Taj Mahal Story

The architect of the Taj Mahal aimed at giving maximum strength and stability to the tomb and worked out the minutest details with utmost precision : the weight of the entire structure is uniformly distributed, extraordinarily massive piers and vaults were constructed to support this heavy load, the very best quality of bonding material helped combat the disrupted tensile stress etc.

However, in spite of all these precautions and care, dangerous cracks and leakages developed in the substructure of Taj Mahal just after four years of its completion. Aurangzeb in his letter to Shah Jahan in 1652 mentions these cracks. Some defects were discovered about the same time in the dome. Though thorough repairs were undertaken, the nature of the cracks was not discovered. The cracks were again noticed to have developed to dangerous proportions in 1810. As a result an Advisory Committee on the restoration and conservation of the monument was set up and a survey with reference to the damage was undertaken.

Some very important facts resulted from this survey. It was discovered that the plinth of the mausoleum on the northern side (or the riverside) is lower than on the south by 3.5cms. Cracks were not noticed on the exterior wall, but they were definitely present on the second storey vaults of the marble structure and, on a much larger scale, in the underground vaults below the northern side.

The long series of cracks in the underground vaults may be due to the crushing of lime on account of the excessive weight, or as seems more probable, this may be due to the sinking of the whole structure towards the riverside!! Such a sinking would shift the load out of balance slowly and gradually and the unequal settlement would crack the weak points, particularly the summit s of the vaults and arches, which is actually happening in the underground chambers.

Taj Mahal structure which stands on the edge of water has a natural tendency to move towards the more open side, the higher edge always acting as a strong buttress, thrusting it in the opposite direction. It is the whole mass, and not a part of it, that is gradually sinking. This is what can justifiably be concluded from the available data.

The Archaeological Survey of India has decided that Taj Mahal will remain closed on Fridays for the public except for those who go for afternoon prayers in the mosque next to the 17th century monument. The monument, which attracts thousands of visitors every day, previously remained closed on Mondays.

The Taj will remain open from 6 am-7 pm everyday except Fridays. Entry costs Rs 970 for Foreigners and for indians during the sunrise and sunset entry costs Rs 110 and during the daytime Rs 20/-. On Fridays, people will be allowed to go for the customary prayers between 1200 hrs 1400 hrs at the mosque in the Taj Mahal complex.

Described by the Indian classical poet Tagore as a "tear on the face of eternity", the Taj Mahal is undoubtedly the zenith of Moghul architecture and quite simply one of the world's most marvellous buildings. Volumes have been written on it s perfection, and its image adorns countless glossy brochures and guide books; nonetheless, the reality never fails to overwhelm all who see it, and few words can do it justice.

The glory of the monument is strangely undiminished by the crowds of tourists who visit each day, as small and insignificant as ants in the face of this immense and captivating monument. That said, the Taj is at its most alluring in the relative quiet of early morning, shrouded in mists and bathed with a soft red glow.

As its vast marble surfaces fall into shadow or reflect the sun, its colour changes, from soft grey and yellow to pearly cream and dazzling white; it's well worth visiting at different times. This play of light is an important decorative device, symbolically implying the presence of Allah, who is never represented in anthropomorphic form.

The Taj Mahal shows a different aspect of beauty at different times of the day. The sight of the Taj awash with the subtle pinks of dawn is an unforgettable sight. Sunsets stain the Taj an exotic shade of orange. But nothing beats the poignant beauty of the Taj seen when the cool white marble is bathed in the soft silver light of the moon. Even in the bright light of the day, this wonder of the world shines with an awe-inspiring loveliness.

There's no time limit on visits to the Taj, and some people spend most of the day here, sitting, reading, dozing or picnicking in the beautifully kept gardens. Hawkers and salesmen are not allowed in, and official guides are not available on site, but can usually be provided by hotels, and always accompany organized tours. The ticket office, just outside the western gate, is rarely blocked by long queues, except between 4 and 5 pm before the admission fee increases; bring the right amount of money as the ticket booth attendants rarely have change and tend to pocket the difference

The interior hall is octagonal in shape and measures 58' in diameter and 80' in height from the pavement to the soffit (first ceiling) and has an arrangement of four rooms on the sides and is rectangular and four octagonal rooms at the corners and all are interconnected through passages. There is a double storeyed arrangement of the roofs and passages- the upper set exactly corresponds to the lower one i.e. four rectangular rooms on the sides and four octagonal small rooms at the corners, all interconnected by passages.

The radiating corridors on the ground floor connect the main hall with the corner rooms. Barring the southern side all the other sides have been closed with screens divided into small compartments filled with glass pieces. This glass work is seen on all the external sides of the tomb as well as on the upper storey. The glass pieces show amazing uniformity and have been very skillfully manufactured. They appear slightly milky in color to give a translucent look rather than transparent. The mortuary hall is an example of wonderful architecture and a great finish. The panels on its dados have beautiful floral designs in high relief or carvo-relievo with the borders in inlaid conventionalized motifs. An exquisitely developed marble jali screen (called Jhajjhari) encloses the monument. The inlay work on its borders and the graceful jalies are one the highs of medieval architecture.

The design of the Taj Mahal presents the culmination of a process which started much before its inception. The uniqueness and design of the Taj Mahal is not the result of a single brain, instead various superb features of its construction can be traced back systematically to the earlier examples during the whole evolutionary process. The river bank, at a respectable distance from the hullabaloo of the capital was chosen to give it a beautiful, natural and romantic setting.

The bank of river Yamuna was chosen so that the colossal structure could tower magnificently and imposingly over its surroundings. The river takes a sharp turn at this place, almost at right angle so that a water-shed is made where the thrust of the water is minimum. It was the safest point on the river bank. The square garden has been divided into four large quarters, separated by broad water channels with fountains and double causeways on either side. This garden setting provides an important aesthetics to the Taj. The main gate of the Taj Mahal is on the south side. It was designed to play the part of a monumental entrance to the grand structure. White marble has been used on this gateway to give emphasis and also to diminish the too sober and too classical an appearance of red sandstone. Chhatris with marble cupolas flanked by pinnacles is perhaps the most important feature of the gateway.

The genius of the builder and his innovations are also reflected in yet another feature of its planning. In the Taj Mahal the builder has substituted the false gateways with beautiful water-pavilions on the east and the west sides, each rising at the end of the broad water canal. Though each is an independent structure, it forms an indivisible part of the whole charbagh plan. It appears as if the water channel was chiefly planned to give a suitable background for the water pavilion.

It is beyond doubt that the garden and the water devices have been manipulated most successfully to create the best and the most wonderful architectural effect at the Taj. The artists at the here attempted to give a heavenly look to the monument by the way of gardens and water devices. Most arrangements of the Taj are based on number four or its multiples as this number is considered holiest in Islam. The layout of the gardens also followed the same formula. Two marble canals with fountains cross in the centre of the garden dividing it into four equal squares.

The charbagh plan, as it is called, has been beautifully adopted at the Taj. In fact, here it has been put to a better use than in any earlier examples. The mausoleum stands on the north side of this garden. There is another subdivision of each of its four quarters into 16 smaller quarters. There is an elevated marble lotus pond with a cusped and trefoil border in the centre of the garden. The water of this pond gives the perfect reflection of the great monument. The mausoleum can be viewed clearly from any location.

Another genius of the architect is reflected in the lay out of the fountains and somber rows of cypress trees, which are present only on the north-south water canal, lest the attention of the onlooker would be diverted to the sides!! The mastery of the architect is also visible in the management of the water system. A series of purs (manual system of drawing water from a water body using a rope and bucket pulled by bullocks) were used in drawing water from the river. It was again raised by a series of thirteen purs which were worked by bullocks.

Most of the features of the water-system have survived. The only exception being the ramp. An overhead water channel carried water into another storage tank of still greater magnitude. Water was thus, finally raised to this stage with fourteen purs and passed into a channel which filled three supply tanks. The last tank had pipe mouths in its eastern side. The pipes descended below and after traveling underground through the intervening passage crossed into Taj enclosure near the western water pavilion. Underground pipes fed the fountains. There is one pipe line which runs directly towards the mosque to supply the fountains in the tanks on the red sandstone plinth below the marble structure. Pipes of copper were used for separate series of fountains.

The whole ethereal effect at the Taj has been obtained by fountains which have been laid methodically in the main south-north canal. Five more marble fountains have been placed superbly in the raised central lotus pond. Twenty four more fountains adorn this pond on all the four sides. The planner of the Taj preferred to add to the gorgeous view of the monument from the front by providing these splendid bud-shaped fountains in the centre. The water channels at the Taj are broad glossy sheets of crystal clear water showcasing the taj and allowing the reflection of the white tomb to dance in its soft ripples that the air now and then weaves.

The architect of the Taj put a great deal of thought into the decorative methods of e.g. Carving or color like glazed-tiling, stucco and painting, mosaic and inlay work. The Mughals were known for their love of colors and they made use of almost all decorative schemes and patterns which had been introduced into India following its conquest by the Muslims. They used glazed and enamel tiling, mosaic etc. for decorating their buildings. Glazed tiles were used mainly for exterior decoration whereas glass mosaic and paintings embellished the interiors. Stucco art was used in decorating mainly the interiors but exterior surfaces have also been ornamented with success.

Dado-panels of white marbles were used for the first time in the second storey hall of the main gate, eastern and western false gateways at the tomb of Akbar at Sikandara. Each white marble dado is outlined with black marble lining to improve its artistic effect. Black marble and abri stones of a chocolate-grey-yellowish colour have been used for inlay work. The inlaid borders at the Taj mark the ideal stage of its development. The inlaid borders on the dados in the interior hall have been thoughtfully distributed.

Epigraphic elements of Koranic suras form an important element of exterior decoration. Racemes, bouquets of flowers, zigzag motifs and series of small arches are some of the most commonly used decorative elements. Slender twigs, twisting leaves and bold flowers combine to give the Dado a beautiful look. The engraved patterns combine regally with the inlaid border composed of a highly stylized pattern of set curves and twists. Suitable stones have been used to give different tints to the pattern. A delicate framing is given to the Kalasa-plant by the border. The most pleasing part is the co-relation between the art of chiseling and inlaying. Jali around the cenotaph Inlay has also been used profusely on the marble curtain around the cenotaphs. These are extremely stylized floral designs.

Here, the inlay has been very well combined with the jali-work. The inlay work on the spandrels of the arches in the interior and exterior adds magnificence to the overall aesthetic effect. Contemporary texts specify the stones used in decoration and inlay work they are- Lapis lazuli, various types of jasper, agate, carnelian, jade, amethyst, turquoise, onyx, coral etc. The Makrana marble with its pearly clarity has contributed most to the beauty of the Taj Mahal. It acquires never-ending shades of colour and soft, unearthly shadows.

It appears masked at down, dazzles at midday, rosy at sunset and wonderfully cold in moonlight when the dome, hangs poised among the stars like a great gem. Another interesting facet of the decoration of the Taj is the incised painting of the mosque and Mehmankhana. The contemporary folk art developed on extremely simple lines and did not have the splendor of the court art with so many stones and colors playing an important part. It was mostly incised and made use of two simple colors-white and red. The most developed stage of this technique is found at the Taj Mahal, in the Mosque and the Mehmankhana, Here again only two colors have been used, a hirmichi red on a white backdrop which is allowed to show superbly through the scrapped off leaves, flowers and the outlines. The small curves of white thus bloom energetically on a red ground-portions of the background and have thus artistically been brought to the forefront. It is highly unconceivable that such a great aesthetic effect could be obtained on such a large scale, by the use of these two simple colors. This harmony was made possible by the skilful artists and their techniques.

There was a great challenge to ensure uniform and undiminished water pressure in the fountains which was met by adopting an inventive method. The fountain pipes were not connected directly with the copper pipes feeding them as it would have resulted in a steady decrease in the volume and pressure of the water. As an alternative a copper pot was provided under each fountain pipe-which was thus connected with the water supply only through the pot water first fills the pot and then only rises at the same time in the fountains. The fountains are thus controlled by the pressure in the pots and not by pressure in the main pipe. As the pressure in the pots is consistently distributed all the time, it ensures an equal supply of water at the same rate in all the fountains. This was really a work of great foresight.

As for main supply of water, it was obtained through earthenware pipes. One such main line of supply was discovered under the bed of the western canal. The original intent of the builders of the Taj was probably to present a synthetic composition. The irrigation work at the garden is a great example of this. The garden is irrigated by the overflowing of canals; exception being the outlets at the two extreme ends. The fountains provide inlets to the north-south canal. The west-east canal received its water through an interconnection with the north-south canal. The quarters near the canals received an adequate supply of water while the distant quarters got a smaller supply as the quarters near the canals could be used for growing flower and other plants which would not obstruct the general view. The distant quarters on the other hand ware suitable only for tall trees. The Taj Mahal is perhaps the only monument of the world with such great aesthetic considerations so detailed and yet so influential.