The Taj Mahal is one of the treasures that India holds. It is a great site for both Indians and foreigners. Lakhs and thousands of people come here to visit it every year. People are not attracted to it only because of its beauty. It is a symbol of love. When lovers look at it they promise their beloved to do the same for them, of course, it is not possible but the promise itself means much more.
Taj Mahal was built by Emperor Shah Jahan for his deceased wife Mumtaz Mahal in the Mughal period. Some people say that the monument changes color with the color of the weather. At sunrise, it looks different and at sunset, it looks different. It is a delight to just sit on a bench and look at the Taj Mahal going through all those colorful changes all day.
Shah Jahan and Mumtaz
Mumtaz was a very beautiful lady and Shah Jahan fell in love with her right after seeing her. They got married soon. Mumtaz was Shah Jahan’s third wife. Even though he had other wives he loved Mumtaz the most. Mumtaz bore him thirteen kids and while giving birth to the fourteenth kid she died in childbirth in 1631. Even though Shah Jahan could not bring his beloved wife back to life, he swore never to let the world forget her, this is why he built the Taj Mahal.
Taj Mahal is made with precious stones, even at that time marble was exported from Rajasthan. The architecture of the Taj Mahal is a combination of many arts. There are passages from the Quran inbuilt into the walls of the Taj Mahal. Makrana marble is the primary marble that is used to construct the Taj Mahal.
The Taj Mahal was completed in 1653 almost 22 years. After the construction was completed Shah Jahan laid his beloved wife’s body in a tomb near it. And when Shah Jahan died his tomb was also built near Mumtaz Mahal’s tomb. Taj Mahal was declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1983 due to its great architectural structure and beautiful Mughal art.