Taj Mahal - A Wonder Made By A Lover

Taj Mahal is a symbol of eternal affection and stands for the pious love even after the death of the two lovers who loved each other more than the almighty GOD. Taj Mahal has been an inspiration for those who are true lover of art, human emotions, also for painters, poets, writers and musicians who try to express human emotions in form of paintings, words, poetries and songs. The beautiful structure was built in the city of Agra, in state of Uttar Pradesh. The colossal architecture is situated on the banks of the Yamuna River and has a huge ground on its back side which gives a beautiful starry background to it. Taj Mahal was build in memory of the beautiful wife of Mughal Prince, her name was Arjuman Bano Begum. The prince Khurram (who was third son of Mughal Emperor Jahangir) and his wife loved each other so much that they never stayed away from each other, even when the prince went on for wars, they lived together. The prince on becoming king after some years; changed his name and was called "Shahjahan" which means 'Ruler/King of the whole World'. Shahjanan then honored his wife Arjuman Bano with name 'Mumtaz Mahal'. The king and queen continued loving each other the way they did, and the queen accompanied king Shahjahan in every campaign he set for, even when she was pregnant. Around year 1631 when Mumtaz Mahal was pregnant, she accompanied the king when he started his campaign to win the southern states of India. Mumtaz Mahal, who gave birth to about fourteen children (of which only four male and three female children survived), died during childbirth at Burhanpur, at the age of 39 years. Some stories say that the devastated king was so sad that he had imprisoned himself in a room in remembrance of his lovely wife. Some stories also state that the Shahajahan had banned music, feasts and any kind of party for about two years in his regime. No matter how hard he tried, but Shahjahan could never forget his wife and he decided to build a monument in the remembrance of his beloved wife. He wanted to build a huge, beautiful monument, entirely made up of marble which will be only one of its types in whole world. Shahajahan chose a garden on the banks of the Yamuna River to build the structure. The reason of choosing this spot was that, there was no other structure which could overshadow the beauty and uniqueness of the structure he wanted to build. This was not the only reason why the spot was chosen for the monument, but the place was well visible from the king Shahajahan's palace in Fort of Agra. Shahajahan gifted with four huge havelis against the garden he wanted to build the monument in, with the king of Amber who owned the garden. The construction of the monument began in 1633. The monument was so huge that about 20,000 workers worked for more than 17 years to build it. The King had brought skilled workers from all over India and some neighboring countries also such as Baghdad, Turkey etc. A renowned architect Ustaad Ahmed Lahori was the chief architect for this project; he was accompanied by the counterparts who were from Delhi an Baghdad. Every outline, every look of the structure were discussed in details, many trials were carried out in order to find out the appropriate choice for every possible artwork. Various beautiful parts of the Taj Majal were specially ordered from various countries. The main dome of Taj Mahal measures about 110 yards in circumference and is about 107 yards above the ground. The base on which the Taj Mahal is resting is called Mahajar-e-Mushababbak, which was specially designed from Turkish designers. It is said that the tombs of Humayun and Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khana (Delhi) inspired the design and structure of the monument Taj Mahal at certain extent. The cost of building such a huge architectural structure was about 50 lakhs in those days. There are many minute details which are not at all possible to explain in words such as beautiful calligraphy used on the marble stones, marvelous work of artists who carved the marble stone in various designs etc.

SOURCE:http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/12-20-2004-63187.asp

TAJ MAHAL, INDIA

Location: On the banks of river Yamuna in Agra
Year of Construction: 1631-1653

Built By: Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan

Spread Over: 42 acres

Significance: One of the Seven Wonders of the World

Taj Mahal of India - "the epitome of love", "a monument of immeasurable beauty". The beauty of this magnificent monument is such that it is beyond the scope of words. The thoughts that come into the mind while watching the Taj Mahal of Agra is not just its phenomenal beauty, but the immense love which was the reason behind its construction. Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan got this monument constructed in the memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, with whom he fell in love at the first sight. The very first sight of the Taj Mahal, the epitome of love and romance leaves one mesmerized. Standing majestically on the banks of River Yamuna, the Taj Mahal is synonymous with love and romance. It is believed that the name "Taj Mahal" was derived from the name of Shah Jahan wife Mumtaz Mahal and means "Crown Palace". The purity of the white marble, the exquisite ornamentation, precious gemstones used and its picturesque location, all make Taj Mahal travel gain a place amongst the most popular ones. However, unless and until, one knows the love story behind the Tajmahal of India, it will come up as just a beautiful building. But, the love behind this outstanding monument is what has given a life to this monument.

sourcehttp://www.tajmahal.org.uk/

Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal: The Mughal Megalomania Referred to by the poet Rabindranath Tagore as a "tear on the face of eternity", the Taj Mahal is undoubtedly India’s most acclaimed landmark.Built to enshrine the body of his favourite wife, Arjumand Bann Begum, better known as Mumtaz Mahal ("Elect of the Palace"), by the 17th century Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, Taj epitomizes love for millions of people around the world. In fact, very few monuments are so instantly recognized the world over.Standing as a stunning monument to the Great Mughal Empire, Taj, overlooking the River Yamuna, is arguably the most photographed architectural gems in the world.

True to its reputation as a monument to romantic love, Taj has a poignant story attached to it. Shah Jahan, the great builder, was so devastated by the death of his wife Mumtaz Mahal that he set out to create an unmatched, eternal memorial to her life. Thus came into being the Taj Mahal. One of the architectural gems of the world, Taj kept some 20,000 labourers from all over Asia employed for nineteen years and remains a potent symbol of Mughal megalomania, visible from the Agra fort in the west, exuding romantic ambience at the northern end of large gardens enclosed by walls. Topped with a huge central dome, it extraordinarily finer detail of relief carving and monumental scale cast a spell on the viewer and he is left with saying “Wah Taj”. However Shah Jahan had little time to appreciate his achievement, only three years after the work was finished he fell ill in 1657 and war of succession broke out among his four sons. Aurangzeb, his third son, seized power after defeating his three brothers. Shah Jahan, the Mughal Emperor, was interned in the Red Fort at Agra. The legend has it that he spent his final years "gazing wistfully at the Taj Mahal" through the window. The name of the Taj’s chief architect is not known, but it is for certain that Mughal court's Persian calligrapher, Amanat Khan was responsible for the signing of many panels that embellish the gateways, mosque and tomb. While marble from Makrana, near Jodhpur in Rajasthan, was used in the Taj, precious stones such as amethyst, onyx, turquoise, lapis lazuli, jade, crystal and coral - were brought to Agra from Persia, Afghanistan, Russia, China Tibet and the Indian Ocean.

Architecture
India's most seen tourist spot, the Taj Mahal, is essentially a squarish structure. Constructed of marble, precious stones on a commanding podium looking towards the Yamuna, Taj stands on an arcaded platform. The structure is crowned with a huge central dome that soars to a height of 55m. Words cannot do justice to the magnificence of Taj Mahal. You have to see it to believe it.

MEMORIAL TO LOVE

The Meaning and Experience of Place
Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal in loving memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. But the monument also represented the King's desire for order and harmony, beauty and perfection. The Taj Mahal is an impressive structure partly because these ideas are supported visually by elements of size, proportion and decoration that are refinements of many centuries of architectural tradition in India. But there is more to the Taj Mahal than that. The message of the Taj is most powerful when one is physically there. It is a perfect example of architecture as a multi-sensory art form that is both very abstract and very concrete.In this lesson, students will explore a sense of place by considering three things:

1) the abstract ideas represented by a place
2) the concrete demonstration of these ideas in architectural elements
3) the sensory experience of being in a place and the way that experience enhances the understanding of its significance.

Students will write observational narratives about a place of their own choosing or invention, including detailed descriptions of the structure which represent the abstract ideas they would like to convey. This lesson will help students practice and increase higher-order thinking skills. It will lead students to investigate the following Life-long Learning

Question: What does the experience of a place tell us about ourselves and our values?
Grade Level: Middle to High SchoolSubject Areas: Visual Arts, Social Studies, Language ArtsLesson Length: one or two class periods

SOURCE:http://www.pbs.org/treasuresoftheworld/a_nav/ed_nav/level_1/ed_taj_frm.html