The Legend of the Taj Mahal
An ancient and very beautiful romantic legend is connected with the Taj Mahal. The Indian Shah Jahan was fascinated by the beauty of a poor girl who was trading at the local market, and married her. Soon she became his beloved wife and lived with the Shah for 17 happy years. However, happiness was not destined to last forever, and Mumtaz Mahal died during the birth of their fourteenth child. Jahan could not forget her and was never happy again.
In memory of his beloved wife and the years of their family happiness, the Indian ruler ordered to build the most beautiful mausoleum in the world, which is the most beautiful in the whole world. The best architects and craftsmen of India and Europe were involved in the work – about 20 thousand people in total. The construction lasted for a long 20 years, and a luxurious structure was built on the coast of the Jamna River, which still delights everyone who sees it.
Despite numerous earthquakes in these parts, it has never been destroyed and has not been damaged at all.
Park, architecture, interiors
The mausoleum building creates a unique architectural ensemble in combination with the park that is laid out around it. The whole structure is made of snow-white marble, the square facade is pierced by semicircular niches, and thanks to this it looks as if weightless, despite its massiveness. The impression of “floating” is also created by the reflection of facades in the channels of the gardens that surround the mausoleum. And the most amazing feature of this building is the ability to change its color depending on the time of day and the weather. In the rain, it looks like translucent, in the morning it glows pink, and at sunset it casts gold. The interior walls of the mausoleum are decorated with painted tiles and inlaid with precious and semi-precious stones and pearls.
Previously, the luxury of the Taj Mahal was even more impressive: the entrance doors were made of pure silver, but like many other valuable interior items, they were stolen. Nevertheless, the Taj Mahal still impresses with its luxury and rich decoration.
Practical information
How to get there: The Taj Mahal is located in the city of Agra (200 km from Delhi). You can get there by any train that goes to Calcutta, Mumbai and Gwalior (all of them go through Agra), the journey time is 2-3 hours. From Agra to the mausoleum — by rickshaw or taxi.