The
splendid love story begins in 1612, when a Persian princess Arjumand Bano
married Shah Jahan (then prince Khurram), the fifth Mughal emperor. Arjumand
Bano, who later became known as Mumtaz Mahal (the Chosen of the Palace), was
a second wife to the emperor. Both a companion and an advisor, the queen
followed the emperor on his journeys and military expeditions. Such was the
effect of the queen on his emperor-husband that Shah Jahan was inspired to
perform acts of charity and benevolence all throughout his life.
The love story took a serious turn when, on a campaign at Burhanpur with
her husband, Mumtaz Mahal took his last breath giving birth to their 14th
child. So heartbroken was the emperor that the whole court went into
mourning for a span of over two years. It is said that, within a few months
after the queen's death, the hair and beard of the king had turned white.
And Shah Jahan was recklessly determined on building a monument in his
consort's loving memory that the world had never seen.
The dead body of the queen was brought to Agra and buried in a garden on the banks of river Yamuna. A group of the finest architects was assembled to devise a plan for erecting the tomb. Eventually, Ustad Isa, a Persian architect, was called upon to design the structure. The master architect along with his pupil Ustad Ahmad began the construction of the edifice. The dome, however, was fashioned by Ismail Khan. A total of 20,000 labourers from across the country and the world were employed to work for 22 years continuously. Finest of the marbles were procured from the district of Markana near Jodhpur. Precious and semi precious stones were brought from far off places.
Later,
the mausoleum was provided with luxuriant furnishings. Persian carpets and
gold lamps embellished the interior of the Taj. Two silver gates, that were
set up at the entrance, were taken away by Suraj Mal in 1764. Amir Husein
Ali Khan looted the sheet of pearls that covered the stone coffins.
It is said, that after the completion of the construction, when emperor Shah Jahan viewed the Taj, he ordered his men to cut off the right hand of the master architect Ustad Isa, so the later may not be able to erect such a stately and imposing edifice again in his life. There's another legend that says Shah Jahan was contemplating to build yet another Taj Mahal across the river in black marble.
Now, it's up to you how many more legends you can make yourself aware of while on a trip to Agra, the city of the Taj. Get accompanied by a travel guide and begin exploring the myths and legends, poring over the glorious chapters of the history.
The dead body of the queen was brought to Agra and buried in a garden on the banks of river Yamuna. A group of the finest architects was assembled to devise a plan for erecting the tomb. Eventually, Ustad Isa, a Persian architect, was called upon to design the structure. The master architect along with his pupil Ustad Ahmad began the construction of the edifice. The dome, however, was fashioned by Ismail Khan. A total of 20,000 labourers from across the country and the world were employed to work for 22 years continuously. Finest of the marbles were procured from the district of Markana near Jodhpur. Precious and semi precious stones were brought from far off places.
Later,
the mausoleum was provided with luxuriant furnishings. Persian carpets and
gold lamps embellished the interior of the Taj. Two silver gates, that were
set up at the entrance, were taken away by Suraj Mal in 1764. Amir Husein
Ali Khan looted the sheet of pearls that covered the stone coffins. It is said, that after the completion of the construction, when emperor Shah Jahan viewed the Taj, he ordered his men to cut off the right hand of the master architect Ustad Isa, so the later may not be able to erect such a stately and imposing edifice again in his life. There's another legend that says Shah Jahan was contemplating to build yet another Taj Mahal across the river in black marble.
Now, it's up to you how many more legends you can make yourself aware of while on a trip to Agra, the city of the Taj. Get accompanied by a travel guide and begin exploring the myths and legends, poring over the glorious chapters of the history.
