Why TajMahal is So
Special..?
Special..?

INTRODUCTION
The Taj Mahal (Devanagari:, Nastaliq: ‫ )ﻣﺤﻞ ﺗﺎﺝ‬
The Taj Mahal ( Devanagari Nastaliq ‫ ﻣﺤﻞ‬
is a mausoleum located in Agra, India. The
Agra India
Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned
it as a mausoleum for his favorite wife,
Mumtaz Mahal. Construction began in 1632
Mahal
and was completed in approximately 1648.
Some dispute surrounds the question of who
designed the Taj Mahal; it is clear a team of
designers and craftsmen were responsible
for the design, with Ustad Ahmad Lahauri
considered the most likely candidate as the
principal designer.
principal designer.

Contd…
Contd
The Taj Mahal (sometimes called \"the Taj\") is
Taj
generally considered the finest example of
Mughal architecture, a style that combines
elements of Persian, Turkish, Indian, and Islamic
architectural styles. While the white domed
marble mausoleum is the most familiar part of
the monument, the Taj Mahal is actually an
integrated complex of structures. In 1983 the Taj
became a UNESCO World Heritage Site and
was cited as \"the jewel of Muslim art in India and
one of the universally admired masterpieces of
the world's heritage.\"
the world's heritage.\"

Construction
The Taj Mahal was built on a parcel of land to the
south of the walled city of Agra which had belonged
to Maharajah Jai Singh: Shah Jahan presented him
with a large palace in the centre of Agra in exchange.
Construction began with setting the foundations for
the tomb. An area of roughly three acres was
excavated and filled with dirt to reduce seepage from
the river.
The entire site was leveled to a fixed height about 50
meters above the riverbank. The Taj Mahal is 55
meters tall. The dome itself measures 18 meters in
diameter and 24 meters high.
diameter and 24 meters high.

Contd…
Contd
In the tomb area, wells were then dug to the point that water was
In the tomb area, wells were then dug to the point that water wa
encountered. These wells were later filled with stone and rubble,
encountered. These wells were later filled with stone and rubble
forming the basis for the footings of the tomb. [An additional
well was built to same depth nearby to provide a visual method
to track water level changes over time.]
Instead of lashed bamboo, the typical scaffolding method,
workmen constructed a colossal brick scaffold that mirrored the
inner and outer surfaces of the tomb. The scaffold was so
enormous that foremen estimated it would take years to
dismantle. According to legend, Shah Jahan decreed that
anyone could keep bricks taken from the scaffold, and it was
dismantled by peasants overnight.
A fifteen­kilometer tamped­earth ramp was built to transport
fifteen
­ tamped ­
marble and materials to the construction site. According to
contemporary accounts teams of twenty or thirty oxen strained
to pull the blocks on specially constructed wagons.
to pull the blocks on specially constructed wagons.

Contd..
To raise the blocks into position required an elaborate post­
To raise the blocks into position required an elaborate post
and­beam pulley system. Teams of mules and oxen provided
and ­
the lifting power.
– The order of construction was
– The plinth
– The tomb
– The four minarets
– The mosque and jawab
– The gateway
The plinth and tomb took roughly 12 years to complete. The
remaining parts of the complex took an additional 10 years.
remaining parts of the complex took an additional 10 years.

Few Photographs…
Few Photographs
…

Taj Mahal

Main iwan and side pishtaqs

The actual tombs of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal in the crypt of the Taj
Mahal

Photograph of the Taj Mahal by Samuel Bourne, 1860

And the Most Important thing
which Makes It SPECIAL is…
which Makes It SPECIAL is …

You are Absolutely Correct…
You are Absolutely Correct
Your Evergreen friend
Vineeth Has Visited
TajMahal….!
TajMahal .!
…