Interesting Facts about Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal is considered to be one of the most architecturally beautiful and romantic buildings in the world. It is India’s most popular tourist attraction. Approximately 7 million visitors a year travel from all over the world to view this stunning piece of architecture. Located in Agra, this beautiful monument can be viewed anytime around the year. But the best time to view it is during the months of November-March. Let’s find out some of the interesting facts about Taj Mahal.

• Taj Mahal was declared one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007. It’s beauty and pristine architecture remains incomparable centuries after its creation.
• Taj Mahal was built when Mumtaz Mahal, the favorite (and third) wife of Emperor Shah Jahan died during childbirth. She was giving birth to their 14th child!
• The other wives of Shah Jahan and his favorite servant are buried in mausoleums outside of the Taj Mahal.
• The construction began in 1632, a year after Mumtaz Mahal died and lasted for nearly two decades.
• 20,000 artisans and 1000 elephants were involved in the construction and building of this mammoth structure.
• Ustad Ahmad Lahauri, the chief architect was a Persian from Iran.
• 28 types of jewels and semi-precious stones are set in the marble across the compound. Jade from China and ornate turquoise from Tibet had been imported.
• The gleaming white marble, the principal material was transported from Rajasthan.

• Islam forbids decorating graves with ornate styles as it would be inappropriate. Hence, Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan are buried in plain, simple crypts in the lower levels of the Taj Mahal.
• Legends abound that Shah Jahan declared that the hands of the artisans to be chopped off and the chief architect be put to death. This was done so they could never make another Taj Mahal. However, historians dispute this fact and claim that they were made to sign legally binding contracts instead.
• The Taj Mahal is a functional mosque and is closed on Fridays for prayer. Dress code must be followed when attending the monument.
• The Taj Mahal is the dream for symmetry and architecture fans as it is meticulously designed and built. The gravesite of Mumtaz Mahal lies in the exact center of the monument but the addition of Shah Jahan’s grave next to her in 1666 altered the equilibrium. It made the gravesites the only asymmetrical place in the compound.
• The 130 feet tall spires and minarets are designed keeping collapse in mind. They are placed at the edge of the platform for a strategic reason. It was very common for buildings and monuments to collapse due to their weight during the earlier centuries. Lahauri built the Taj Mahal in such a manner that the minarets would fall away from the tomb. By tilting them slightly, he ensured there would be minimal to no damage to the Taj Mahal.
• Scientists have observed that the minarets have shifted a few inches. The drying of the Yamuna river has also caused structural damage to the Taj Mahal. Historians have been worried about the imminent collapse of the monument for a while now. But the Architectural Survey of India remains positive about the building lasting for centuries to come.

• Beautiful, moving lines of Mughal scripture are embedded on the walls of the domes. The lines from Quran were transcribed under the careful tutelage of head calligrapher Abd-al-Haqq, or Amanat Khan Shirazi, as he was popularly known. He signed his work as ‘Written by the insignificant being, Amanat Khan Shirazi‘ at the base of the interior dome.
• The original gardens and landscaping were a homage to Mughal and Muslim culture. This changed when the British rulers arrived in India. The colonial powers decided to alter the gardens and landscaping to reflect their tastes and styles.
• Committed to preserving this cultural icon, architects have added extensive protective scaffolding to the Taj Mahal. During World War II and the India-Pakistan war, officials felt the monument would be vulnerable. The scaffolding acts as concealment for the structure from airborne bombers. Pilots commented that they could only see a pile of bamboo instead of the famous white minarets.
• Cars and buses are strictly prohibited from coming within 500 meters of the Taj Mahal. This rule was applied to avoid the discoloration of the structure due to the fumes from the fuel of the vehicles.
• Shah Jahan was not permitted to enter the Taj Mahal during the final years of his life. He fell gravely ill which led to a severe dispute about the succession between his sons. Emperor Aurangzeb emerged victorious in this battle and imprisoned his father Shah Jahan. He spent the last years of his life viewing the Taj Mahal through a small window.