All about TAJ

--------------------------All about TAJ------------------------
The Love:
The Taj Mahal, a monument which has been described as ‘poetry in marble’ was constructed by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. He erected this mausoleum in the memory of his beloved wife, Arjumand Bano Begum, who had the title ‘Mumtaz Mahal’, who died in AD 1630. According to the history of Taj Mahal it is believed that her dying wish to her husband was “to build a tomb in her memory such as the world had never seen before.” Indeed, centuries later, no tomb has been able to even remotely equal the glory of the marvellous Taj.
Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore called the Taj Mahal ‘a drop of tear on the cheek of history’.
The Monument:
A perfect piece of architecture, the Taj Mahal is built according to the Islamic concept of Paradise, where an enormous, shimmering pearl white dome stands supported by four corner pillars, from which flow the rivers of grace.
The massive plinth on which the Taj Mahal stands is representative of the material world, while the octagonal main structure signifies the transitional phase. Finally the dome is symbolic of being the vault of the heaven. To complete the illusion of the paradise, the tomb has been ornamented with splendid calligraphy of verses from the holy Koran, in flowing Arabic. An inscription written on the massive front gateway leading to the gardens in front of the Taj reads, “O soul that art at rest, return to the lord, at peace with Him and He at peace with you. So enter as one of His servants and enter into His garden.”
The Taj is marked by perfect symmetry and harmony, be it the shape of the four towering minarets; the cupolas (chhatris); the central arch in the façade; the perfectly arranged arched recesses on both the story's; the intricate pietra dura (stone inlay work); the delicate lattice work on marble windows or the magnificent dome. Even the mosque and the guesthouse (mehmankhana) are a mirror image of one another.
These monuments are entirely made of red sandstone. While both these buildings are mosques, the one towards the west (left side of the Taj) is important and used for offering prayers, as it not only sanctifies the Taj but also faces Mecca. The replica on the other side is known as the Jawab (answer).
However, there is one thing, which breaks the perfectly harmonious plan of the Taj Mahal – its position. Instead of locating the Taj Mahal in the middle of the Charbagh (four garden plan), Shah Jahan built the mausoleum at the far end of the garden, with the back wall falling straight down to the bed of Yamuna River.
Though Shah Jahan provided the vision behind the entire concept, he was assisted in his endeavour by a number of architects. The name of the architect, which is often mentioned during the building of Taj Mahal, is that of Muhammad Isa Khan, who hailed from Shiraz in Iran. It is also said that a creative nucleus of 37 people formed the core advisory group behind this gigantic project.
At the end of the first year of construction the mausoleum had taken shape and the crypt chamber, along with its surrounding works were also completed. The body of Mumtaz Mahal was ceremoniously interred into the tomb (The tombs of Mumtaz Mahal and Shahjahan are actually located in the basement, while their replicas are placed directly above in the upper hall). Six years of extensive labour saw the main building of the mausoleum complete and crowned with a majestic guava shaped dome. According to some historians the major construction of Taj Mahal was completed in about 10 years.
The Taj Mahal is distinguished as the finest example of Mughal architecture, a blending of Indian, Persian, and Islamic styles. Two notable decorative features are repeated throughout the complex: pietra dura and Arabic calligraphy. As embodied in the Mughal craft, pietra dura incorporates the inlay of semiprecious stones of various colours, such as lapis lazuli, jade, crystal, turquoise, and amethyst, in highly formalized and intertwining geometric and floral designs. The colours serve to moderate the dazzling expanse of the white Makrana marble. Under the direction of Amanat Khan al-Shirazi, Qur'anic verses were inscribed across numerous sections of the Taj Mahal in calligraphy, the centre of Islamic artistic tradition.
Calligraphy also encircles the soaring arched entrances to the mausoleum proper. To ensure its uniform appearance from the vantage point of the terrace, the lettering increases in size according to its relative height and distance from the viewer.
The changing light and shadows affect the colour and patterns of the Taj Mahal. The Taj is pinkish in the morning, milky white in the evening and golden when the moon shines.
Facts about the Taj Mahal:
Built by – Fifth Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan
Dedicated to – Mumtaz Mahal (Arjumand Bano Begum), wife of Shah Jahan
Construction time – 22 years (1631 – 1653)
Workforce – Over 20,000 labourers
Building type – Islamic tomb
Architecture – Islamic
Cost of construction – Rs 32 crore
Top dome – 213 feet high
Minarets – 162.5 feet high
Platform – 186 feet by 186 feet
Location – Agra (Uttar Pradesh, India)
Highlights: A UNESCO World Heritage Site
Trivia:
People say that Shah Jahan ordered that the hands of the craftsmen and architects be chopped off after building Taj Mahal, as he did not want them to build another grand monument as this one.
Shah Jahan planned to build another Taj Mahal in black marble as his own tomb.
Some European scholars claim that Taj Mahal was designed by an Italian architect by the name of Geronimo Veroneo. However, there is no hard evidence to prove this claim.
Some Indian scholars claim the Taj Mahal was a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, which was taken over by Shah Jahan.