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The Taj Mahal. India's noble tribute to the grace of Indian womanhood |
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Location: Agra, India |
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The Taj Mahal. India's noble tribute to the grace of Indian womanhood |
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Location: Agra, India |
Taj Mahal, mausoleum on the southern bank of the Yamuna (Jumna) River, outside Agra in India. It was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife, Arjumand Banu Begam, also called Mumtaz Mahal ("Chosen One of the Palace"), of which the name Taj Mahal is a corruption. She died in childbirth in the town of Burhanpur in 1631, after having been the emperor's inseparable companion since their marriage in 1612. The building was commenced around 1632 to plans prepared by a council of architects from India, Persia, Central Asia, and beyond. More than 20,000 workers were employed daily to complete the mausoleum itself by about 1643 and the immediate adjuncts (mosques, wall, and gateway) by about 1649. The entire Taj complex took 22 years to complete, at a cost of 40 million rupees.
The complex consists of a rectangular plot measuring 1,902 by 1,002 feet (580 by 305 m) and aligned north and south. At the centre of this rectangle lies a square garden area, 1,002 feet (305 m) on each side, that is bounded on the north and south by two smaller, oblong sections. The southern oblong section comprises a sandstone entrance gateway to the complex, along with attendant service buildings, while the northern oblong section terminates at the Yamuna River's edge and comprises the famed mausoleum itself. The mausoleum is flanked on the west and east by two symmetrically identical buildings, the mosque and its jawab (or building for aesthetic balance), respectively. A high boundary wall with octagonal pavilion turrets at the corners surrounds the northern section and the central garden area, while outside the enclosure at the south are stables and guard quarters.
The whole complex was conceived and planned as an entity because Mughal building practice allowed no subsequent addition or amendment. Its northern end contains the most significant architecture, with mosque and jawab both facing the mausoleum itself. The mosque and jawab of red Sikri sandstone, with marble-necked domes and architraves and some restrained pietra dura (hard stone) surface decoration, contrast in colour and in texture with the mausoleum of pure white Makrana marble.
The mausoleum itself, which stands on a marble plinth 23 feet (7 m) high, has four identical facades with chamfered corners and a massive arch that rises to a height of 108 feet (33 m) on each face. A bulbous double dome supported on a tall drum completes the structure. The skyline rhythm of the mausoleum is created by parapets over each arch and by pinnacles and domed kiosks over each corner. A three-storied minaret stands at each corner of the plinth, its countersunk face joints of marble bricks contrasting with the highly finished marble of the mausoleum. The mausoleum interior is organized around an octagonal chamber, with low-relief patterns and fine pietra dura, and contains the cenotaphs of Arjumand Banu Begam and Shah Jahan. These marble tombs are decorated with pietra dura and enclosed by a perforated marble screen studded with precious stones. A vault below, at garden level, contains the true sarcophagi. The Taj Mahal is regarded both as a supreme achievement of Mughal architecture and as one of the most beautiful buildings in the world.
