Taj Mahal

Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983, the Taj Mahal (meaning, Crown Palace) was built by the great Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, in memory of his beloved queen, the Persian princess Mumtaz Mahal who died after giving birth to his 14th child.

The Taj Mahal, built between 1632 and 1654, is one of the most well-loved, well-preserved and architecturally beautiful structures and is so popular that it needs no further introduction.

The Taj Mahal consists not just the monument containing the cenotaph of Mumtaz Mahal and tomb of Shah Jahan but includes an integrated complex of structures and gardens that extends over several acres and in it are subsidiary tombs, waterworks infrastructure, the small town of 'Taj Ganji' and a 'moonlight garden' that is presumed that have repeatedly gone under water during the flooding of the Yamuna river.

The Taj Mahal is a crowning jewel of the Indo-Islamic architecture. Specific design credit is uncertain, however, Ustad Ahmad Lahauri is generally considered as the principal designer of Taj Mahal. The calligraphy found in Taj Mahal is believed to be created by Persian calligrapher, Amanat Khan, who has signed his name at several of the panels. The calligraphy is made by jasper inlaid in white marble panels.

The white tomb, flanked by four tapering minarets, is raised on a terrace and first seen reflected in the central canal. It is entirely covered in marble, but the mosque and counter-mosque on the transverse axis are built in red sandstone. Within the dome lies the jewel-inlaid cenotaph of the queen.

Shah Jahan, grandson of Akbar, was deposed by his son and imprisoned in the great Agra Fort for eight years, cared for by his eldest daughter Jahanara. The great emperor that he was, surely Shah Jahan had not expected that his last days would be so utterly mournful. According to the legend, when he was on his death-bed, he kept his eyes fixed on the Taj Mahal which was clearly visible from his place of confinement.

After his death, he was buried in the Taj Mahal beside his queen, Mumtaz Mahal. Probably as an afterthought Shah Jahan's tomb was built along side it, and that is why it is the only assymmetrial object in the entire Taj Mahal complex.

No words or photographs of the Taj Mahal can do justice to describe the beauty of the place, so I will not even make an attempt to do so here.

I have heard much about the Taj Mahal sparkling in moonlight when the semi-precious stones inlaid into the white marble on the main mausoleum catch the glow of the moon. The moonlight viewing has been resumed since about 2 years after a gap of 20 years and is, I believe, restricted to 400 people per night in order to avoid overcrowding.

Therefore, thinking that few things would be more romantic than viewing the Taj Mahal in the moonlight, I set off to Agra, only to learn upon reaching there that the moonlight sighting can be done only on 5 days in a month, i.e., on the full moon night plus two days each preceding and following that. May I suggest hidden 'moonlight effect' kind of floodlights to simulate the moonlight and allow viewing throughout?

Anyway, the city of love, Agra, can never be disappointing. I was, in fact, delighted with my visits to not just the Taj Mahal on that misty day in December 2007 but also got another opportunity to visit the Fatehpur Sikri, Mosque and Palace complexes in addition to the Agra Fort.

My suggestions to anyone wishing to visit the Taj Mahal are:

• for night viewing, check the full moon dates and make reservations in advance.

• for day viewing, start early in the morning. The gates open at 6 am. So reach there early to enjoy the beauty of the monuments with a few early-risers rather than with the crowd that fills there later throughout the day.

• allot a good amount of time to enjoy the place as I feel the Taj Mahal reveals its subtleties when one visits it without being in a hurry.
  

• once there, for some time at least, keep your camera aside, choose a corner and "feel" the beauty of the place. Allow nothing to come in the way between you and the awe of the Taj Mahal.

The Taj Mahal is said to be appearing pinkish in the morning, milky white in the evening and golden when the moon shines - probably depicting the different moods of a woman. To admire its full glory, one needs to also appreciate the fact that the architecture and its adornments are associated to the passion that inspired it.

There is nothing like viewing the Taj Mahal with your own eyes and being embraced in its ethereal beauty. As I said earlier, no words or photographs can fully convey the magic of the place.

It was a misty day when I reached the Taj Mahal. The above are just a few photographs shot during my delightful visit to the Taj Mahal. If you wish to see the rest of my pictures of one of the world's most admired masterpieces, they are here.