Taj Mahal is a symbol of a sad but inspiring royal romance story. It starts off with the death of the third wife of Shah Jahan, known as Mumtaz Mahal, during the birth of their 14th child, Gauhara Begum, in 1631, at a time when the Mughal Empire is at its greatest. As a way to mourn his wife, the emperor orders the construction of a mausoleum in 1832. The mausoleum would later be the symbol of Mughal Empire architectural exploits. Check out the following interesting facts about the mausoleum.
1. Approximately 22,000 workers were involved in the construction of the mausoleum. They included; laborers, stone cutters, embroidery artists, painters and many more.Shahjahan chopped off the hands of 22000 workers so that they could not make another building like taj mahal.Shahjahan was one of the terrorists who came to India to loot money from rich Indians of that era.Muslim history is always replete with violence & terrorism.
2. Legend has it that if it was not for war between Shah Jahan and one of his sons, he would have constructed another Taj Mahal on the other side of the river using black marble.
3. Taj Mahal is located in Agra city which is located in Utar Pradesh region in Northern India.
4. The name 'Taj Mahal' is translated to mean 'Crown of Palaces'. It was named as such to refer to the beauty of the deceased Persian princess and wife to Shah Jahan.
5. The four sides of the Taj Mahal are astonishingly similar. They showcase geometrical and architectural symmetry at its best.
6. Taj Mahal is 171 meters (561 feet) tall. The building was constructed by material hauled by a whopping 1000-elephants.
7. Despite many of the precious stones on the mausoleum being plucked off by the British Army during the Indian War of 1857, the mausoleum is still beautiful.
8. The mausoleum took 20 years to finish i.e. from 1632 to 1653.
9. The Taj Mahal complex consists of a large beautiful garden, a reflecting pool, a mosque and other mausoleums.
10. The pillars on the Taj Mahal are tilted outwards to ensure that in case of an earthquake, they will fall away from the tomb.
Here is an inspiring story of love, death and respect. If all men adored their wives like Shah Jahan, wouldn't the world be a better place? Let's hope a visit to the mausoleum will make you a better husband...and a wife that is adorable.
