Delhi Agra Tours

The Taj Mahal is one of the world's most recognizable monuments. Built in Agra during the reign of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of Mumtaz Mahal , the monument has survived more than three centuries of political change, wars, colonial rule, environmental pressures and the passage of time. But alongside the documented history of the Taj Mahal, another story has become famous. According to a widely repeated claim, Lord William Bentinck, Governor-General of India, planned to dismantle the Taj Mahal and sell its marble . The story is dramatic. But is it true? No reliable evidence supports the claim that Bentinck ordered the Taj Mahal to be dismantled. The real story is more interesting. It involves a deteriorating Mughal bath, the sale of marble, a rumour that circulated in British India, newspaper reporting and decades of repetition that eventually transformed a rumour into what many people assumed was historical fact. The Bentinck and Taj Mahal Story Lord William Bentinc...

Taj Mahal History & Architecture: Shah Jahan, Mumtaz Mahal and Mughal Heritage The Taj Mahal in Agra, India , is one of the world's most recognizable monuments and an outstanding example of Mughal architecture. Built during the reign of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal , the monument combines white marble, geometric symmetry, gardens, stone inlay, carved decoration and Arabic calligraphy into a carefully planned architectural complex. Construction of the principal mausoleum began in the 17th century. UNESCO records the Taj Mahal as having been built in Agra between 1631 and 1648 , with additional elements of the complex completed later. The monument was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1983. For international travelers, the Taj Mahal is not simply a famous photograph. It is an opportunity to see how architecture, craftsmanship, mathematics, gardens, calligraphy and Mughal artistic traditions were brought together in one extraordinary ...