The Taj Mahal, built by the banks of the Yamuna River, is one of the major architectural wonders of the world.It was commissioned by Emperor Shah Jahan. He built it in memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal.Do you want to find out why the Taj Mahal complex is the pinnacle of Mughal art and architecture? It is one of the globally applauded masterpieces of human endeavor.You may already know that the Taj Mahal, India, is popularly projected as a monument of love. But what if we tell you that it is so much more than that? It showcases the height of Mughal pomp, prestige, and glory. The profligacy with which it was constructed and the grandeur it depicts all go on to show the might of the Mughal Empire at its peak. No wonder the Taj took more than 20 years to be built!Now, if you start wondering who the Mughals were and where you can find this monument, you have to delve deeper into Indian history and culture. To begin with, we will tell you why the Mughals are so important in the context of India.The Mughal dynasty was a line of rulers who ruled the greater part of the Indian subcontinent for over 300 years. The first Mughal emperor was Babur. He arrived from a distant place in Central Asia called Fergana in 1526. After defeating Sultan Ibrahim Lodi in the first battle of Panipat, Babur established his empire in India and made Agra his capital.Agra is located in the present-day Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is in North India and is close to Delhi. If you visit the city of Agra, India, you will find the Taj Mahal standing majestically by the banks of the Yamuna river.If you liked reading this article, you could also check out Australian rainforest facts and the Eiffel Tower Las Vegas height!Inspirational Things Which Taj Mahal RepresentHave you ever wondered how far people can go for love?Shah Jahan was determined that the depth of his love for his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, should be expressed on the grandest scale imaginable. When the Begum died while giving birth to her fourteenth child, the heartbroken emperor decided to build a magnificent monument in her memory.A little should be added about the heroine in this great saga of love and loss. As you have already read, Mumtaz Mahal was the favorite wife of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. Her name can be translated to ‘Chosen One of the Palace’. This corresponds well with the name Taj Mahal, which translates in English to ‘Crown of the Palace’.You already know that it took several years to build it, with marble brought in from all over India and Central Asia. But did you know that it took a fleet of 1000 elephants accompanied by Mughal builders to transport the same to the site? Mind-boggling, isn’t it?Powerful Things Which Taj Mahal RepresentBefore we move on, we should inform you that powerful kings and emperors down the ages have thought about their legacy. Many of them undertook different tasks to make sure people would remember them once they were gone.The Taj Mahal, India, can be seen as a testimony to Shah Jahan’s ambition and power. The emperor’s royal biographer, Abd al-Hamid, does not hide the fact that Shah Jahan wanted to make a statement by building a monument surpassing all else in grandeur and beauty.Such was the might of the Mughal emperor that as work began on building the Taj, much of the Mughal Empire’s resources, manpower, and wealth got diverted to Agra. The finest materials from many regions around the world were procured for the mausoleum.You may be in for a shock to know that Shah Jahan spent nearly five million rupees on the whole project. In today’s estimates, it stands at two and a half billion rupees!Worthful Things That Taj Mahal RepresentDid you know that India has given birth to four significant world religions? Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism all have their roots in this country. Such is the diversity of this place.So it is worth noting that the Taj Mahal was built keeping in mind the syncretic religious traditions of the land. When you fix your gaze at the top of the main dome of the Taj, you will find that there is a crescent moon on top of the finial. This finial is fixed in a U-shape to make it look like a trident. When you read about the main gods of Hinduism, you will come across the God of Destruction named Shiva. The trident happens to be the symbol of this powerful Hindu God Shiva.The Taj Mahal, India, showcases the finest and most sophisticated example of Mughal architecture. It incorporates traditional decorative elements of Indian art and expands on many design traditions, particularly Persian, Rajasthani, and earlier Muslim art and Islamic architecture. Known for its symmetry, the Taj Mahal sits on a raised platform surrounded by four minarets. It has a pure white marble exterior with gorgeous mosaics in pietra dura (meaning ‘hard stone’ in Italian).On your way to the Taj Mahal, you will go through a massive red sandstone Taj main gate. The gateway is topped by small cupolas. This gateway is symbolic of the divide between the material, and the spiritual and is decorated in Arabic calligraphy with verses from the holy Koran. One has to go through this gate as if to enter paradise!When you visit the Taj, make sure you have a whole day to explore. That is because the entire rectangular area of the Taj Mahal spans over 42 acres (169,968 sqm) of land!Fantastic Things That Taj Mahal RepresentWho wouldn’t want to witness the Taj changing its color throughout the day? It glows a blushing pink at dawn and blazes a fiery red when the white marble catches the rays of the setting sun and shimmers with a cool, ethereal beauty in the moonlight. The entire structure resembles a divine throne under the mid-day sun.Once you begin looking around the premises of the Taj, the fine detailing would leave you wonderstruck. You would find that flowers are the main decorative elements as the tomb represents a palace garden. You would be amazed to see that inlay work is done with such skill that it is impossible to discern any joints, even when as many as 40 tiny pieces of semi-precious stones have been used in the petals of a single flower!Unknown to many visitors, the actual tombs of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan are in the interior chamber in the basement, while in the main chamber, there are false tombs surrounded by lace-like marble filigree screens. These screens transmit light into the inner chamber.We know how pollution affects the lives of humans and other living beings alike. But could you imagine that the same problem causes harm to this famous monument? Yes, air pollution has been causing erosion of the upper layer of the Taj for quite a while now.You may now be wondering what the Indian authorities have done to fight such an occurrence. As a start, the Archaeological Survey of India, along with civic authorities, has turned the area in and around the Taj Mahal into a special zone called the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ). It is a spatial reference unit that comprises two other world heritage sites - Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri. In case you plan to visit Agra on your next vacation, don’t forget to add these two other world heritage sites to your list!Despite their best interests, authorities are failing to give adequate protection to the monument due to practical constraints. This is unfortunate, and we must all pledge to protect our heritage sites to the best of our capacities.What if we tell you that one more Taj Mahal was being planned by Shah Jahan? Legend talks about how the emperor had wanted his mausoleum to be built of black marble close to the white Taj Mahal. But before any future development, he was taken prisoner by his son and stripped of all powers.In this and many other ways, the Taj Mahal represents a level of mastery and mystique that is hard to match. These fantastic facets of the Taj Mahal make it a dream visit for everyone!In a world where people and ideas keep moving from one place to the other, the Taj Mahal’s fame reached far and wide over the centuries. So it was only natural that the Taj Mahal, Agra became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.What other world heritage sites can you think of? As a fun activity, you can make a list of all the world heritage sites in your country!Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for what does the Taj Mahal represent, then why not take a look at Eiffel Tower USA or Eiffel Tower vs Statue of Liberty?
The Taj Mahal, built by the banks of the Yamuna River, is one of the major architectural wonders of the world.
