Author: Keyana Logan
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| E. de Gracia Camara, 2008. A front view picture Taj Mahal |
The Taj Mahal of Agra, India is one of the Seven Wonders of the World, for reasons more than just appearing
magnificent. The history of the Taj Mahal increases the heart to the
magnificence. A heart that is filled with passion, regrets, and more love. If
it were not for love the world would not be the same but, most important the
Taj Mahal would not be here. A model of how profoundly a man adores his wife,
that even after she abides but reminiscence, he made sure that this memory
would never fade away. This man was the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, who was
head-over-heels in love with Mumtaz Mahal, his dear wife. Mumtaz Mahal was a
Muslim Persian princess and Jahan’s dad was an emperor. It was at the age of 14
that he met Mumtaz and fell in love with her. Five years later in the year
1612, they got married (Ahmed). Mumtaz Mahal died in 1631, while giving birth
to their 14th child. It was in the memory of his beloved wife that
Shah Jahan built a magnificent monument as a tribute to her, which today known
as the "Taj Mahal".
A video showing different pictures of the Taj
Mahal
The Taj Mahal is
located on the right bank of the Yamuna River in a vast Mughal garden that
encompasses nearly 17 hectares, in the Agra District in Uttar Pradesh. The
monument, begun in 1632, was finished in 1648, unverified but nonetheless,
tenacious; legends attribute its construction to an international team of
several thousands of masons, marble workers, mosaicists and decorators working
under the orders of the architect of the emperor, Ustad Ahmad Lahori. The Taj
Mahal's pure white marble shimmers silver in the moonlight, glows softly pink
at dawn, and at close of day reflects the fiery tints of the setting Sun (“Taj
Mahal”). However, the Taj Mahal can be seen not only as a mausoleum for the
empress but, also as the glorious climax of Mughal architecture in India.
In a matter of time, something that is full with love and
a magnificent monument can turn into such a bad thing. Preservationists say the 350-year-old marble
masterpiece is falling prey to shoddy repair work, graffiti, air pollution, and
even a deteriorating foundation. The Indian press has been filled with reports
that the latest government efforts to control pollution around the Taj are
failing and that the gorgeous white marble is deteriorating a possible casualty
of India's booming population, rapid economic expansion and lax environmental
regulations. Some local preservationists, echoing the concerns of R. Nath, an
Indian historian who has written extensively about the Taj, warn that the
edifice is in danger of sinking or even collapsing toward the river. They also
complain that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has done slipshod repair
work and call for fresh assessments of the structure's foundations (Bartholet).
All good things end.
Will the Taj Mahal really collapse in five years? Both
the Indian MP and the historian quoted by the daily say it is a false alarm
though there are such fears due to the drying of the Yamuna River. It is a
50/50 chance that the Taj Mahal will collapse. Architects have been expressing
fears that a dry river could pose a threat to the Taj Mahal (Khandelwal). After
researching the Taj Mahal I will end by saying the beautiful monument has a
while before it actually collapse.
Works Cited:
"Taj
Mahal." UNESCO World Heritage Centre. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2012.
<http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/252>.
Ahmed,
Akbar. "The Taj Mahal." History Today 43.5 (1993): 62. Academic
Search Premier. Web. 15 Oct. 2012.
Bartholet,
Jeffrey. "WHAT AILS THE TAJ MAHAL? (Cover Story)." Smithsonian 42.5
(2011): 44-57. Academic Search Premier. Web. 15 Oct. 2012.
Khandelwal,
Brij. "Will the Taj Mahal collapse in 5 years?." South Asian Post 20
Oct. 2011: 17. Newspaper Source Plus. Web. 17 Oct. 2012.
Links for further research:
Taj Mahal
The official Taj Mahal site.
History
History of the Taj Mahal and when it was
first built.
Architecture
The architecture and history on the Taj
Mahal.
History of Taj Mahal India - A World famous building located in Agra known as Taj Mahal. It is a love symbol and one of the seven wonder in the world. The history of the Taj Mahal tells us "why was the Taj Mahal built" and many myths and fact related to Taj. Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal in the memories of her loving wife Mum Taj Mahal.
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