The Taj Mahal ('Crown of Palaces'), located on the southern bank of the Yamuna River in Agra, India, was commissioned in 1632 and completed in 1653 and cost approximately 32 million rupees (about £730,00,000 in 2020). The actual complex consists of 5 sections: the main gate, the gardens, the main mausoleum, the mosque and the rest house. It is considered one of the seven wonders of the world and attracts approximately 4 million visitors annually - so what makes it so special?
1. A Declaration of Eternal Love
Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan ordered the construction of the Taj Mahal for his wife, Arjumand Banu Begum (more popularly known as Mumtaz Mahal, 'Chosen One of the Palace'), The two married in 1612, however, she passed away at the age of 40 in 1631 after giving birth to their 14th child (a labour that took 30 hours), Princess Gauhar Ara Begum. Reports claim that Shah Jahan isolated himself and cried for 8 days without ceasing, and finally emerged with grey hairs and an aged face. Subsequently, he wanted to build this mausoleum (a building containing burial chambers for the deceased) in honour of her. Mumtaz was Shah Jahan's third and most beloved wife; his other wives and his favourite servant are buried in mausoleums just outside the Taj Mahal (but within the complex).
2. The False Tomb
Mumtaz Mahal is not buried inside the mausoleum that is displayed in the Taj Mahal as an octagonal marble chamber. Instead, Mumtaz is buried in a sarcophagus below the main inner chamber of the Taj Mahal at garden level. This is due to the fact that these rulers were Muslims and in Islam, it is forbidden to decorate graves since this would be an inappropriate expression of vanity. It was actually for this very reason that one of Shah Jahan's daughters, Jahanara Begum, refused a grand burial like the Taj; she said, 'Allah is the Living, the Sustaining. Let no one cover my grave except with greenery, for this very grass suffices as a tomb cover for the poor.'
3. Elephant Builders
It is estimated that 1000 elephants were used to help build the monument; they were used to transport heavy supplies for the structure. Additionally, 20,000 workers from India, Persia, Europe and the Ottoman Empire, helped construct the Taj Mahal, hence why the Taj Mahal reflects a fusion of all of the various regions' distinct styles. Ustad Ahmad Lahauri, a Persian from Iran, is considered the chief architect.
4. Mutilating the hands of the Craftsmen
A famous legend outlines that Shah Jahan severed the hands and removed the eyes of those who helped construct the monument in order to prevent them building anything else that could rival the Taj Mahal. Historians, however, have found no supporting evidence for this myth. Instead, historians suggest the craftsmen signed contracts to prevent them rebuilding the monument elsewhere. This theory is supported by the fact that after building the Taj Mahal, Ustad Ahmad Lahauri went on to lay the foundation of the Red Fort in Agra. The fact that the chief architect, and likely the prime target of mutilation if the story were true, was able to build another monument indicates he was indeed not mutilated.
5. Father VS Son
9 years before Shah Jahan's death, he became gravely ill which led to a succession crisis amongst his children. Eventually, Shah Jahan's fourth son, Aurangzeb, deposed him (a common practice at the time) and had him imprisoned in the nearby Red Fort in Agra during 1658 to prevent Shah Jahan reclaiming the throne (along with murdering Aurangzeb's 3 elder brothers). Shah Jahan was not allowed to enter the monument or visit his wife's grave in the final years of his life; he requested for his prison to have a window with a view of his beloved wife's mausoleum.
6. Taj Mahal 2.0
Shah Jahan allegedly planned to build another grand mausoleum across from the Taj Mahal for his own remains. While the Taj Mahal is constructed of white marble, the second monument was designed to be composed of black marble (although some historians claim the stones were intended to be white marble but, by the time of discovery, had blackened). However, his son prevented this from happening by deposing him from the throne and imprisoning him in 1658. Shah Jahan died in 1666 without constructing the second mausoleum. Instead, he remains buried next to his beloved wife.
7. Optical Illusions
Most monuments seem small from a distance, but large at a closer proximity. However, when looking at the Taj Mahal from the main gate that frames the monument, the Taj Mahal appears incredibly close and large but appears to get smaller the closer you walk towards it.
Additionally, the minarets surrounding the building look perfectly straight but actually lean outward to prevent them falling on the main crypt in case of disasters like an earthquake whilst maintaining the aesthetics of the construction.
It is also almost entirely symmetrical. The only aspect of the Taj Mahal that isn't symmetrical is Shah Jahan's cenotaph, positioned west of the central axis unlike Mumtaz Mahal's casket located exactly in the centre of the palace crypt, reinforcing the idea that he had never planned to be buried there.
8. Place of Worship
The Taj Mahal remains a place of worship till this day. The monument contains a mosque which means that the area is closed on Friday for prayer and during the holy Islamic month of Ramadan. The building itself is adorned with calligraphic inscriptions quoting the Quran, for instance an inscription on the great gate reads 'O soul, you are at rest. Return to the Lord in peace with him, and he at peace with you.'
9. Marks of Imperialism
During the time that the British Empire ruled India, the British transformed the garden of the Taj Mahal to reflect the subtle and more formal style of lawns in London, England. Originally, the garden was adorned with roses, daffodils and fruit trees to reflect the gardens of Paradise (the Taj Mahal actually has four rivers, thus mirroring the rivers of the Islamic description of Paradise). Additionally, British soldiers looted precious stones and jewels from the walls of the Taj Mahal.
10. The Disappearing Monument
Such an iconic building is a prime target during wars. Therefore, throughout WW2 and the 20th century battles between India and Pakistan, architects have been employed by the Indian government to add extensive scaffolding to the building. In this way, the building was concealed from airborne bombers. Instead of seeing the Taj Mahal, pilots would see a pile of bamboo.
11. The End of the Taj Mahal?
Air pollution in Agra is turning the white marble yellow, thus only electric cars and buses are allowed in the vicinity. Other vehicles are prohibited from travelling within 500 metres of the monument. Additionally, the minarets are beginning to lean more, alarmingly threatening to collapse. For instance, discoveries from scientists have revealed that one of the minarets has shifted one and a half inches between 1980-2015. Moreover, the monument itself is cracking at a dangerous rate because of a lack of groundwater beneath the structure. Furthermore, the wooden foundations are also rotting. Who knows how long we have to appreciate this majestic work of architecture? Regardless, Shah Jahan's testimony of love remains forever etched into history.
Emperor Shah Jahan's emotional description upon seeing the Taj Mahal:
'Should guilty seek asylum here,
Like one pardoned, he becomes free from sin.
Should a sinner make his way to this mansion,
All his past sins are to be washed away.
The sight of this mansion creates sorrowing sighs,
And the sun and the moon shed tears from their eyes.
In this world this edifice has been made,
To display thereby the creator's glory.'
References:
Greg Rodgers, '22 Interesting Facts About India's Taj Mahal', Trip Savy, 2019.
History, 'Taj Mahal', 2011.
Jennifer Rosenberg, 'The Complete Story of India's Taj Mahal', Thought Co., 2019.
Lisa Cheng, 'Eight Secrets of the Taj Mahal', Smithsonian Magazine, 2017.
M. Arbeiter, '15 Facts You Might Not Know About the Taj Mahal', Mental Floss, 2015.
Swedish Nomad, '15 Interesting Facts about Taj Mahal', 2019.
Swetambara Chaudhary, '20 Interesting Facts You Didn't Know About the Taj Mahal', Scoop Whoop, 2014.
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