Taj Mahal

Why in News?

Shrouded in a heavy blanket of fog, the Taj Mahal seemed to disappear as dense mist engulfed Agra, drastically reducing visibility across the city and contributing to the ‘very poor’ air quality levels.

• Location – The Taj Mahal is a ivory-white marble mausoleum situated on the right bank of the Yamuna River in Agra, India.
• It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983.
• Built by –Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal.
• Construction – Its construction was started in 1632 AD and completed in 1648 AD, and the entire complex, including a mosque, guesthouse, and gardens, was finished around 1653 AD.
• Architecture & Layout - It is regarded as the pinnacle of Mughal architecture, blending Islamic, Persian, and Indian styles.
• It is an octagonal tomb chamber with memorials of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan.
• It features perfect symmetry, and its beauty lies in the rhythmic play of solids & voids, concave & convex forms, light & shadow.
• Main architect –Artisans were employed on the project across India, Persia, the Ottoman Empire, and Europe & Ustad-Ahmad Lahori was the main architect of the Taj Mahal.
• Colour harmony – The colour combination of lush green scape, reddish pathway and blue sky over it showcases the monument in ever-changing tints and moods.
• 5 Complex elements – Main gateway, garden, mosque, jawab (mirror building), mausoleum with 4 minarets.
• Mausoleum – Resting on a 23‑ft high plinth and the real graves lie in the lower crypt.
• Domes – Central dome (large bulbous central dome) rises to 240 ft, surrounded by four smaller domes and four identical facades, each with a central arch (108 ft high).
• Minarets – Four elegant towers at plinth corners, enhancing symmetry.
• Mosque & Jawab – Built of red sandstone with marble domes, providing contrast to the white marble mausoleum.
• Garden Layout – Timurid‑Persian style quadripartite garden (charbagh), nearly 17 hectares, divided by walkways.
• Decorative Features –
  • It uses White Makrana marble, red Sikri sandstone with inlay of precious & semi‑precious stones;
  • Pietra dura - Inlay of semiprecious stones (lapis lazuli, jade, crystal, turquoise, amethyst) in floral/geometric designs;
  • Arabesque calligraphy (Quranic verses);
  • High and low relief carvings; and
  • Extensive jali (lattice screen) works.
• Protection – It is managed by the Archaeological Survey of India, protected under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act (1958).

To know about India’s Journey of Heritage Preservation, click here

References

1. Deccan Chronicle | Dense fog Engulfs Agra, Taj Mahal Fades from View
2. UNESCO | Taj Mahal