History of Taj Mahal

History of Taj Mahal

An illustration of craftsmanship, the sovereign Taj Mahal, is surely a treasured gem of Incredible India. An inspiration for lovers, poets, musicians and painters, the Taj Mahal is aptly revered as the 'Jewel in the Crown'. This 'Crown Palace', as it is called when literally translated, was built by the fifth Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his beloved wife Arjumand Bano Begum, entitled ‘Mumtaz Mahal’. Located on the banks of YAMUNA River in Agra, this mausoleum is an simulacrum of love. A web of wells laid along the river line, art and toil of numerous masons, stonecutters, inlayers, carvers, painters, calligraphers, dome-builders and other artisans had gone in making of this legendary piece of architecture.

The history of Taj Mahal starts with a mushy love story dating back to 1607 when Shah Jahan (then named Prince Khurram) was just 15. Love smitten he was dearly attracted to the exquisite beauty of the 14 year old Arjumand Bano, as she sat in her shop at Meena Bazar (a private market in the King's serail) with her paraphernalia of glass beads. Their first encounter solemnized into a happy marriage, 'Nikaah', after five long years in 1912.

Starting the erection of Taj Mahal in the year 1631 took nearly 22 years. This extravaganza of ornamentation was finally completed in 1653. The history of Taj Mahal still has some missing notes. There are many legends of Taj Mahal. It is maintained that out of the four promises which Mumtaz asked from her husband, the first one was to build such a tomb in her memory that had never been seen, heard or made earlier. Shah Jahan pledged to never to remarry and then set about to fulfill this wish of his queen and got this 'Epitome of Love' built. Mumtaz Mahal was temporarily buried in the Zainabadi Garden in Burhanpur and after six months the corpse was shifted to Agra. Ever since then Shah Jahan, after his death, lays entombed immortally in this mausoleum along with his wife Mumtaz Mahal in Agra.

An accumulation of the finest artisans fashioned the figment of constructing the tomb. Ultimately Ustad Isa, a Persian architect, was hired to tailor the structure. Ustad Ahmad, his pupil, accompanied him and helped in the erection of this tomb. The dome was, eventually, devised by Ismail Khan. Numerous laborers, about a total number of 20, 000, across the country toiled endlessly for 22 years. Finest of the marbles, precious and semi precious stones were incurred from distant places over the country and abroad. The regal sybaritic trappings and draperies, Persian Carpets, Gilt Lamps, adorned the penetralias of the Taj. It is believed that hands of the master artisans were truncated when the tomb got completed so that no replica of this 'Eternal Monument of Love' is ever built. The design and architecture of the Taj Mahal can be understood by seeing the four parts of it: The Taj Gateway,
The Taj Garden, The Taj Masoleum, The Tomb and Pietra Dura.

According to yet another belief Shah Jahan speculated about building a yet another identical Taj Mahal across the river with the only difference in the construction material. Instead of using white marble this time he thought to use black marble and hence, naming it 'Black Taj'. A controversy is still there about the existential reality of the Black Taj Mahal. The structural ruins, found near the river banks, were said to be of the Black Taj Mahal which later on turned out a transformation of white marbles into black ones due to staining. Many such legends are associated with Taj Mahal.

Taj Mahal is indeed a hallmark of eternal love embodied and personified through marble, a classical antiquity of exquisite affection. To understand it better explore it and unfold the petals of this historical wonder.