Essay on Taj Mahal

Essay on Taj Mahal 

 Introduction 

Taj Mahal which means the “Crown” of the palace”, is an ivory-white marble mausoleum complex in Agra, western Uttar Pradesh, north India. Taj Mahal, the pride of India is the most famous and widely recognized building and an iconic and beautiful monument in the world. The Taj Mahal is a universally acclaimed masterpiece and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983. Taj Mahal is considered one of the “New 7 Wonders” of the world. The Taj Mahal is considered a symbol of India's rich history and one of the finest examples of Mughal architecture. Taj Mahal symbolizes the legend of an emperor's eternal love for his beloved wife. 

History and Description 

Taj Mahal is situated on southern bank of the river Yamuna River in Agra, western Uttar Pradesh, India. Mughal emperor Shah Jahan built this beautiful mausoleum to immrtalize his beloved queen Mumtaj Mahal who was died in 17 June 1631. In 1632, the construction was started and completed in 1648. The Taj Mahal is considered to be the greatest architectural masterpiece in the entire range of Indo-Islamic architecture. The chief architect was Ustad Ahmad Lahori and employed over 20,000 workers from India, Persia, the Ottoman Empire and Europe to complete the mausoleum. Taj Mahal is an octagonal white marble building with 4 main sides and 4 intermediate sides and wasconstructed on an area of 42 acres with the five principal elements main gateway, garden, mosque, jawāb and mausoleum. The main building stands on a 50-meter-high platform, the height of the four minars is 137 feet and height of the tomb is 58 meters. There is a mosque and a guest house which made up of red sandstone and a garden that covers an area of 580 meters by 300 meters. The main entrance to the Taj Mahal is 30 meters high. The entrance is decorated with verses from the Holy Quran. To the west of the Taj Mahal is a mosque which was built by Isa Muhammad. The tomb of the Taj Mahal is 110 yards in circumference and 107 yards in height. The interiors of the mosque are also well designed as floors 569 prayers are framed on the floor and the walls are carved with the names of Allah and the verses of the Holy Quran. In the mosque, a stone of 19 feet size is 6.5 feet which shows the temporary tomb of Mumtaz Mahal. To the north is the great gateway to the gardens, called "Darwaza-i rauza" that symbolizes the passage to Paradise, mentioned in the Holy Quran. The garden is called "Chahar bagh" and there are 4 famous water bodies, in which the Taj Mahal is reflected. The mausoleum consists of two tombs which are richly decorated with low-relief carvings and semiprecious stones. These include Mamtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan's Cenotaph. 

Threat to Taj Mahal 

The Taj Mahal has been neglect for centuries which is one of the causes of its decay. Some of the major hazards facing the Taj Mahal are air and water pollution emanating from nearby factories and exhaust from motor vehicles has damaged the mausoleum and making the white marble of the Taj Mahal discolour. Bacteria from the Yamuna river that runs alongside it also affects the outer layer of Taj Mahal 

Conclusion 

Shah Jahan said that the Taj Mahal "shed tears from the eyes of the sun and the moon". Every year tourists from all over the world come to see a glimpse of the spectacular structure. Colors vary at different times of the day and in different seasons. The Taj Mahal becomes pink in the morning, milky white in the evening and when the moon shines, it becomes golden.

 

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