Taj Mahal, the best building of the Mughal period
The Taj Mahal of Agra is the most magnificent building built by Shah Jahan. It is the tomb of Shah Jahan's beloved Begum Arjumand Bano. A huge amount of expensive gems were used in the construction of this building. This tomb can be considered as the last stop of Mughal architecture. This is a beautiful building made of white marble, which is counted among the most beautiful buildings in the world.
The Taj Mahal is surrounded on three sides by a boundary wall which is made of red sandstone. Within these walls, adjoining gardens, are pillared corridors with pylons. This is the style of Hindu temples. The wall also has domed towers in the middle. There are four wide-arched pavilions at the four corners of the complex. There is a square garden within the boundary wall, at the northern end of which is situated a white marble mausoleum on a high plinth, which is called the Taj Mahal.
The main gate is built in one of the three sides of the chahar-wall, which has been constructed like a grand monument. It is built of marble and red sandstone. Its arch is an imitation of the Taj Mahal. Its pishtaq and arches have been decorated with calligraphy.
In this 'Bass Relief' And flowers etc. have been made from Patra Dura mosaic. Geometric markings have been done on the vaulted ceilings and walls similar to other buildings here. Outside the main building of the mausoleum, a grand marble built 'Iwan' i.e. 'Great Arch Door' is.
In the upper part of the main tomb building, there is an onion-shaped double dome (bulbus double dome). It is made of high quality white marble and is the most spectacular part of this building. Its height is almost equal to the base of the building i.e. 35 m and it is situated on a 7 m high cylindrical base. The top of the dome is decorated with an inverted lotus.
It connects the sides of the dome to the summit. An urn is placed on the top of the main dome. This shikhara-kalash was made of gold till the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. In the nineteenth century, a bronze urn was replaced by a golden urn. This Shikhar-Kalash is a part of Hindu architecture and is essentially found on the tops of Hindu temples. Dwitiya moon is made on this Kalash, whose tip points towards heaven.
The dome gets more grandeur from the four small dome-shaped umbrellas placed around the dome. The domes of the chhatris are copies of the shape of the main dome, the only difference being the size. Their columnar bases are open to provide internal lighting on the ceiling. Highly decorated marble vases further accentuate the height of the dome.
The four minarets around the tomb seem to frame the view of the building at the four corners of the original base post. These minarets are 40-40 meters high and are three-storeyed in structure. Due to the minarets, the architectural influence of the tomb has been extended all around. Seeing these minarets, there is an illusion that they have been built to give azaan in the mosque. Each tower is divided into three equal parts by two balconies.
On top of the minaret is the last balcony, on which the canopy is made similar to the main building. They also have the same lotus shape and Kirit Kalash. The four minarets are slightly inclined outwards so that if they ever fall, they will fall outside and there is no damage to the main building.
The architecture of the arches of the Taj Mahal shows a significant change in comparison to the earlier buildings. Almost all the arches of the Taj Mahal are leafy or pointed. The base of the tomb is a massive multi-chambered structure. Its main-chamber is made of octagonal and cuboidal, whose each side is 55 meters.
This construction is completely symmetrical on each side of the building, which makes this building octagonal, but due to the fact that the four corners of the corner are much smaller than the remaining four, it would be appropriate to call it a square structure. Each face of this room has an entrance. Of these, only the entrance towards South Bagh is used.
The inner walls are about 25 meters high and are covered by a virtual inner dome with the sun sign on it. There are a total of eight pishtaks in this room. On each lower pishtak on the outer side a second pishtak goes almost to the middle of the wall.
Four central upper arches form the balcony and the outer window of each balcony is covered with a marble lattice. In addition to the windows of the balconies, the light also comes from the open openings covered by the umbrellas on the roof.
The main hall is decorated with precious stones and gems 'Lapidary-Art' is decorated with. Also every wall of the room 'Dado Bass Relief' and 'Calligraphy' It has also been embellished with a pedestal which closely mirrors the exterior patterns of the building. An octagon of jaalis, made of eight marble panels, surrounds the tombs.
The mesh of each face is formed by fine work of mosaic. On the rest of the surface there is a very fine inlaid mosaic of precious stones and gems, which is decorated with flowers, creepers and fruits. As the surface area changes, the area of the larger pishtaq is greater than that of the smaller one and its ornamentation also changes in the same proportion. Ornamental components are made with lacquer or lacquer or by carving and inlaying gems.
Abstract motifs have been used in the spandrels on either side of the arch, especially on the base, minarets, gates, mosques, and tomb surfaces. From the stone carvings in the domes and cellars of the sandstone building, abstract motifs have been carved out of elaborate geometric patterns. Here 'Harringbone' The space between the components joined by stone inlay is filled in the style.
The red sandstone building has white, and black or dark, inlaid works in white marble. The limestone parts of the marble building have been colored or darkened.
Very intricate geometric patterns have been created in their designs. 'Tessellation' used in the sample. Plant motifs are found on the lower walls of the tomb.
These are samples of white marble with live 'Bass Relief' Flowers and bell-boots have been decorated in the style. The marble has been refined to even the tiniest details by smoothing and polishing. 'Dado' 'spandrel' of molds and arches But also there are high level motifs of Pietra Dura.
They are decorated with geometric vines, flowers and fruits. These are studded with yellow and black marble, jasper and green stone, which have been rubbed to match the surface of the wall.
The exquisite excavation and inlay of the Taj Mahal is a testament to the architectural proficiency of Indian craftsmen. During this period, the chisel-hammer of the stone craftsman was replaced by the fine tools of the artisans who made patra dura in marble and the artisans who polished the marble.
Fake tombs of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal are located in the main building, which have been built at a height of 22 feet from the earth. The original tombs of the emperor and the begum are built just below this chamber. Their faces are towards Mecca. The tomb of Mumtaz Mahal is located in the middle of the inner chamber. Both the base and the top adornment form are studded with precious stones and gems.
Calligraphy has been written on it in praise of Mumtaz. It has a raised rectangular lozenge on its cover, which gives the impression of a writing board. Shah Jahan's tomb is on the south side of Mumtaz's tomb. It is the only visible asymmetric component in the entire region. This tomb is larger than Mumtaz's tomb, but the same component shows a larger base, on which a somewhat larger adornment is adorned with lapidary and calligraphy.
Calligraphy, formless figures, geometric figures and plant motifs have been used in the ornamentation done on the walls of the Taj Mahal. The calligraphy done in the Taj Mahal is of the Florid Thuluth script. These calligraphy are written by the Persian clerk Amanat Khan. Jasper is set in white marble panels for calligraphy. The work done on the marble cenotaphs is very delicate, soft and fine. Height has been taken care of.
On the higher panels, proportionately larger writing has been done so that reading from below does not seem to crooked. The verses of the Qur'an have been written all over the area. These verses were chosen by Amanat Khan. There are two red sandstone buildings on either side of the Taj Mahal building. These buildings face the main tomb.
Red sandstone has been used in these buildings to show the contrast of the white marble mausoleum. Their backs are attached to the eastern and western walls respectively and both the buildings appear to be reflections of each other. The western building is a mosque and the eastern building is called 'Answer' It is said that whose primary purpose is to establish architectural balance in the entire scene.
It was used as a visitor's room. The mosque has a low arch and has a niche towards Mecca. 'Answer' Geometric patterns are made in the floor of the 'Mosque' In the floor of the temple, 569 beds (ja-namaz) are made of black marble models for offering prayers. The original form of the mosque is similar to that of Delhi's Jama Masjid. There are three domes on a large hall or hall.
Charbagh is built around the Taj Mahal. This garden has a raised path which divides this four garden into 16 low level beds. The reflection of the Taj Mahal is visible in a pond built on a high level in the middle of the garden. It is built between the tomb and the main gate. Trees are lined in the garden and fountains have been installed from the main entrance to the tomb.
This high level pond is called 'Al Haud Al Qawathar' It is said to represent the pond of immensity anticipated by Muhammad. The Charbagh gardens are inspired by Persian gardens. It refers to the four rivers of Paradise and the Gardens of Paradise or Paradise. The word is derived from the Persian word paridaiza, which means- 'walled garden'.
In Persian mysticism, the Mughal period Islamic text has described Firdaus as an ideal garden. In this, from a central mountain or source or fountain, four rivers flow in four directions, north, south, east and west, which divide the garden into four parts.
The main building is situated in the center of the Mughal gardens of Charbagh style, but the Taj Mahal is situated at the end of this garden. From the discovery of Mahtab Bagh or Chandni Bagh on the other side of the Yamuna river, the Archaeological Survey of India has concluded that the Yamuna River was also part of the design of this garden and should have been counted as one of the rivers of heaven.
The design of the garden and its architectural features such as fountains, bricks, marble walkways and geometric brick-studded beds similar to that of Shalimar Bagh in Kashmir suggest that the architect of Shalimar Bagh and the garden of Taj Mahal was probably the same i.e. Ali Mardan had planned both these gardens. In the early descriptions of the garden, there is a mention of rose, kumud or nargis and abundance of fruit trees in its plants.
In AD 1908, Lord Curzon adapted Charbagh to the garden style of England. The Diwan-i Mahndis, available with Syed Mahmud of Bangalore, suggests that the architect of the Taj Mahal was Ustad Ahmad Lahori, who was given the title Nadir-ul-Asr by Shah Jahan. The head of the Taj Mahal was the Egyptian maestro Isa Efendi of Persia.
Best building of Mughal architecture
The Taj Mahal of Agra is the best architecture of the Shajahan period and the entire Mughal period. It is also counted among the seven wonders of the world. While praising the Taj Mahal, Elphinstone has written- 'There is no other tomb in Europe or Asia that equals it in the richness of material, the elegance of the picture and the effect.'
Famous historian Havel has written- 'This is a godlike monument of Indian women's caste. The Taj Mahal, situated amidst a beautiful garden and many fountains, creates a poetic romantic beauty. In fact, the Taj Mahal has become a symbol of conjugal love and the Mecca of art lovers.'
Dr. Banarasi has written- 'Whether full text of historical literature ´ If it is destroyed and only this building remains to tell the story of Shah Jahan's reign, there is no doubt about it, even then Shah Jahan's reign will be called the most glorious.'