Facts About Taj Mahal That Will Shock You

We all know about Taj Mhal, right? The Taj Mahal is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was built in 1631 by the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan (r. 1628–1658) to house the tomb of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It also houses the tomb of Shah Jahan himself. The contruction of the monument was completed by 1643.  It is believed to have been completed entirely in 1653 at a cost estimated to be around ₹32 million at that time, which in 2023 would be approximately ₹35 billion. Unbelievable right? 

Today, we will be talking about some amazing facts of this monument. 

1. The Taj Mahal incorporates and expands on design traditions of Indo-Islamic and earlier Mughal architecture. Some specific inspiration came from successful Timurid and Mughal buildings including the Gur-e Amir, Humayun's Tomb which inspired the Charbagh gardens and hasht-behesht (architecture) plan of the site, Itmad-Ud-Daulah's Tomb, and Shah Jahan's own Jama Masjid in Delhi. 

2. The tomb is the central focus of the entire complex of the Taj Mahal. It is a large, white marble structure standing on a square plinth and consists of a symmetrical building with an iwan topped by a large dome and finial.

3. The exterior decorations of the Taj Mahal are among the finest in Mughal architecture. As the surface area changes, the decorations are refined proportionally. The decorative elements were created by applying paint, stucco, stone inlays or carvings. 

4. The interior chamber of the Taj Mahal reaches far beyond traditional decorative elements. The inlay work is not pietra dura, but a lapidary of precious and semiprecious gemstones. The inner chamber is an octagon with the design allowing for entry from each face, although only the door facing the garden to the south is used.

5. The complex is set around a large 300-metre square charbagh or Mughal garden. The garden uses raised pathways that divide each of the four-quarters of the garden into 16 sunken parterres or flowerbeds.