Exploring the Taj Mahal! ताजमहल पर निबंध

नमस्ते! (Namaste)

Sticking to the theme of exploring the Seven Wonders of the World, we are going to talk a little about the Taj Mahal! It’s likely that you’ve heard this name before–and maybe you can even picture what the building looks like. I don’t know much about its history, so this is going to be a lesson to you and I both! Let’s begin with a little background on what it is, where it is, and how rad it is!

 

History:

Emperor Shah Jahan built this for his wife, who unfortunately died during childbirth. The astonishing mausoleum was constructed out of love. What more powerful entity is there?

Much as you would expect, creating something this beautiful took years. Actually, a little over a decade. Specifically from 1632-1647. When the two first met, it was love at first sight. Young Jahan was only 14 the first time her saw Arjumand Banu Begum, who was 15 years old. Jahan was so stricken by her beauty that he returned home and told his father he wanted to marry her. After five years, the two wed.  It was not until he became the Emperor in 1628 that he renamed his wife Mumtaz Mahal, meaning “the Jewel of the Palace.”

Sadly, while giving birth to their 14th child, Mumtaz Mahal experienced some complications. She died while giving birth. Before she passed, Jahal promised his favorite wife that he would not remarry, and he would build a beautiful mausoleum in her honor.

 

Myths:

There are various myths surrounding the Taj Mahal. Most notably, it has been said that Jahan was so obsessed with creating the perfect mausoleum in memory of his wife that in order to ensure no one could replicate its uniqueness, he cut off the hands of each sculptor. Actually, he cut off the hands of any contributor to the monument. Also, many say that he also pulled their eyes out! This was to ensure that they would never build or see anything more stunning than the Taj Mahal!

 

Another interesting myth is that Jahan did not actually build the Taj Mahal, but converted it from a Hindi temple into a mausoleum. Some believe prior to it being a proclamation of love, the Taj Mahal was a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. The name “Taj Mahal” is believed to be derived from the original name “Tejo Mahalaya.”

 

One last fun fact! During its beginning years, it was believed that the building was decorated with pearls and other authentic, rare gems. Sadly, there are no remnants of this today because by this time they have all been looted away. However, imagine the already captivating building being adorned with even more jewels!

 

There are many more myths surrounding the Taj Mahal! They all add to the mystique of the monument. I guess some things are better left unknown!

 

Location:

The Taj Mahal stands beautifully erected about a mile and a half away from Agra, which is one of the most populous cities in India.

“This location also had a strategic importance for the emperor, as it could be seen from his palace in the Agra Fort. The closeness to the river Yamuna not only gave this location a scenic edge, but also met the need for water during construction purposes and laying out the garden.”

 

Appearance:

One fun note is that apparently the Taj Mahal is not just gorgeous to look at, but a master of optical illusions. Normally you assume that buildings look small the farther away from them you are, right? Then of course when you walk closer buildings suddenly grow huge. The reverse is true for the Taj Mahal. From afar, the building appears massive, but as you walk closer, it shrinks in size. Not only that, but the pillars, actually called minarets, appear to be in a perfectly aligned stance. BUT you’ll find that in order to improve the strength of the building, they are slightly tilted outwards.

Another key feature of the mausoleum is that it appears to change hue depending on the time of day. The picture above shows a beautiful pearl color, maybe with a tinge of pink. In the daytime, it shines a perfect white color, contrasting from the someone transparent blue it has been known to take during the evening.

 

The Taj Mahal is clearly a beautiful sight with an even more beautiful story behind it. It would be breathtaking to see it in person! Unfortunately I don’t have any supplemental photos this time around, but if you do I would love to see them!

 

 

 

 

 

Sources:

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/eight-secrets-taj-mahal-180962168/ (picture 1)

https://www.tajmahal.org.uk/story.html

https://www.tajmahal.org.uk/location.html

ताजमहल पर निबंध | Essay on Tajmahal in Hindi

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