Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from October, 2011

Threat to Taj Mahal

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

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.                      ...

Jami Mosque - Taj Mahal India

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/

About Gwalior Fort

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...