Every Indian Should know THIS !

As U all Know Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal

Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan had the Taj Mahal built in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, whom he held precious. Mumtaz Mahal was giving birth to the fourteenth child of the emperor, and she died in the process. This was in 1631. Legend has it that Shah Jahan, who considered his empress an integral part of his life, was broken after her death, and within just a few months, his hair and beard grew snow white, such was the terrible impact of the demise upon him.

Time and Money to Construct 1 of the Se7en Wonder

The construction of the Taj Mahal was begun in 1632, a year after the death of Empress Mumtaz. The

construction was completed in the year 1653, which means that it took approximately 22 years to complete this astounding piece of architecture. At that time, the estimated construction cost was a whopping sum of Rs. 32 million, which, when considered in terms of today’s value of money, would be something way above $1 billion.

Total Construction and employees needed in Building Of TAJ MAHAL

The architect behind all the magic was Ahmed Lahauri. He put more than 20,000 people into building

the Taj, including labourers, stonecutters, painters, embroidery artists, calligraphers, and many others. But, how were the stones and materials required for the construction of the mausoleum transported? Well, elephants were employed to do the task, and amazingly, there were more than 1,000 of the majestic creatures employed.

Materials Used

The magnificent edifice is bounded on three sides by red stone walls. It is constructed completely of white marble. The emperor had marbles of the best quality brought from Rajasthan, Afghanistan, Tibet and China. But this was probably not enough for the emperor. It is believed that more than 28 different types of precious and semi-precious stones, including the striking lapis lazuli, were inlaid into the marble. Now we know where all the money went.

Inscriptions on Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal being the dedication and homage of Mumtaz Mahal, it has calligraphy all over the

interior and exterior, which, among other patterns and holy inscriptions, also has calligraphy on the tomb that identifies and praises Mumtaz Mahal. Another interesting fact is that there are 99 names of Allah found on the sides of the actual tomb as calligraphic inscriptions. After all, Shah Jahan did envision Mumtaz’s home in the paradise, and Taj Mahal was that imagination coming to life.

Taj Mahal was Attacked 

The rebellion of 1857 took a toll on the Taj which was partially damaged. The soldiers had also

chiselled out some of the stones and lapis lazuli, and the garden was harmed. At the end of the 19th century, Lord Curzon, the erstwhile Viceroy of British India, ordered its renovation through an extensive project which was completed in 1908. The garden that we see today was incorporated to restore the lost elements of the Charbagh. He also gifted a chandelier, which hangs in the Taj Mahal.

The pillars surrounding Taj Mahal are slightly tilted outwards so that in the event of an earthquake they will fall away from the tomb.

The Taj Mahal is perfectly symmetrical in every way, except for one thing - the two tombs inside are not equal in size. This is because the male tomb had to be larger than the female tomb.