You all have heard about Taj Mahal. We all have learnt about it in our school time and still have some doubts regarding Taj Mahal which will be completely resolved after reading this whole post. Taj Mahal was built by an Indian emperor Shah Jahan in remembrance of his wife Mumtaj Mahal(June 17, 1631) which took a huge time with huge manpower.
So today we'll tell you some amazing 10 Antique Facts about Taj Mahal, you aren't aware about.
1 The Taj Mahal was built in the time period of 1632-1653. Shah Jahan, the Indian emperor spent almost nearly 32 million rupees INR on the construction of what we now recognize as the epitome of love. Now Wondering what would be the equivalent value of money at present? Well, today the amount would be nearly $1 Billion.
2 The rock of Taj Mahal is now turning yellow due to acidic rain, pollution effect etc. So, working on it, the rule was made to stay away the automobiles. Cars and buses are strictly prohibited from coming within 500 meters of the Taj Mahal. Visitors have to take a walk from the parking area to Taj Mahal. Also, it is forbidden for an aircraft to fly over the Taj Mahal. These rules was put into effect to prevent exhaust from gasoline-powered vehicles from further tarnishing the exterior of the this wonder.
3 Talking about it construction, the Taj Mahal took around 22 years to complete with still some small pending construction. For the same, the Indian emperor, Shah Jahan employed more than 20,000 workers and 1000+ elephants for the transport work of this massive project.
4 If you observe carefully, the four pillars or minarets are tilted outwards rather than standing straight. The reason why it was constructed in such a way was to protect the main tomb (gumbad) from being damaged with the falling of minarets on it, in case of any natural calamity like an earthquake happen. One might be the reason why it comes in to The 7 wonders of world.
5. The Taj Mahal was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 for being "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage". The Taj Mahal attracts 7–8 million visitors a year and in 2007, it was declared a winner of the New 7 wonders of the World (2000–2007) initiative.
6 There was a myth that the Indian emperor Shah Jahan cuts the arms of those 20,000 workers who worked for Taj Mahal so that another building with that much potential can't be build again. But, it was just a myth. Ustad Ahmed Lahauri (a Persian from Iran) who was the supervisor of the architect team, laid the foundation of Red Fort too.
7. The Taj Mahal’s status as an Indian icon has made it a vulnerable target in times of international hostility. The Taj was concealed by the ASI (Archeological Survey of India) during World War-II. It was covered with a huge scaffold which made it to appear like stockpile of bamboo. Later once again it took place during the Indo-Pak War in 1971.
8 As Per Muslim law, graves cannot be adorned with elaborate decoration, which would be an inappropriate expression of vanity. This was the reason why Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz were buried in a plain crypt beneath the inner chamber of Taj Mahal.
9 It is believed that the Taj Mahal was constructed in such a way that the white marble reflects the sky. The Taj would appear to be pinkish in the morning, milky white in the evening and golden in the moonlight.
10 The complete Taj Mahal is made of white rock imported from different areas across the nation and little even from abroad. The calligraphy is done over the walls of Taj Mahal are mostly taken from the holy book, Quran. Apart from the walls of Taj Mahal, the verses are inscribed on the Tomb of Queen Mumtaz Mahal and Emperor Shah Jahan.
