My first glimpse of the Taj Mahal through the early morning fog from across the Yamuna River. . .I hope and hope and hope some more that the fog lifts as the day progresses. . .
"The Taj Mahal is not a piece of architecture as other buildings are, but a proud passion of an emperor’s love in living stone." - English poet Sir Edwin Arnold
"It appears like a perfect pearl on an azure ground. The effect is such I have never experienced from any work of art." - British painter Hodges
"I cannot tell what I think. I do not know how to criticize such a building but I can tell what I feel. I would die tomorrow to have such another over me." - Wife of British officer Colonel Sleeman
"Did you ever build a castle in the air? Here is one, brought down to earth and fixed for the wonder of ages." - American novelist Bayard Taylor
"You know Shah Jahan, life and youth, wealth and glory, they all drift away in the current of time. You strove therefore, to perpetuate only the sorrow of your heart? Let the splendor of diamond, pearl and ruby vanish? Only let this one teardrop, this Taj Mahal, glisten spotlessly bright on the cheek of time, forever and ever." - Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore
My Taj Mahal expectations are quite high. . .but how could they not be? It's one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. . .it's considered architecturally perfect. . .it's supposed to be one of the greatest pieces of art ever created. . .it's the embodiment of love. . .
. . .but at the same time I wonder if it can possibly live up to the hype?. . .how can it?
The Story of the Taj Mahal
Mumtaz Mahal and Emperor Shah JahanThe year is 1631. The Emperor Shah Jahan has ruled over the Mughal empire for the past four years. Emperor Jahan's second wife Arjumand Bano, on whom he bestowed the title Mumtaz Mahal (Exalted one of the Palace or Pearl of the Palace), dies giving birth to their 14th child. It is believed that during her last moments, Mumtaz Mahal obtained a promise from Shah Jahan that he would build the world's most beautiful monument in her memory. But the promise would have to wait; the emperor is so grief stricken that he goes into mourning and seclusion. An entire year (possibly two) passes before he emerges from his isolation. His jet black hair has turned snow white. He immediately begins design and construction of the promised monument. The mausoleum will be known as the Taj Mahal (Crown Palace).
Ustad Ahmad Lahauri is generally considered to be the principal designer of the Taj Mahal. Designers and workers toil for some 22 years. The Taj Mahal is constructed using materials from all over India and Asia. Over 1,000 elephants are used to transport building materials during construction. The translucent white marble is brought from Rajasthan, the jasper from Punjab, jade and crystal from China, the turquoise from Tibet, the lapis lazulis from Afghanistan, the sapphire from Sri Lanka, and the carnelian from Arabia. In all, twenty eight types of precious and semi-precious stones are inlaid into the white marble. Principle construction is completed in 1654.
I wonder what the citizens of that era thought of the Taj Mahal upon it's completion. Would they appreciate it? Could they appreciate it?
The History of the Taj Mahal
(I'm stalling for time, still waiting for the fog to lift. Some good news: it does seem to be getting brighter and brighter out here.)
Soon after the Taj Mahal's completion, Shah Jahan is overthrown by his son Aurangzeb and imprisoned in nearby Agra Fort. Shah Jahan can only gaze out at the distant memorial to his beloved through a window until his death in 1666, when Aurangzeb buries him next to his wife in the Taj Mahal.
By the late 19th century, parts of the Taj Mahal have fallen badly into disrepair. During the time of the Indian rebellion of 1857, the Taj Mahal is defaced by British soldiers and government officials, who chisel out precious stones and lapis lazulis from its walls. At the end of the 19th century British viceroy Lord Curzon orders a massive restoration project, which is completed in 1908.
In 1942, the Indian government erects scaffolding in the hopes of fooling German and the Japanese bomber pilots. During the India-Pakistan wars of 1965 and 1971, scaffolding was again erected. The Taj Mahal survives and endures.
(The fog looks like it's continuing to thin out with each passing moment.)
The Layout and Design of the Taj Mahal
Satellite view of the Taj MahalThe Taj Mahal is laid out in classic Mughal style: a square quartered by watercourses, with an ornamental marble plinth at the center. It's aligned with the cardinal points of the compass. The long axis of the compound is the north-south axis. The inner compound is entered through the impressive 100-ft tall red sandstone north gate, or Dawaza. The mosque is to the west of the main mausoleum structure. The identical building to the east (the Jawab) is there purely to maintain the symmetry of the grounds (it was probably used as guest quarters).
The white marble mausoleum centerpiece is set atop a raised marble platform, a seemingly simple decision as precursor tombs share a similar design feature but quite possibly one of the most important decisions in all of architectural history. The raised platform means that the visual backdrop to the central mausoleum is only sky. Nothing else. There's nothing to interfere or compete with the mausoleum. Whether by design or by decree it's a simply stunning effect.
The 120-ft high minarets that grace the corners of the mausoleum are purely decorative. They are tall but so tall as to detract from the central dome. The minarets are no longer perpendicular, but it is also thought that they were built tilted slightly away from the mausoleum, so they would not fall on the mausoleum in the event of an earthquake. The mausoleum is topped off by four small onion-shaped domes surrounding the impressive central dome, which is 58 feet in diameter and 213 feet in height.
(the skies have cleared quite a bit, so I think it's time. . .)
The Auxiliary Buildings of the Taj Mahal
Looking back at the west entrance gate from inside the Taj Mahal compound. . .
the south entry gate. . .
the east entry gate (remarkably similar to the west gate, isn't it?!). . .
the north entry gate, the Darwaza, which leads to the inner compound. . .
and the first little peek of the white marble mausoleum through the Darwaza archway. . .
the Mosque on the west flank of the mausoleum. . .
and the Jawab on the east flank. . .
The grounds of the Taj Mahal are generous, calming, soothing, peaceful. The auxiliary buildings are impressive all by themselves. . .but still one more structure awaits. . .
The Mausoleum of the Taj Mahal
It is more impressive, more perfect than I thought it would be. . .
If Nature could fashion marble, I think this is what Nature would create. . .
It just feels like the Taj Mahal belongs to this place and to this time. . .I suspect this has always been true. . .I suspect this will always be true. . .
I now want to see the Taj Mahal revealed by the rising sun. . .I now want to see the Taj Mahal revealed by the setting sun. . .I now want to see the Taj Mahal revealed beneath a full moon. . .
I sit and wish for a moment of silence. . .a moment of reverence this masterpiece so rightly and so richly deserves. . .just one moment. . .but alas that moment does not come. . .the din and chatter of the masses are incongruous within sight of the Taj Mahal. . .but I still just sit and wish and wish some more. . .it just seems like the thing to do. . .
and Finally. . .
Emperor Shah Jahan described the Taj Mahal with the following words:
Should guilty seek asylum here,
Like one pardoned, he becomes free from sin.
Should 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 world this edifice has been made;
To display thereby the creator's glory.
Like one pardoned, he becomes free from sin.
Should 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 world this edifice has been made;
To display thereby the creator's glory.
Emperor Shah Jahan and Ustad Ahmad Lahauri have created an architectural marvel. . .
They have created something wonderful. . .something timeless. . .something magical. . .something absolutely unbelievably perfect. . .
I am so very privileged for this opportunity to glimpse the incredibly rare manifestation of genius which lies within the human race. . .
Emperor Shah Jahan has created the Taj Mahal simply because His Love asked him to. . .
I am so very privileged for this opportunity to glimpse the incredibly rare manifestation of genius which lies within the human race. . .
Within these grounds time seems to both stand still and speed up. . .all at once. . .I am here for almost four hours. . .it feels like a mere four minutes. . .I would like to return one day. . .for even just four more minutes. . .
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