inlay material is not marble or jade but precious and semiprecious gemstones. Every decorative element of the tomb's exterior has been redefined with jeweler's art.

7.Construction:

The Taj Mahal was built on a parcel of land to the south of the

walled city of Agra which had belonged to Maharajah Jai Singh: Shah

Jahan presented him with a large palace in the centre of Agra in

exchange Construction began with setting the foundations for the tomb. An area of roughly three acres

was excavated and filled with dirt to reduce seepage from the river.

The entire site was leveled to a fixed height about 50 meters above the

riverbank. The Taj Mahal is 55 meters tall. The dome itself measures 18

meters in diameter and 24 meters high.

In the tomb area, wells were then dug to the point that water was

encountered. These wells were later filled with stone and rubble,

forming the basis for the footings

of the tomb. [An additional well was built to same depth nearby to

provide a visual method to track water level changes over time.]

Instead of lashed bamboo, the typical scaffolding

method, workmen constructed a colossal brick scaffold that mirrored the

inner and outer surfaces of the tomb. The scaffold was so enormous that

foremen estimated it would take years to dismantle. According to

legend, Shah Jahan decreed that anyone could keep bricks taken from the

scaffold, and it was dismantled by peasants overnight.

*8.Cost:

*    Estimates of the cost of the construction of the Taj Mahal vary due to

the difficulties of estimating construction costs across time. The

total cost of the Taj Mahal's construction has been estimated to be

about 32 million rupees.However, when considering the labor costs and the time period that it

took, and the difference in economic eras, it is, to many, considered

priceless.

I loved the place and Hope that You will love it.

The Taj Mahal is often described as one of the seven wonders

of the modern world. Millions of tourists have visited the site, according to the BBC - making it one of the

most popular international attractions in India.