The Taj Mahal is a funerary monument built between 1631 and
1654 in the beautiful city of Agra, Uttar
Pradesh state located in India, on the banks of the wonderful Yamuna River.
Known as one of the most beautiful and amazing palaces in
India and best known for its beautiful love story behind
this beautiful palace.
Construction
of the Taj Mahal
Its construction was in charge of 20,000 workers, using the
best materials using the white marble that had been transported to the area on
the back of elephants, also included precious stones such as sapphires,
amethysts, quartz and even diamonds. It is estimated that the
approximate cost of this construction was Rs 50 million, which
would amount to about 500 million dollars.
As to who built the Taj Mahal or who was the architect
who designed this spectacular palace, mediated by rumors and its history, many
people talk about Ismael Kahn with the help of artists from New Delhi,
architects of present-day Uzbekistan and dozens of calligraphy experts from
Syria and Persia. There were 37 main artisans who directed
the work of the 20,000 men mentioned above.
Love story behind the Taj Mahal
We have all done crazy things for love, some travel hundreds
of kilometers to meet that special person even for a moment and others even
tattooed our couple's name, but there was a man who decided to remember in a beautiful
way the woman who most I love life, without thinking that its creation would
become one of the most important precincts in India.
The fate of having found true love and losing it made
Shahbuddin Shah Jahan future fall into a deep depression and as a result to
show the world the love he was processing for his beloved command to build the
Taj Mahal.
As the story tells us, Prince
Shahbuddin Mohammed was touring a bazaar when he met Arjumand, daughter of the
court's prime minister, who was trying on a diamond necklace. The future
monarch was so impressed with his beauty that without thinking twice he decided
to pay 10,000 rupees for the object and thus win the heart of the princess.
It took 5 years for Arjumand and Shahbuddin to get married, during this time they didn't see each other
once. Arjumand would not be the prince's first wife but his favorite.
Finally the wedding was held in
1612 and it was said ceremony when the emperor named Arjumand as Mumtaz Mahal.
It had not been long when his
beloved Mumtaz gave birth to his fourteenth son, but the queen could not bear
childbirth and in her last dying words asked King Shah to build in his memory a
unique monument in the entire world.
The monarch hired 20,000 workers mentioned above and it took
22 years to complete the palace.
The construction of the Taj Mahal also contains several
legends, in those we can find the
stories of the architect, Ustad Isa, although it is not known if he really
existed. It is said that Emperor Shah Jahan wanted the architect to feel the
same pain as he and for that reason he sent to kill his wife and once the
construction was finished he left him blind and cut off his hands so that he
would never build something similar before.
It is true that our follies for
love will never overcome something as important and perfect as the Taj Mahal,
but because of the fact that the monument exists, it reminds us that we can
always do something special for that feeling, even something beyond death.
Tourism
in the Taj Mahal
Before I start telling you this
fascinating jewel of world history, a warning that many know as others do
not. India, one of the most curious countries awakens in many
travelers, is also a destination that requires certain precautions, especially
in health matters. Hygiene,
food and contact issues with animals or insects are especially dangerous in
some regions of this country.
The price of the entrance to the
Taj Mahal has changed in December 2018. There are now two options when buying
the ticket or ticket:
Taj Mahal only: Entrance
to access the enclosure and see the Taj Mahal outside = 1100 rupees.
Taj Mahal with Mausoleum: Entrance to access the innermost enclosure, to the
mausoleum = 1300 rupees
Accommodations
near Taj Mahal
There are several places to stay near the Taj Mahal but the following I will recommend have a very good
service and are near the palaces which are:
Hotel Siddhartha:
This simple and economical hotel is located 1km from the Taj Mahal, 3.2km from
the Agra Fort and 3.9km from the Jama Masjid Mosque. The cozy and functional
rooms include wooden details and a desk, flat screen TV and free WIFI, has
restaurant with garden
Hotel Taj Resorts: It
is a modern hotel, located in a beige building, is 1.1 kilometers from Taj
Mahal and 14 km from Agras Airport, the rooms are modern and have free WIFI,
flat screen TV, coffee maker, kettle and minibar, include two restaurants
Hotel Atulyaa
Taj Agra: This is located in a modern
and elegant building with a stone and glass exterior, 1.3 km from the Taj Mahal
and 4 km from the red walls of the Agra Fort, the elegant rooms have modern
décor Free Wi-Fi, has a 24-hour coffee shop serving free continental breakfast
and regional dishes and a rooftop restaurant overlooking the Taj Mahal.
The following restaurants that I recommend, Good food,
good atmosphere and Good quality are my favorites: (Yes Restaurant, Joney's Place, Dostea Café, Shankara
Vegis Restaurant, and Treat Restaurant) but the best of all is Joney's Place is
one of my number one!
Some
curious facts about the Taj Mahal
·
Shah Jahan built the
Taj Mahal in memory of his wife the prettiest way to show all his love for her
·
Legend has it that he loved his wife so much that when she passed
away she turned all her white hair a few days later due to the sadness she suffered from the loss
·
It is said that more
than 20 thousand people and 1 thousand elephants participated in its
construction to transport the materials 300 kilometers away
·
The tajs Mahal is
built with white marble but unfortunately due to the passage of time and
pollution have caused the facade to begin to yellow, so the government of India
has decided to prohibit the movement of vehicles
·
It is a sacred
building that has a mosque and on Fridays it is closed to
tourism because it is a day of prayer
·
The entrance to the mausoleum includes a bottle of water which is a nice detail since it is very
hot and especially in the summer months
·
The white marble on
which it is built reflects the colors of the surroundings, so that it seems to
change color
·
The walls have inlays of up to almost 30
different types of precious and semiprecious stones ,
which throughout history are known to have suffered occasional looting
·
In the early
nineteenth century the English government intended to demolish the Taj Mahal to
auction the marble in London
·
The security
measures to preserve the building are very rigorous, so tourists are allowed to
use cameras, but in no case of tripods, and selfie sticks are not allowed.
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