The Taj Mahal

Interesting Facts About Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, has been the pride of India since its inception. It is situated in the city of Agra in Uttar Pradesh, on the banks of river Yamuna. The great monument was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, for his love Mumtaj Mahal and is also named after her, after the death of his dearest wife Mumtaz Mahal, as a memorial. The exceptional beauty of Taj Mahal has been attracting visitors all across the world. The Taj Mahal is a symbol of Love recognised all over the world.

Interesting Facts about Taj Mahal

• Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan built Taj Mahal in the memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal.
• Apart from being a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Taj Mahal is one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
• The name Taj Mahal, with Taj meaning Crown and Mahal meaning Palace, literally means ‘Crown Palace’.
• The construction took more than 16 years. It was incepted in 1632 and carried till 1648.
• It is the result of 20,000 workers who who worked on daily basis.
• The white marble which was used to built Taj Mahal was brought from the quarries of Makrana, in Nagaur district of Rajasthan.
• Over 1000 elephants were used to transport the big rocks of white marbled used in construction.
• The main entrance gate of Taj Mahal faces the Southern gate and is 151 feet by 117 feet. It rises to a height of 100 feet.
• Many people say that after the completion of Taj Mahal Shah Jahan ordered amputation of the hands of all the workers. So that nobody is able to construct a monument like this again on this earth.
• The cost of construction of Taj Mahal, even at that time, came to 32 crore rupees.
•   28 kind of rare & semi precious and precious stones were used to decorate the ineer inlay of Taj Mahal.
• Shah Jahan got Red sandstone from Fatehpur Sikri, Jasper from Punjab, Jade and Crystal from China, Turquoise from Tibet, Lapis Lazuli and Sapphire from Sri Lanka, Coal and Cornelian from Arabia and Diamonds from Panna, for Taj Mahal.
• The calligrapher of Taj Mahal was Amanat Khan Shirazi, since his name appears at the end of an inscription on one of the gates of the Taj.
• The main red sandstone gate of Taj Mahal is 30 feet high and stands adorned with verses from the Kuran, in Arabic.
• The central dome of Taj Mahal is 187 feet high at the centre.
• The Taj Mahal is a blend of Persian, Central Asian and Islamic architecture.
• The Taj Mahal is surrounded by gardens known as Charbagh (four gardens), each measuring 300 X 300 mt.
• Taj Mahal stands on a raised platform, with one minaret at each of the four corners of the plinth.
• The minarets of Taj Mahal measure 41.6 m in height and have a deliberate outward slant.
• The interior of the Taj Mahal comprises of a lofty central chamber, which has a crypt immediately below it.
• There is a mosque on the left of Taj Mahal, made of red sandstone. It is used for conducting Friday prayers, even today.
• There is another mosque, standing on Taj Mahal’s right hand side. Since it faces west, it is not used for prayers. It is believed to have been built for maintaining symmetry.