What the great people said about the TAJ MAHAL

Each women can be proud of it
(Farah Deeba pehlvi,Ex.1st Lady of Iran)

If my husband promises to build a Taj Mahal just like this,I would be ready to die just now
(Queen Elzabeth)

I'd love to live in Taj Mahal instead of White House.
(Mrs.jacqueline kennedy.Ex 1st lady of USA)

God knows why "Ford" has not built such as building in America
(Aua Gardner,Renowed Actress of Holly wood)

I have never seen such a beautiful dream
(King Hussain of Jadan)

What else is there in India except poverty and Taj Mahal
(Mau Tza Tung,Leader of Communist China)

I wish that Taj Mahal would be transffered at the bank of River Thames.
(Churchil.Ex Pm of Uk)

Don't See Taj Mahal in moonlight,it would move you to madness.
(Marlus Bardon Brando,Holly Wood Actor)

Let the splendor of the diamond, pearl and ruby vanish like the magic shimmer of the rainbow. Only let this one teardrop, the Taj Mahal, glisten spotlessly bright on the cheek of time...
(Poet Rabindranath Tagore)

A Tribute to Beauty

The Taj MahaL

Agra, once the capital of the Mughal Empire during the 16th and early 18th centuries, is two and a half hours by express train from New Delhi. Tourists from all over the world visit Agra not only to see the ruins of the red sandstone fortress built by the Mughal emperors but to make a pilgrimage to Taj Mahal, India's most famous architectural wonder. In a land where magnificent temples and edifices abound to remind visitors about the rich civilization of a country that is slowly but surely lifting itself into an industrialized society.
The postcard picture of Taj Mahal falls short to convey the legend, the poetry and the romance that shroud what Rabindranath Tagore calls "a teardrop on the cheek of time". Taj Mahal means "Crown Palace" and is in fact the most well preserved and architecturally beautiful tomb in the world. It is best described by an English poet, Sir Edwin Arnold, as "Not a piece of architecture, as other buildings are, but a proud passion of an emperors love wrought in living stones." It is a celebration of woman's love, exquisitely potrayed in marble. And that's the way to appreciate it !
Taj Mahal stands on the bank of River Yamuna, which otherwise serves as a wide moat defending the Great Red Fort of Agra, the centre of the Mughal empire until they moved their capital to Delhi in 1637. It was built by the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan in 1631 in the memory of his second wife, Mumtaz Mahal, a Muslim Persian princess. She died while accompanying her husband in Behrampur in a campaign to crush a rebellion, after giving birth to their 14th child. Her death so crushed the emperor that all his hair and beard were said to have grown snow white in a few months.
When Mumtaz Mahal was still alive, she extracted four promises from the emperor: first, that he build the Taj; second, that he should marry again; third, that he be kind to their children; and fourth, that he visit the tomb on her death anniversary. He kept the first and second promises. Construction began in 1631 and was completed in 22 years. Twenty thousand people were deployed to work on it. It was designed by the Iranian architect Istad Usa and it is best appreciated when the architecture and its adornments are linked to the passion that inspired it. It is a "symbol of eternal love".
Having buried her down at Behrampur, it was time for the emperor to keep his promise and build a tomb there itself. But by and by , it was felt that it was virtually impossible to transfer all the marble there, as it would cost an entire fortune and an entire lifetime. So, when Agra was chosen as the only alternative, astonishingly her grave was uprooted and brought to Agra, only to be finally transferred to the monument, completed twenty two years later.

The Taj rises on a high red sandstone base topped by a huge white marble terrace on which rests the famous dome flanked by four tapering minarets. Within the dome lies the jewel inlaid cenotaph of the queen. So exquisite is the workmanship that the Taj has been described as " designed by giants and finished by jewellers". The only asymmetrical object in the Taj is the casket of the emperor which was built beside the queens, as an afterthought. The emperor was deposed by his son and imprisoned in the Great Red Fort for eight years but was later buried in the Taj. During his imprisonment he was barred from visiting Taj. What he could have was just a little view of Taj in a reflection of a diamond.
As a tribute to a beautiful woman and as a monument for enduring love, the Taj reveals its subtleties when one visits it without being in a hurry. The rectangular base of Taj is in itself symbolic of the different sides from which to view a beautiful woman. The main gate is like a veil to a woman's face which should be lifted delicately, gently and without haste on the wedding night. In indian tradition the veil is lifted gently to reveal the beauty of the bride. As one stands inside the main gate of Taj, his eyes are directed to an arch which frames the Taj.
The dome is made of white marble, but the tomb is set against an awesome backdrop of the river and it is this background that works its magic of colours through their reflection and transforms the view of the Taj. The colours change at different hours of the day and during different seasons. Like a jewel, the Taj sparkles in moonlight when the semi-precious stones inlaid into the white marble on the main mausoleum catch the glow of the moon. The Taj is pinkish in the morning, milky white in the evening and golden when the moon shines. These changes, they say, depict the different moods of woman.
Different people have different views of the Taj but it would be enough to say that the Taj has a life of its own that leaps out of marble, provided you understand that it is a monument of love. As an architectural masterpiece, nothing could be added or subtracted from it.

Taj MahaL

"Not a piece of architecture, as other buildings are, but a proud passion of an emperors love wrought in living stones."
(English poet, Sir Edwin Arnold)

when i was kid 5 year old, we were in Agra, and I dont remember much but I remember that going to TajMahal was very common, we used to visit pretty often, I dont remember much about TajMahal, but I remember that at that time (in 1983) horse-cart used to be the only option to go there.
after that we left that place, and since then could never get chance to go back..

awwwwwwwww Sad... Sabar kero bhai...app ko wahan janay ka dobara zaroor mauqa milay ga..

TAJ MAHAL FOR SURE IS THE REAL BEAUTY OF ART AND LOVE,
BUT IT HAS OTHER ASPECT ALSO,
IT WAS BUILT BY SACRIFISNG 600 WORKERS HANDS< SO THAT NO ONE WOULD MAKE ANOTHER ONE OF SUCH MONUMENT LIKE TAJ MAHAL..

I THINK THIS WAS VERY UNJUST AND INHUMAN.

Very True Hassan Bhai........I always sympathise with that aspect involving the creation of this wonder...... A dark spot on the otherwise Spotless Classic Wonder creation........(Spotless as far as the creation process is concerned........but now many spots are there on the creation.......due to all the pollution.......that is disturbing the existence of the magnificent Wonder of the World....)

true!!
i have studied in class 10th that due to the smoke coming from the factories beside taj mahal areas, ITCHING HAS BEEN DEVELOPED IN THE WALLS OF Tajmahal,

and the walls have started to become yellow.

actually ITS THE GOVT RESPONSIBILTY TO TAKE CARE OF THE MONUMENTS LEFT BY THE MUGHALS AND THE FIRANGIS AND THE RAJPUTS(BRITISHERS),IN THE AREAS LIKE AGRA/ RAJASTHAN/ FATEHPUR SIKRI ETC...

BEAUTIES OF MANY MONUMENTS ARE NEAR TO DEAD BY NOW DUE TO LACK OF MAINTAINENCE.

Completely agree with you Hassan Bhai....on that one.........Its high time the Govt. comes forward and takes up the issue more seriously......Well.....by the way, there are certain institutions such as the World Heritage Council, National Heritage Council etc. who classify such structures as "Heritage structures" and "Protected Structures" etc....... But I really dunno how much they are doing to actually protect and safeguard the monuments and their beauty......and their maintenance & development......

lets wait and watch the game!!!!,

Ek kami thi Taj Mahal mein ..
Hum ne teri tasveer laga di ..

dont know if anyone has read this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taj_Mahal ?
btw the first picture of the Taj, from the front, was taken by me last year when I visited it

Don't know whether i m supposed to laugh or to cry on reading this.

- Ankur


http://www.rediff.com/news/2005/jul/13waqf.htm

UP Sunni Waqf claims Taj Mahal

July 13, 2005 13:09 IST
Last Updated: July 13, 2005 16:55 IST

The Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board on Tuesday declared that the Taj Mahal was a Waqf property and directed that the 17th Century monument be registered in its name.

The chairman of the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board Hafiz Usman made the declaration in a packed UP Sunni Waqf Board in Lucknow on Wednesday.

Describing the Waqf Board decision as "not in the interest of Taj Mahal," a representative of the Archaeological Survey of India, who attended the hearing, said it would challenge it in the court of law.

The board was hearing the matter on the direction of Allahabad high court on a petition filed by one Mohammad Irfan Bedar contending that the Taj was a Waqf property and he ought to be declared its caretaker.

It had deferred pronouncement of its judgment on June 25 saying the board was still collecting evidence and considering legal points pertaining to the world heritage monument.

The board was in the process of gathering manuscripts, archaeological and other related documents to arrive at a "proper conclusion," Hafiz Usman had said while deferring decision in the matter.

The ASI had vehemently opposed registration of the Taj Mahal as a Waqf property in its presentation to the board. The Shia Community had also filed an application with the board seeking to be impleaded in the matter but the board had rejected it.

The 'TAJ' is a national heritage monument, belonging to no personal or religious body, group, trust or whatever. Eventhough the Wakf is under the direct control of the state government, in the best interests of the 'TAJ' it is better if control rests with the ASI.

Controversial History of Taj Mahal ...
****************************************
From the day of my childhood, My Mom has been telling me about the Love of Shah Jahan and
Mumtaz and to show how much he loves her he created this " 1 of the Greatest wonders of the World ".
Yes, The TAJ MAHAL ...
I used to be surprised whenever My Mom said that. Still I used to .. But a long time back
This news came to my ears and then to my Brain. What news ? That Shah Jahan is not the
Creator of Taj Mahal, many people did it together and after a long time work, this dream became
Real ... I didn't believe this and forgot it but a few days back I got different people doing research
On this .. I don't know whether it is true or not. if this is not true then think what type of people we
Have around us, what they r trying to do. They want to take the credit of the great achievement
Which was actually done by somebody else ( Shah Jahan ) ... But if this is true then think how Shah Jahan
Distorted the complete History ...... Many of u may not like my message or may even hate ...
Truth will always remain truth whether bad or good, whether we like or dislike ...
Read this if u r interested. But U can't come to any conclusion unless u don't study. Go through this Page ...
TAJ MAHAL
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y not .......Taj mahal is an vedic temple ...........

yes it was built by king jai singh........y can't it be.....

y not ...anythin is possible.......

as a matter of fact we all r idiots and dumbhead (i am referrin to indians which include me too....with all due respect)

y not we have many errors in our history the one which we have been taugth at schools and colege's..
there has been many instances where we have been taught all wrong in schools....
our history has been manipulated and most of the facts (about 60%of history in books is all based on wrong facts or made up history) have been deleted and all wrong facts has been included .........
but this is a limit to allll things..............

but a dumbhead can bielieve all this like NATURE did....

but wait i think i know the reason behind all this propoganda...........................

i would have discuss more but i think its not an appropriate time to do...............

see u later ......

Couldn't agree more!!

The origin of the name "Taj Mahal" is not clear. Court histories from Shah Jehan's reign only call it the rauza (tomb) of Mumtaz Mahal. It is generally believed that "Taj Mahal" (usually translated as either "Crown Palace" or "Crown of the Palace") is an abbreviated version of her name, Mumtaz Mahal.......
The construction of this marble masterpiece is credited to the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan who erected this mausoleum in the memory of his beloved wife, Arjumand Bano Begum, popularly known as Mumtaz Mahal, who died in AH 1040 (AD 1630). Her last wish to her husband was "to build a tomb in her memory such as the world had never seen before". Thus emperor Shah Jahan set about building this fairytale like marvel.

The construction of Taj Mahal was started in AD 1631 and completed at the end of 1648 AD. For seventeen years, twenty thousand workmen are said to be employed on it daily, for their accommodation a small town, named after the deceased empress-'Mumtazabad, now known as Taj Ganj, was built adjacent to it. Amanat Khan Shirazi was the calligrapher of Taj Mahal, his name occurs at the end of an inscription on one of the gates of the Taj. Poet Ghyasuddin had designed the verses on the tombstone, while Ismail Khan Afridi of Turkey was the dome maker. Muhammad Hanif was the superintendent of Masons. The designer of Taj Mahal was Ustad Ahmad Lahauri. The material was brought in from all over India and central Asia and it took a fleet of 1000 elephants to transport it to the site. The central dome is 187 feet high at the centre. Red sandstone was brought from Fatehpur Sikri, Jasper from Punjab, Jade and Crystal from China, Turquoise from Tibet, Lapis Lazuli and Sapphire from Sri Lanka, Coal and Cornelian from Arabia and diamonds from Panna. In all 28 kind of rare, semi precious and precious stones were used for inlay work in the Taj Mahal. The chief building material, the white marble was brought from the quarries of Makrana, in distt. Nagaur, Rajasthan

hi ZUHA,

the things u have mentioned 'bout Taj Mahal r very true. its our nations pride. but these days the growing pollution is really hampering the pristine beauty of Taj Mahal. restoration works r goin on, but i personally feel that,"Taj Mahal is
Taj Mahal & how much restoration we do, it cant b the same old Taj Mahal". what i can say is that just enjoy this marvel.

Yeah! Many errors have been taught in schools and colleges! Heck, in some colleges they don't even teach spellings of English words properly!



With due respect, of course....

Pranav

A festival at Taj Mahal .. around 26th September to celebrate its anniversary.
I think there will be a program by Asha Bhosle.. Abida Parvin.. and one more person.. if anyone was interested
sigh Abida!! I wish I was in Delhi .. two dreams coming along together!!

Each women can be proud of it
(Farah Deeba pehlvi,Ex.1st Lady of Iran)



Shah's wife, or Queen of Iran.


good job zuhi

Hi im reviving this tread after it has been sleeping for a while

I just want to know where this Behrampur is? I googled for it and after a quick overview it seemes like there are one behrampur in punjab in pakistan and one in orissa, which does the leggend refer to? assume it is the one in Punjab

Another thing, isn't it very negative to disturb a grave (acording to Islam), as Mumtaz' grave was, according to the legend?

An interesting tid-bit:
The ruler of Rajasthan very graciously agreed to provide the marble free, provided that the transport was paid for.

At that time, the transport cost came to 20 lakh rupees. (This info is off the main plaque outside the Tajmahal. I assume the conversion could be in terms of the value of a rupee 30 years back)

Mandrakeaah I have photographed the plaque.. let me see what it says!!

N
ps : here it is

Click to view attachment

Yes pls, I had read it 15 years ago... correct me if I am wrong.

I have filmed it too.. but capture karna parega.. I tried my best to take it one shot in the still. The plaque is slanted so it is a bit of a probs to take the snap.. I have taken a snap shots of all the plaques.. in agra fort, fatehpur sikri too..

N
ps: had to resize to fit HF.. u want a bigger snap shot.. I can pm you MJ bol dena!

No Nimii, this doesn't say anything.
I remember it was a blue board with white/silver letters.

according to wikipedia did she die in Burhanpur in MP, not Behrampur as Zuha wrote...

anyone know what is correct?

Ayyooooooooo did i miss that one out

regaeding the controversial history by Stephen Knapp, Even though the way he presents the story makes it seem quite logic I still ask questions about his theories. If some interational scientists had got access to the complete construction and sorrounding by the government, the theory could be verified/falsified. But until anything like that happens I will stick to the "official" version.
After all the author of the theories also claim that the khaba in mecca contains a shivling...which may be, but I have to see it to believe it

Sourced from CD:

Here is the track of a recording done about 40 years ago, late at night, in the main hall, under the central dome of the Taj Mahal. And you guys thought I wouldn't have a song upload for this thread!

Click to view attachment

Waise, how come someone was allowed to sing at a tomb? isn't a tomb a place of silence?