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The
crowning glory of the Agra is the Taj Mahal, a monument of love and
imagination, that represents India to the world. It is the most famous
monument in Agra and one of the Seven Wonders of the World. This
extravagant monument of love is one of the most visited and most
photographed places in the world. Taj Mahal was built by Shah Jahan in
the memory of his beautiful wife Mumtaz Mahal. Taj Mahal was the
culmination point of Indo-Persian architecture. Regardless of whether
you see it ethereally floating in the moonlight, blushing in the rosy
glow of dawn or reflected in the pools of its gardens, it is
enchanting. Perhaps the most moving view of the Taj Mahal is from a
little octagonal tower in the Agra fort across the River Jamuna. It
was here the Emperor Shah Jahan spent his last days in imprisonment,
gazing at the tomb of his wife.
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Taj
Mahal Agra |
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Eighteen
years after Shah Jahan became emperor, tragedy struck. Mumtaz Mahal,
the beloved wife of Shah Jahan died at the age of 39 giving birth to
her 14th child in 1630. The emperor went into mourning and vowed to
built a sublime mausoleum in her memory, unlike any other in the
world. It was named the Taj Mahal, a peerless monument in pristine
marble. About 20,000 labourers built this world renowned monument in
about 22 years. The height of this lofty monument is 187 feet at the
central dome. The material was brought in from all over India and
central Asia. The Makrana Marble was brought from Rajasthan, Sandstone
from Fatehpur Sikri, Jasper from Punjab, Jade and Crystal from China,
Turquoise from Tibet, Lapez Lazuli and Sapphire from Bundelkhand, Onyx
and Amethyst from Persia. The skilled artisans inlaid the white marble
edifice with precious stones and conjured a lacy stone screen around
the cenotaphs of the emperor and his beloved. Ustad Isa Afandi was
considered as the designer of the Taj Mahal. This monument was a
symbol of Shah Jahan's eternal love for his wife Mumtaz Mahal. The
main interesting places in Taj Mahal are the Jilo Khana at the main
red sandstone entrance. The Jilo Khana is about 204 yards long and 150
yards wide. |
