| |
|
|
|
| |
|
Taj Mahal :- |
 Taj
Mahal, a dream etched in milky white pristine marble is the
peerless monument portraying the beauty of eternal love! A
commemoration of the memory of Shahjahan's beloved wife,
Mumtaz. Taj Mahal is indeed India's rich tribute to womanhood.
Renowned for its aesthetic beauty, this extravagant building of
timeless beauty is the outcome of a unique combination of passion and
architectural exuberance.
Mumtaz and Shah Jehan were married in 1612 A.D Muslim Persian princess
better known by her other name, Mumtaz Mahal was married to Shah Jahan
(then Prince Khurram), the fifth Mughal emperor. Mumtaz, the emperor's
.second wife, was her husband's comrade and counselor. An inseparable
companion on all his journeys and military expeditions, she inspired
the emperor to do acts of charity and benevolence towards the weak and
the needy.
Mumtaz bore 14 children, and when she died during childbirth in 1631,
Shah Jahan was so heartbroken that all his hair and beard were said to
have turned snow-white in a few months! Overpowered by grief, Shah
Jahan decided to immortalize the memory of his beloved wife by
building the finest sepulcher ever - a monument of eternal love.
Herein lies the genesis of the Taj Mahal.
The construction documents show that its master architect was Ustad
Ahmed Lahori, the renowned Islamic architect of his time. The
much-celebrated saga of royal love was brought to life by dexterous
and skilled artisans from places as far away as Delhi, Kannauj,
Lahore, Multan, Baghdad, Shiraz and Bukhara.
Construction began in 1631, and over 20,000 workmen and master
craftsmen worked laboriously for 22 years to give shape to the
emperor's passionate dream! The material was brought in from all over
India and central Asia and it took a fleet of 1,000 elephants to
transport it to the site. The complex was finally completed in 1653 at
a cost of 32 Million Rupees (approx USD 68000) on the banks of river
Yamuna in Agra, the capital of the Mughal monarchs.
But the beauty of Taj Mahal is also tainted by the gory fact that the
hands of some of the master craftsmen were amputated, to ensure that
the perfection of the Taj could never be repeated ever again |
|
|
|
|
|
