When my eyes beheld the magnificence of the Taj Mahal
Published:Thursday | December 23, 2021 | 12:07 AMJudana Murphy/Gleaner Writer
I waited with bated breath to get my first glimpse of one of the Seven Wonders of the World, Taj Mahal, and when I did, I was in awe.
Nothing prepared me to see the amazing and intricately designed architecture I’ve seen over a hundred times online.
The magnificent marble mausoleum was perfectly framed when seen through the arched Great Gate.
Amazed by its beauty, I proceeded to capture numerous photos of the exquisite marble structure from various angles.
As I got closer to the mausoleum, I observed the beautiful, floral motif marble inlays and Arabic calligraphy.
The Taj Mahal was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died while giving birth to her 14th child.
Located on the bank of the Yamuna River, tour guide Shakir Qureshi said its construction started in 1632 and was completed in 1648.
More than 20,000 artisans
Qureshi said there were more than 20,000 artisans engaged in building Taj Mahal and that explains the sheer magnificence of the building. Some 1,000 elephants were used to carry the building materials.
Unlike the other buildings in red sandstone during the times of the Mughals, Shah Jahan decided to construct this building with the finest grade of white marble.
The marble was obtained from a quarry situated in Makrana, a small city in Rajasthan, India.
The marble was inlaid with precious and semi-precious stones – like lapis lazuli, turquoise, jasper, chalcedony, coral, onyx, jade, amethyst and emerald – from places like China, Tibet, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.
The result – a magnificent monument with a love story at its heart. Qureshi explained that the white marble of Taj Mahal appears pink in the early morning, milky white in the day, and golden at sunset.
Mumtaz and Shah Jahan were both buried at the centre of the building with both their cenotaphs studded with precious and semi-precious stones.
When entering the mausoleum, shoe covering is required to protect the marble from the million footsteps that walk the floors.
The architectural splendour of Taj Mahal, which was also designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983, was a pleasure to behold.
Things to note:
1. Taj Mahal is closed to the public on Fridays.
2. Photos are prohibited inside the mausoleum.
3. Shoe covering is required to enter the mausoleum. These can be purchased on-site at a very small cost.