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Taj Mahal !!!
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The Taj Mahal is a white marble mausoleum situated in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal is extensively recognized as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and 1 of the universally admired masterpieces of the world’s heritage"
Taj Mahal is regarded by many as the finest instance of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Islamic, Persian, Ottoman Turkish and Indian architectural styles.
In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO Planet Heritage Web site. Although the white domed marble mausoleum is the most familiar element of the Taj Mahal, it is really an integrated complex of structures. The construction began about 1632 and was completed around 1653, employing thousands of artisans and craftsmen. The construction of the Taj Mahal was entrusted to a board of architects under imperial supervision, including Abd ul-Karim Ma’mur Khan, Makramat Khan, and Ustad Ahmad Lahauri. Lahauri is normally considered to be the principal designer.
Origin and inspiration
In 1631, Shah Jahan, emperor during the Mughal empire’s period of greatest prosperity, was grief-stricken when his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, a Persian princess, died in the course of the birth of their 14th child, Gauhara Begum. Building of the Taj Mahal began in 1632. The court chronicles of Shah Jahan’s grief illustrate the enjoy story traditionally held as an inspiration for Taj Mahal. The principal mausoleum was completed in 1648 and the surrounding buildings and garden were completed 5 years later. Emperor Shah Jahan himself described the Taj in these words.
Must guilty seek asylum right here,
Like a single pardoned, he becomes free from sin.
Must a sinner make his way to this mansion,
All his past sins are to be washed away.
The sight of this mansion creates sorrowing sighs
And the sun and the moon shed tears from their eyes.
In this globe this edifice has been produced
To display thereby the creator’s glory.
The Taj Mahal incorporates and expands on design and style traditions of Persian architecture and earlier Mughal architecture. Certain inspiration came from productive Timurid and Mughal buildings which includes the Gur-e Amir (the tomb of Timur, progenitor of the Mughal dynasty, inSamarkand), Humayun’s Tomb, Itmad-Ud-Daulah’s Tomb (sometimes named the Infant Taj), and Shah Jahan’s own Jama Masjid inDelhi. Whilst earlier Mughal buildings have been primarily constructed of red sandstone, Shah Jahan promoted the use of white marble inlaid with semi-valuable stones, and buildings below his patronage reached new levels of refinement.
Tomb
The tomb is the central focus of the entire complicated of the Taj Mahal. This large, white marble structure stands on a square plinth and consists of a symmetrical constructing with an iwan (an arch-shaped doorway) topped by a large dome and finial. Like most Mughal tombs, the simple components are Persian in origin.
The base structure is primarily a large, multi-chambered cube with chamfered corners, forming an unequal octagon that is around 55 metres (180 ft) on each of the 4 lengthy sides. On each of these sides, a large pishtaq, or vaulted archway, frames the iwan with two similarly shaped, arched balconies stacked on either side. This motif of stacked pishtaqs is replicated on the chamfered corner regions, creating the style fully symmetrical on all sides of the building. 4 minarets frame the tomb, one particular at every corner of the plinth facing the chamfered corners. The main chamber houses the false sarcophagi of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan the actual graves are at a decrease level.
The marble dome that surmounts the tomb is the most spectacular feature. Its height of about 35 metres (115 ft) is about the same as the length of the base, and is accentuated as it sits on a cylindrical "drum" which is roughly 7 metres (23 ft) higher. Because of its shape, the dome is usually known as an onion dome or amrud (guava dome). The top is decorated with a lotusdesign, which also serves to accentuate its height. The shape of the dome is emphasised by four smaller domed chattris(kiosks) placed at its corners, which replicate the onion shape of the main dome. Their columned bases open by means of the roof of the tomb and supply light to the interior. Tall decorative spires (guldastas) extend from edges of base walls, and supply visual emphasis to the height of the dome. The lotus motif is repeated on each the chattris and guldastas. The dome and chattris are topped by a gilded finial, which mixes classic Persian and Hindustani.
The principal finial was originally produced of gold but was replaced by a copy created of gilded bronze in the early 19th century. This function supplies a clear example of integration of standard Persian and Hindu decorative elements. The finial is topped by a moon, a standard Islamic motif whose horns pointheavenward. Simply because of its placement on the major spire, the horns of the moon and the finial point combine to develop a trident shape, reminiscent of standard Hindu symbols of Shiva.
The minarets, which are each and every a lot more than 40 metres (130 ft) tall, show the designer’s penchant for symmetry. They have been developed as working minarets—a conventional element of mosques, utilized by the muezzin to contact the Islamic faithful to prayer. Every minaret is efficiently divided into 3 equal components by two working balconies that ring the tower. At the top of the tower is a final balcony surmounted by a chattri that mirrors the design and style of these on the tomb. The chattris all share the same decorative elements of a lotus style topped by a gilded finial. The minarets have been constructed slightly outside of the plinth so that, in the occasion of collapse, (a typical occurrence with several tall constructions of the period) the material from the towers would have a tendency to fall away from the tomb.
Exterior Decorations
The exterior decorations of the Taj Mahal are amongst the finest in Mughal architecture. As the surface location adjustments the decorations are refined proportionally. The decorative elements were designed by applying paint, stucco, stone inlays, or carvings. In line with the Islamic prohibition against the use of anthropomorphic forms, the decorative components can be grouped into either calligraphy, abstract types or vegetative motifs.
All through the complex, passages from the Qur’an are employed as decorative elements. Recent scholarship suggests that the passages have been selected by Amanat Khan.The texts refer to themes of judgment and incorporate:
Surah 36 – Ya Sin
Surah 39 – Az-Zumar The Crowds
Surah 48 – Al-Fath Victory
Surah 67 – Al-Mulk Dominion
Surah 77 – Al-Mursalat Those Sent Forth
Surah 81 – At-Takwir The Folding Up
Surah 82 – Al-Infitar The Cleaving Asunder
Surah 84 – Al-Inshiqaq The Rending Asunder
Surah 89 – Al-Fajr Daybreak
Surah 91 – Ash-Shams The Sun
Surah 93 – Ad-Dhuha Morning Light
Surah 94 – Al-Inshirah The Solace
Surah 95 – At-Teen The Fig
Surah 98 – Al-Bayyinah The Proof
Surah 112 – Al-Ikhlas The Purity of Faith
The calligraphy on the Excellent Gate reads "O Soul, thou art at rest. Return to the Lord at peace with Him, and He at peace with you.
The calligraphy was developed by a calligrapher named Abd ul-Haq, in 1609. Shah Jahan conferred the title of "Amanat Khan" upon him as a reward for his "dazzling virtuosity" Near the lines from the Qur’an at the base of the interior dome is the inscription, "Written by the insignificant becoming, Amanat Khan Shirazi. Considerably of the calligraphy is composed of florid thuluth script, made of jasper or black marble inlaid in white marble panels. Larger panels are written in slightly bigger script to lessen the skewing effect when viewed from below. The calligraphy identified on the marble cenotaphs in the tomb is especially detailed and delicate.
Abstract forms are utilised all through, particularly in the plinth, minarets, gateway, mosque, jawab and, to a lesser extent, on the surfaces of the tomb. The domes and vaults of the sandstone buildings are worked with tracery of incised painting to create elaborate geometric types. Herringbone inlays define the space in between many of the adjoining components. White inlays are employed in sandstone buildings, and dark or black inlays on the white marbles. Mortared areas of the marble buildings have been stained or painted in a contrasting colour, making geometric patterns of considerable complexity. Floors and walkways use contrasting tiles or blocks in tessellation patterns.
On the decrease walls of the tomb there are white marble dados that have been sculpted with realistic bas relief depictions of flowers and vines. The marble has been polished to emphasise the exquisite detailing of the carvings and the dado frames and archway spandrels have been decorated with pietra durainlays of highly stylised, virtually geometric vines, flowers and fruits. The inlay stones are of yellow marble, jasper and jade, polished and levelled to the surface of the walls.
Interior Decorations
The interior chamber of the Taj Mahal actions far beyond conventional decorative components. Here, the inlay work is not pietra dura, but a lapidary of valuable and semiprecious gemstones. The inner chamber is an octagon with the design permitting for entry from each and every face, though only the door facing the garden to the south is utilised.
The interior walls are about 25 metres (82 ft) high and are topped by a "false" interior dome decorated with a sun motif. Eight pishtaq arches define the space at ground level and, as with the exterior, each and every reduced pishtaq is crowned by a second pishtaq about midway up the wall. The 4 central upper arches form balconies or viewing regions, and every balcony’s exterior window has an intricate screen or jali reduce from marble. In addition to the light from the balcony screens, light enters by way of roof openings covered by chattris at the corners. Each chamber wall has been very decorated with dado bas-relief, intricate lapidary inlay and refined calligraphy panels, reflecting in miniature detail the design components observed all through the exterior of the complex.
The octagonal marble screen or jali which borders the cenotaphs is made from eight marble panels which have been carved through with intricate pierce function. The remaining surfaces have been inlaid in extremely delicate detail with semi-valuable stones forming twining vines, fruits and flowers.
Muslim tradition forbids elaborate decoration of graves. Hence, the bodies of Mumtaz and Shah Jahan had been place in a comparatively plain crypt beneath the inner chamber with their faces turned right and towards Mecca. Mumtaz Mahal’s cenotaph is placed at the precise centre of the inner chamber on a rectangular marble base of 1.five by two.five metres (four ft 11 in by 8 ft two in).
Both the base and casket are elaborately inlaid with precious and semiprecious gems. Calligraphic inscriptions on the casket determine and praise Mumtaz. On the lid of the casket is a raised rectangular lozenge meant to recommend a writing tablet. Shah Jahan’s cenotaph is beside Mumtaz’s to the western side, and is the only visible asymmetric element in the complete complicated. His cenotaph is larger than his wife’s, but reflects the same elements: a larger casket on a slightly taller base, once more decorated with astonishing precision with lapidary and calligraphy that identifies him. On the lid of this casket is a traditional sculpture of a little pen box.
The pen box and writing tablet had been standard Mughal funerary icons decorating the caskets of males and females respectively. The Ninety Nine Names of God are found as calligraphic inscriptions on the sides of the actual tomb of Mumtaz Mahal, in the crypt such as "O Noble, O Magnificent, O Majestic, O Special, O Eternal, O Glorious… ". The tomb of Shah Jahan bears a calligraphic inscription that reads "He travelled from this globe to the banquet-hall of Eternity on the evening of the twenty-sixth of the month of Rajab, in the year 1076 Hijri."
Garden
The complicated is set around a big 300-metre (980 ft) square charbagh or Mughal garden. The garden utilizes raised pathways that divide every single of the 4 quarters of the garden into 16 sunken parterres or flowerbeds. A raised marble water tank at the center of the garden, halfway between the tomb and gateway with a reflecting pool on a north-south axis, reflects the image of the mausoleum. The raised marble water tank is named al Hawd al-Kawthar, in reference to the "Tank of Abundance" promised to Muhammad.
Elsewhere, the garden is laid out with avenues of trees and fountains. The charbagh garden, a design and style inspired by Persian gardens, was introduced to India by the very first Mughal emperor, Babur. It symbolises the four flowing rivers of Jannah (Paradise) and reflects the Paradise garden derived from the Persian paridaeza, meaning ‘walled garden’. In mystic Islamic texts of Mughal period, Paradise is described as an best garden of abundance with four rivers flowing from a central spring or mountain, separating the garden into north, west, south and east.
Most Mughal charbaghs are rectangular with a tomb or pavilion in the center. The Taj Mahal garden is unusual in that the major element, the tomb, is located at the finish of the garden. With the discovery of Mahtab Bagh or "Moonlight Garden" on the other side of the Yamuna, the interpretation of the Archaeological Survey of India is that the Yamuna river itself was incorporated into the garden’s design and style and was meant to be observed as 1 of the rivers of Paradise. The similarity in layout of the garden and its architectural functions with the Shalimar Gardens recommend that they may possibly have been developed by the exact same architect, Ali Mardan. Early accounts of the garden describe its profusion of vegetation, like abundant roses, daffodils, and fruit trees. As the Mughal Empire declined, the tending of the garden also declined, and when the British took more than the management of Taj Mahal throughout the time of the British Empire, they changed the landscaping to resemble that of lawns of London.
Outlying Buildings
The Taj Mahal complicated is bounded on 3 sides by crenellated red sandstone walls, with the river-facing side left open. Outdoors the walls are numerous further mausoleums, such as those of Shah Jahan’s other wives, and a larger tomb for Mumtaz’s favourite servant. These structures, composed mostly of red sandstone, are standard of the smaller Mughal tombs of the era. The garden-facing inner sides of the wall are fronted by columnedarcades, a function typical of Hindu temples which was later incorporated into Mughal mosques. The wall is interspersed with domed chattris, and small buildings that may possibly have been viewing regions or watch towers like the Music Residence, which is now employed as a museum. The main gateway (darwaza) is a monumental structure built primarily of marble which is reminiscent of Mughal architecture of earlier emperors. Its archways mirror the shape of tomb’s archways, and its pishtaq arches incorporate the calligraphy that decorates the tomb. It utilises bas-relief and pietra dura inlaid decorations with floral motifs. The vaulted ceilings and walls have elaborate geometric styles, like those found in the other sandstone buildings of the complicated. At the far end of the complicated, there are two grand red sandstone buildings that are open to the sides of the tomb. Their backs parallel the western and eastern walls, and the two buildings are precise mirror images of every other. The western developing is a mosque and the other is the jawab (answer), whose primary objective was architectural balance, despite the fact that it might have been utilised as a guesthouse. The distinctions in between these two buildings include the lack ofmihrab (a niche in a mosque’s wall facing Mecca) in the jawab and that the floors of jawab have a geometric design and style, even though the mosque floor was laid with outlines of 569 prayer rugs in black marble. The mosque’s fundamental design of a long hall surmounted by 3 domes is equivalent to others built by Shah Jahan, specifically to his Masjid-Jahan Numa, or Jama Masjid, Delhi. The Mughal mosques of this period divide thesanctuary hall into three locations, with a principal sanctuary and slightly smaller sized sanctuaries on either side. At the Taj Mahal, every single sanctuary opens onto an enormous vaulting dome. These outlying buildings have been completed in 1643.
Building
The Taj Mahal was constructed on a parcel of land to the south of the walled city of Agra. Shah Jahan presented Maharajah Jai Singh with a massive palace in the center of Agra in exchange for the land. An region of roughly 3 acres was excavated, filled with dirt to decrease seepage, and levelled at 50 metres (160 ft) above riverbank. In the tomb area, wells were dug and filled with stone and rubble to form the footings of the tomb. As an alternative of lashed bamboo, workmen constructed a colossal brick scaffold that mirrored the tomb. The scaffold was so massive that foremen estimated it would take years to dismantle.
According to the legend, Shah Jahan decreed that any individual could maintain the bricks taken from the scaffold, and as a result it was dismantled by peasants overnight. A fifteen kilometre (9.3 mi) tamped-earth ramp was constructed to transport marble and supplies to the construction web site and teams of twenty or thirty oxen pulled the blocks on specially constructed wagons. An elaborate post-and-beam pulley program was employed to raise the blocks into desired position. Water was drawn from the river by a series of purs, an animal-powered rope and bucket mechanism, into a large storage tank and raised to a big distribution tank. It was passed into three subsidiary tanks, from which it was piped to the complicated.
The plinth and tomb took roughly 12 years to complete. The remaining parts of the complicated took an additional ten years and had been completed in order of minarets, mosque and jawab, and gateway. Since the complicated was built in stages, discrepancies exist in completion dates due to differing opinions on "completion". For example, the mausoleum itself was essentially comprehensive by 1643, but work continued on the rest of the complex. Estimates of the expense of construction differ due to troubles in estimating charges across time. The total cost has been estimated to be about 32 million Rupees at that time.
The Taj Mahal was constructed using supplies from all more than India and Asia and more than 1,000 elephants have been utilized to transport building supplies. The translucent white marble was brought from Makrana, Rajasthan, the jasper from Punjab, jade and crystal from China. The turquoise was from Tibet and the Lapis lazuli fromAfghanistan, although the sapphire came from Sri Lanka and the carnelian from Arabia. In all, twenty eight types of precious and semi-valuable stones were inlaid into the white marble.
The construction of the Taj Mahal was entrusted to a board of architects under imperial supervision, including Abd ul-Karim Ma’mur Khan, Makramat Khan, and Ustad Ahmad Lahauri.Lahauri is generally regarded to be the principal designer.
A labour force of twenty thousand workers was recruited across northern India. Sculptors from Bukhara, calligraphers from Syria and Persia, inlayers from southern India, stonecutters from Baluchistan, a specialist in developing turrets, another who carved only marble flowers have been component of the thirty-seven guys who formed the inventive unit. Some of the builders involved in building of Taj Mahal are:
• Ismail Afandi (a.k.a. Ismail Khan) of the Ottoman Empire Turkish architect, designer of the major dome.
• Ustad Isa, born either in Shiraz, Ottoman Empire or Agra credited with a important part in the architectural design and style and principal dome.[34]
• ‘Puru’ from Benarus, Persia – has been described as a supervising architect.
• Qazim Khan, a native of Lahore – cast the solid gold finial.
• Chiranjilal, a lapidary from Delhi – the chief sculptor and mosaicist.
• Amanat Khan from Shiraz, Iran – the chief calligrapher.
• Muhammad Hanif – a supervisor of masons.
• Mir Abdul Karim and Mukkarimat Khan of Shiraz – handled finances and management of everyday production.
History
Abdul Hamid Lahauri, the author of the Badshahnama, the official history of Shah Jahan’s reign, calls Taj Mahal rauza-i munawwara, which means the illumined or illustrious tomb.
Soon right after the Taj Mahal’s completion, Shah Jahan was deposed by his son Aurangzeb and put below home arrest at nearby Agra Fort. Upon Shah Jahan’s death, Aurangzeb buried him in the mausoleum next to his wife.
By the late 19th century, parts of the buildings had fallen badly into disrepair. Throughout the time of the Indian rebellion of 1857, the Taj Mahal was defaced by British soldiers and government officials, who chiselled out precious stones and lapis lazuli from its walls. At the end of the 19th century, Britishviceroy Lord Curzon ordered a sweeping restoration project, which was completed in 1908.[39][40] He also commissioned the large lamp in the interior chamber, modelled following a single in a Cairo mosque. For the duration of this time the garden was remodelled with British-style lawns that are nonetheless in spot these days.
Threats
In 1942, the government erected a scaffolding in anticipation of an air attack by German Luftwaffe and later by Japanese Air Force. Throughout the India-Pakistan wars of 1965 and 1971, scaffoldings were once more erected to mislead bomber pilots.
Far more recent threats have come from environmental pollution on the banks of Yamuna River which includes acid rain due to the Mathura Oil Refinery, which was opposed by Supreme Court of India directives. The pollution has been turning the Taj Mahal yellow. To help handle the pollution, the Indian government has set up the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ), a ten,400-square-kilometre (4,000 sq mi) location about the monument exactly where strict emissions requirements are in place.
Issues for the tomb’s structural integrity have lately been raised simply because of a decline in the groundwater level in the Yamuna river basin which is falling at a rate of about five feet a year. In 2010, cracks appeared in components of the tomb, and the minarets which surround the monument have been showing indicators of tilting, as the wooden foundation of the tomb could be rotting due to lack of water. Some predictions indicate that the tomb may collapse inside 5 years.
Tourism
The Taj Mahal attracts a huge quantity of vacationers. UNESCO documented more than two million guests in 2001, including a lot more than 200,000 from overseas. A two tier pricing method is in location, with a substantially decrease entrance charge for Indian citizens and a much more high-priced 1 for foreigners. Most vacationers check out in the cooler months of October, November and February. Polluting site visitors is not permitted close to the complicated and tourists have to either walk from parking lots or catch an electric bus. The Khawasspuras (northern courtyards) are at present being restored for use as a new visitor center.
The tiny town to the south of the Taj, recognized as Taj Ganji or Mumtazabad, was originally constructed with caravanserais, bazaars and markets to serve the wants of visitors and workmen. Lists of advised travel destinations often function the Taj Mahal, which also appears in numerous listings of Seven wonders of the modern world, which includes the recently announced New Seven Wonders of the World, a recent poll with one hundred million votes.
The grounds are open from 06:00 to 19:00 weekdays, except for Friday when the complex is open for prayers at the mosque among 12:00 and 14:00. The complex is open for evening viewing on the day of the complete moon and two days before and soon after,excluding Fridays and the month of Ramadan. For safety factors only 5 items—water in transparent bottles, modest video cameras, still cameras, mobile phones and tiny ladies’ purses—are permitted inside the Taj Mahal.
Myths
Ever since its building, the building has been the supply of an admiration transcending culture and geography, and so personal and emotional responses have consistently eclipsed scholastic appraisals of the monument.
A longstanding myth holds that Shah Jahan planned a mausoleum to be built in black marble as a Black Taj Mahal across the Yamuna river. The idea originates from fanciful writings of Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, a European traveller who visited Agra in 1665. It was suggested that Shah Jahan was overthrown by his son Aurangzeb prior to it could be constructed. Ruins of blackened marble across the river in Moonlight Garden, Mahtab Bagh, seemed to assistance this legend. Nevertheless, excavations carried out in the 1990s discovered that they were discolored white stones that had turned black. A a lot more credible theory for the origins of the black mausoleum was demonstrated in 2006 by archaeologists who reconstructed part of the pool in the Moonlight Garden. A dark reflection of the white mausoleum could clearly be seen, befitting Shah Jahan’s obsession with symmetry and the positioning of the pool itself.
No proof exists for claims that describe, usually in horrific detail, the deaths, dismemberments and mutilations which Shah Jahan supposedly inflicted on numerous architects and craftsmen related with the tomb. Some stories claim that these involved in construction signed contracts committing themselves to have no portion in any comparable design and style. Similar claims are made for many famous buildings. No evidence exists for claims that Lord William Bentinck, governor-basic of India in the 1830s, supposedly planned to demolish the Taj Mahal and auction off the marble. Bentinck’s biographer John Rosselli says that the story arose from Bentinck’s fund-raising sale of discarded marble from Agra Fort.
Yet another myth suggests that beating the silhouette of the finial will cause water to come forth. To this day, officials find broken bangles surrounding the silhouette.
In 2000, India’s Supreme Court dismissed P. N. Oak’s petition to declare that a Hindu king built the Taj Mahal. In 2005 a comparable petition was dismissed by the Allahabad Higher Court. This case was brought by Amar Nath Mishra, a social worker and preacher who says that the Taj Mahal was constructed by the Hindu King Parmar Dev in 1196.
Source :- WIKIPEDIA
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taj_Mahal)
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