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Ranked among the seven wonders of the world, praise for this wonder in marble has never ceased ever since it was unveiled to the world almost four centuries ago.

What can be said about the Taj Mahal that hasn’t already been said?

“The sight of its beauty creates sorrowing sighs and makes the sun and moon shed tears from their eyes.” - Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, in his biography Badshahnama.

“A tear drop upon the cheek of time.” - Ravindranath Tagore, Nobel Prize Winner Poet.

“A perfect pearl on an azure ground - with an effect so dazzling that no other work of art can ever produce” - Hodges, British Painter.

“An embodiment of all things pure.” - Rudyard Kipling.

“There are two kinds of people in the world - Those who have seen the Taj Mahal and love it and those who have not seen the Taj and love it.” - Bill Clinton, Former US President.

What makes the Taj so universally appealing?

One reason is it’s physical perfectness. The main marble tomb stands on a square plinth, with four minarets on each corner of plinth, giving it a symmetrical design. The surface of the tomb has been extensively decorated with exquisite caligraphy.

What adds to the Taj’s beauty is not just its physical perfectness but also the story behind it - of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz which gives that extra touch of romance to the monument.

Maybe it is this diversity in which lies the beauty of the Taj - to be different things to different people, yet still be beautiful to all.

Some Facts about the Taj mahal that may be of interest are -

• Built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his queen Arjumand Bano (Mumtaz Mahal).
• Took 17 years and about 20,000 workers to complete.
• In 1983, it was declared a world heritage site and UNESCO described it as the “jewel of Muslim art in India”.
• Most visited monument in India that attracts almost 3 million visitors every year.

This entry was posted on Friday, July 20th, 2007 at 1:01 am and is filed under Indian Art & Culture, Wonders of India. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.