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Taj Mahal, India As per the "theft in Taj Mahal" myth, a number of items that were originally a part of the Taj were stolen. It is true that some items were removed from Taj. However, the theft of a number of other items is a mere legend. Some of the items that from a part of the "legend of Taj Mahal theft" are: A gold leaf that is said to have covered all or a part of the Taj dome A golden railing believed to have surrounded the cenotaphs Diamonds supposed to be inlaid in the cenotaphs A Pearl blanket allegedly covering Mumtaz's cenotaph The items that were indeed stolen from the Taj include: An entrance door of carved jasper Gold leaf covering the cast iron joints of the jali screen around the cenotaphs Numerous rich carpets that covered the tomb's interior Enameled lamps from the tomb's interior Demolition of Taj Mahal Myth Is There a Third Set of Graves in Taj Mutilations inside Taj Mahal Myth Sinking ...

Is Taj Mahal Sinking? One of the most popular myths about the Taj is the "Sinking Taj Mahal" myth. Standing on the banks of river Yamuna in Agra, Taj Mahal received utmost care in its construction. Its architects took all the possible measures to make sure that the Taj was totally stable. Even its weight was distributed in a uniform way and the strongest bonding material was made use of. Nonetheless, inspite of all the precautions, cracks were discovered in it, just four years after its completion. Read on further to know about the legend of the Sinking Taj… Close Up of Taj Mahal After Aurangzeb cited this fact in his letter of 1652, repair measures were taken to solve the problem. However, again in 1810, cracks surfaced, this time more serious than the previous ones. This time, an advisory committee was constituted to decide on the renovation and preservation of the monument. It came to light that due to the northern side of the Taj being lower than south ...

A question that has often cropped up in relation to the beautiful monument of love is "were Taj Mahal's craftsmen mutilated". Without any proper records and evidence, this question has remained like a myth to the people. The mutilations in Taj Mahal myth, goes that the craftsmen who had taken part in the construction of the Taj were disfigured after its completion. It is said that Shah Jahan got the hands of his architects and sculptors cut off so that they may never be able to build a monument as magnificent as the Taj again in their lifetime. Craftman of Taj Mahal The legend of mutilations in Taj, further states that he even got their eyes pulled out so that they would never be able to witness anything more beautiful than the monument that they had built. However, this myth hasn't been proven to be correct, till date Demolition of Taj Mahal Myth Is There a Third Set of Graves in Taj Sinking Taj Mahal Myth Theft in Taj Mahal Myth Asymmetric T...

Is there a third set of graves in Taj? This "third graves set In Taj Mahal" myth is related to a practice that has been traditionally followed in the cases of tombs. As per the tradition, a third and the real set of graves was always kept in the tombs, along with the representative ones. This has been followed in the tomb of Akbar and the tombs of Itmad-ud-Dauhlah and Chini-ka-Rauza, etc. As per the legend of the third graves set In Taj, there should be a third set in this monument also. Mumtaj Grave, Taj Mahal, Agra It is believed that these graves must be somewhere inside the underground vaults of the Taj Mahal. However, the doors on the extreme points of the basement chambers in Taj, which should have housed this third set of graves, have been permanently blocked. Thus, it can never be known whether there was a third set of graves in the Taj or not. Demolition of Taj Mahal Myth Mutilations inside Taj Mahal Myth Sinking Taj Mahal Myth Theft in Taj ...

Demolition of Taj Mahal myth has been spreading since the rule of the British in India. It has often been said that the British Governor of India, Lord William Bentinck, had planned to demolish the Taj Mahal. Later on, the marble used in its construction was to be taken out and auctioned off. Legend of Taj Demolition further goes on to state that even the crew for the demolition was ready to perform its task. Taj Mahal, Agra However, the plan got abandoned midway, because Bentinck could not make the scheme financially viable. However, the biographer of Bentinck, John Rosselli, has said that this story was made up because Bentick organized for the selling of the discarded marble from Agra Fort. But, the question of "Did British plan to demolish the Taj Mahal" hasn't been answered in a satisfactory manner, till date.  Is There a Third Set of Graves in Taj Mutilations inside Taj Mahal Myth Sinking Taj Mahal Myth Theft in Taj Mahal Myth Asymmetric T...

Black Taj Mahal myth is concerned with another monument that was supposed to be built opposite the magnificent Taj, on the other side of the river. It is believed that another mausoleum, exactly identical to the original one, was to be built, dedicated to Shah Jahan himself. This monument is now called as the Black Taj, since it was to be constructed out of black marble. The legend of the Black Taj further goes on to suggest that it could not be erected, because, before this could happen, Shah Jahan got toppled by his son, Aurangzeb. There have been many disputes over the question that "Was there a Black Taj Mahal". Some ruins of a black marble structure are said to have been found across the river. These ruins are believed to be those of the alleged Black Taj Mahal. However, later, it was discovered that the marble that was used had become black from staining and was not originally white. Another contention is that Taj Mahal gardens form a cross, typical of the ...

Local officials in Agra claim that the Taj Mahal might collapse in the next three to five years. Above, policemen patrolled through the Yamuna river besides Taj Mahal, Agra, Aug 21. A bench headed by justice DK Jain, which issued notices to the ministry of environment and forests, ASI and Mayawati government seeking their response in two weeks, fixed November 15 to take up the matter. The court has been passing orders for conservation of the Taj since the 1980s. One of the seven wonders of the world, the famous monument was built between 1632 and 1653 by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a tomb for his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died while giving birth to their 14th child in 1631. A British daily had reported that the monument’s foundation had been damaged and the wood used in the wells had rotted. The river, the report said, is crucial for keeping the wood used in the Taj’s foundation wet, and that it could collapse soon, A bench of justices D K Jain and A R Dave issued notices to ...

Taj Mahal Architecture        A beautifully laid out walled garden encloses the magnificent monument "Taj Mahal". The entire Taj complex consists of five major constituents, namely Darwaza (The main gateway) Bageecha (The gardens) Masjid (The mosque) Naqqar Khana (The rest house) Rauza (The main mausoleum)       Taj Mahal architecture is a kind of fusion of Persian, Central Asian and Islamic architecture. The main gateway, with its domed central chamber, is situated at the end of the long watercourse. On one side of the Taj Mahal is the Mosque and on the other, the Naqqar Khana, built mainly to maintain its symmetry. The main building, that of the Taj itself, stands on a raised, square platform with its four abridged corners, forming an unequal octagon. The architecture of Taj Mahal of Agra has made use of the interlocking arabesque concept.                      ...

The principal mosque of the Agra Fort Complex, Jami Mosque was completed in 1648 by Jahanara, the elder daughter of Shah Jahan. It is raised upon a platform on the northwestern side of the Fort. The Mosque is of red sandstone highlighted with white marble. The plan features a large square courtyard enclosed by three narrow arcades and a prayer hall. Axial gates punctuate the three arcade wings. The prayer hall is topped by three domes decorated with a zigzag pattern, and flanked by two tall, domed minarets. The eastern wing, destroyed by the British during the Indian Mutiny in 1857, is replaced by a railway line that separates the Mosque from the Delhi gate of the Fort Complex. Taj Mahal Day tour packagefrom Delhi  included this mosque in Itinerary. http://tajmahalcabs.com/agra-tour-from-delhi/

Gwalior : - Just a few hours from Agra by train or road, Gwalior is famous for its old and very large fort. Within the fort walls are several interesting temples and ruined palaces. The dramatic and colourful history of the great fort goes back over 1000 years. Gwalior is 110 kms from Agra and a 2 hrs drive by road or a one hour train ride on the Shatabdi Express. You can travel to Gwalior from Agra and return on the same day.                                 Gwalior is dominated by its fort, which tops the long hill to the north of Lashkar, the new town. The old town clings to the hill, north-east of the fort. About Gwalior Fort Rising 100 m above the town, the fort hill is about 3 km long. Its width varies from nearly 1 km to less than 200m. The walls, which encircle almost the entire hilltop, are 10 m high and imposingly solid. Beneath them, the hill face is a sheer drop away to the plains. On a...

The asymmetric Taj Mahal myth is related to the placing of Shah Jahan's cenotaph. The position of his cenotaph is such that it looks offset from center. The legend of the asymmetric Taj goes on to state that the cenotaph was added to the monument, after the death of Shah Jahan by his son Aurangzeb. It is said that he deliberately placed Shah Jahan's cenotaph in the Taj Mahal, instead of constructing a separate mausoleum. This was done to destroy the symmetry of the Taj Mahal design. To know more about "why is Taj Mahal asymmetric", read the following lines… The holy book of Kuran denounces any type of unnecessary display in the life of a Muslim and especially at the time of death. It is believed that Aurangzeb was a highly religious man and following the holy book, he also disapproved of all kinds of showiness. Therefore, he didn't approve of the Taj Mahal, which Shah Jahan had built in remembrance of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. So, he buried his fa...

       North India tour provides you a wonderful opportunity to explore some of top tourist destinations of India. There are many popular tourist destinations in northern India appealing tourists and vacationers from all over the world. Jaipur, Agra, Delhi, Varanasi, Kashmir, etc are popular tourist places in northern India. Jaipur - The Pink City of India Jaipur is one of the most popular tourist places of India appealing tourist through out the entire globe. Famously known as the Pink City of India it is the state capital of Rajasthan. There are a number of tourist attractions in this beautiful city. City Palace, Hawa Mahal and Jantar Mantar are icons or major landmarks of Jaipur city. City Palace is a beautiful palace complex housing many palatial palaces and terrific temples with gardens and courtyards. The terrific Govind Devji Temple is located inside the City Palace Complex. Laxmi Narayan Temple, Swami Narayan Temple, Moti Dungri, Albert Hall Museum, Am...