TAJ MAHAL-THE MEMORIAL OF LOVE

PUNEET GUPTA

(STUDENT)

XII-PCM+FINE ARTS

DEWAN PUBLIC SCHOOL, MEERUT (INDIA)

E-MAIL- TIRUPATICOIRS@YAHOO.COM

ABSTRACT

To people the world over, the Taj Mahal, mausoleum of the mughal Empress Mumtaz Mahal, is synonymous with India. Its curving, gently swelling dome and the square base upon which its rests so lightly is a familiar image from hundreds of brochures and travel books. Renowned for its architectural magnificence and aesthetic beauty, it counts among man's proudest creations and is invariably included in the list of the world's foremost wonders. As a tomb, it has no match upon earth, for mortal remains have never been housed in greater grandeur. It is India's noble tribute to the grace of womanhood. The deeper one digs, the more information one finds, offers it a choice of delivery. Let’s delve deeper into some aspect of the architecture or history.

CROWN OF THE PALACE

Historical Significance of the Taj Mahal

(fig.1) FRONT-VIEW OF TAJ MAHAL

In 1612,Mumtaz Mahal(Arjumand Banu Begam)(fig.2), was married to Shah Jahan (then Prince Khurram)(fig.3), the fifth mughal emperor. This marriage, although the emperor's second, was a real love-match, and Mumtaz was her husband's inseparable companion, his comrade, his counsellor. She bore him fourteen children, and died in childbed in 1630 in Burhanpur (Deccan) where she had accompanied him on a military campaign. Overpowered by grief, Shah Jehan was determined to perpetuate her memory for immortality and decided to build his beloved wife the finest sepulchre ever - a monument of eternal love. It was Shah Jehan's everlasting love for Mumtaz that led to the genesis of the Taj Mahal. After twenty-two laborious years, and the combined effort of over twenty thousand workmen and master craftsmen, the complex was finally completed in 1648 on the banks on the river Yamuna.

(Fig.4) MAP OF AGRA

(Fig.5) AREIAL VIEW OF TAJ MAHAL IN 1921

The layout of the entire complex (fig.6,7) can be visualised by an aerial map such as the one that follows-

RAUZA

The Actual Tomb- Taj Mahal is situated more than 900 ft. (275 m.) away from the entrance at the opposite end of the garden. Towering almost 200 ft. (76m.) in height, the tomb stands on its own marble plinth, which rests on a red sandstone platform that serves to level the land as it slopes to the river. Four tall minarets rise up from the corners of the white marble plinth. They taper to a majestic height of 138 ft. and are crowned with eight windowed cupolas. elegantly accent the central structure,

framing the space like the mounting of a jewel.

(fig.8) RECONSTRUCTED GRID PLAN OF TOMB

(fig.9) RECONSTRUCTED ELEVATION GRID OF NORTH FAÇADE OF TOMB

THE TOMB

Ornamentation

The domed mausoleum can seem deceptively simple since on first sight its white marble form appears to be a matchless example of purity and simplicity. An often repeated nineteenth century characterisation of the monument is that "it was built by Titans, finished by jewellers."

PIETRA DURA INLAY

The technique known as pietra dura, whereby thin sections of precisely carved hard and semi-hard gemstones are laid in sockets specially prepared in the surface of marble, is a mode of ornamentation prominently featured on the Taj Mahal. Flowers have long been important in Islamic cultures, where they were generally seen as symbols of the divine

realm.

(fig.19)DETAIL OF FLORAL INLAY

(fig.13) ARTIST DOING PIETRA DURA INLAY WORK

HARD STONE CARVING

	(fig.18) FLORAL INLAY ON MARBLE SCREEN SURROUNDING CENOTAPHS	(fig.19) SIDE VIEW, INLAY OF TAJ ENTRANCE
(fig.17)DETAIL OF FLORAL RAILING

The Taj Mahal displays exquisitely carved modelled floral sprays sculpted in shallow relief in white marble. The superb quality of the sculpted flowers on the mausoleum can be attributed to the ancient tradition of stone carving in India.

CALLIGRAPHY

(fig.21) CALLIGRAPHY ON WEST DOOR, SURA 82, AL-INFITAR

(fig.20) WRITTEN BY ‘ABD AL-HAQQ OF SHIRAZ, IN 1022

(fig.22) TAJ MAHAL, DETAIL OF QUR’ANIC CALLIGRAPHY ON SOUTH ARCH, SURA 36, YA SIN

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The inscriptions at the Taj Mahal have been judiciously selected and artistically inscribed over the main gateway, in the Mosque and the tomb proper, in panels around the arched portals, alcoves and the niches. They are chiefly verses from the Koran, which is considered by Muslims to be the word of God as revealed to Mohammed.

INCISED PAINTINGS

In this technique, a thin layer of colour pigment (hirmich red earth) is laid over the white (safeda white lead) plaster surface. A floral or conventional design is then drawn on the colour surface, according to which the colour surface is scrapped off, thus exposing the white plaster underneath, now seen only through the scrapped off design. It is thus 'incised painting'.

THE TOMB

Building details-

Chief builders-

Despite several controversies that claim that the Taj Mahal was designed by an Italian Geronimo Veroneo, or a French silversmith Austin de Bordeaux, the first real evidence of the architect's identity emerged in the 1930s when a seventeenth century manuscript called the Diwan-i-Muhandis was found to mention the Taj Mahal, a collection of several poems written by Luft Allah, including several verses in which he describes his father, Ustad Ahmad from Lahore, as the architect of the Taj Mahal. Ahmad was a Persian engineer-astrologer. Luft Allah also states that Shah Jehan conferred upon his father the title "Nadir al-Asr" (the Wonder of the Age). It is interesting to note that Ustad Ahmad had a number of aliases : Ustad Khan Effendi, Ustad Mohammed, Isa Khan, Isa Effendi .

It must be emphasised that the design of the Taj Mahal cannot be ascribed to any single master-mind. The Taj is the culmination of an evolutionary process. It is the perfected stage in the development of Mughal architecture. The names of many of the builders who participated in the construction of the Taj in different capacities have come down to us through Persian sources. A project as ambitious as the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal demanded talent from many quarters. From turkey came Ismail Khan a designer of hemispheres and the a builder of domes. Qazim Khan, a native of Lahore travelled to Agra to cast the solid gold finial that crowned the Turkish master's dome. Chiranjilal, a local lapidary from Delhi was chosen as the chief sculptor and mosaicist. Amanat Khan from Shiraz was the chief calligrapher, and this fact is attested on the Taj gateway where his name has been inscribed at the end of the inscription. Muhammad Hanif was the Supervisor of masons, while Mir Abdul Karim and Mukkarimat Khan of Shiraz handled finances and the management of daily production. Sculptors from Bukhara, calligraphers from Syria and Persia, inlayers from South India, stonecutters from Baluchistan, a man who specialised in building turrets, another who carved only marble flowers - thirty seven men in all formed the creative nucleus, and to this core was added a labour force of twenty thousand workers recruited from across North India.

Materials used-

(fig.25) THE TAJ IN SILHOUETTE

Along with the labourers flocking to Agra, materials for construction also began arriving : principally red sandstone from local quarries and marble dug from the hills of far-off Makrana, slightly southwest of Jaipur in Rajasthan. Although the treasury was well filled, such prodigious quantities of rare stuffs were required that caravans travelled to all corners of the empire and beyond in search of precious materials. From Chinese Turkestan in Central Asia came Nephrite jade and crystal; from Tibet, turquoise; from upper Burma, yellow amber; from Badakhshan in the high mountains of northeastern Afghanistan, lapis lazuli; from Egypt, chrysolite; from the Indian Ocean, rare shells, coral, and mother-of-pearl. Topazes, onyxes, garnets, sapphires, bloodstone, forty three types of gems in all - ranging in depth from Himalayan quartz to Golconda diamonds - were ultimately to be used in embellishing the Taj Mahal.

Aesthetics-background, marble, forms &lines, solid & voids, soaring effects, correction of illusionary effects, fluted pilasters, uniform size of calligraphic characters.

MASJID

The Mosque-

	(fig.27) MOSQUE FACADE
(fig.26) CEILING DETAILS, MOSQUE		(fig.28) GATEWAY, MOSQUE FACADE

On either side of the Taj Mahal are buildings of red sandstone. The one to the west is a Mosque. It faces towards Mecca and is used for prayer. Before we have a look at the mosque, let us take note of a small stone enclosure along the western boundary wall where the well of the Mosque is located. This greenery shaded structure, measuring 19 ft. by 6.5 ft. marks the site where the remains of Mumtaz Mahal were deposited when first brought to Agra. From this temporary grave they were removed to their present place of internment in the mausoleum.

Bageecha

The gardens -

(fig.29) VIEW OF FOUNTAIN IN TAJ GARDENS

A green carpet of garden runs from the main gateway to the foot of the Taj. In essence, it is a Persian garden, a from born and nursed to maturity in the desert flat of Persia.the image of the taj mahal is perfectely reflected in the central tank,which is also known as “celestial pool of abundance”.

The Water Devices -

The architect who was fully aware of the unaesthetic appearance of the grotesque pur-ramps and crude conduits, designed a clever system to procure water for the Taj
through underground pipes.

NAQQAR KHANA

The Rest House-

(fig.35) SIDE VIEW OF NAQQAR KHANA

On the east side of the Taj stands the twin of the Mosque, a parallel structure also made of red sandstone, referred to as the jawab, or "answer". Because it faced away from the Mecca, it was never used for prayer. Its presence there has always been something of an enigma. More plausible is the theory that its purpose was purely architectural, to counterbalance the Mosque and preserve the symmetry of the entire design on the platform.

DARWAZA

The Main Gateway-

People passed through a large courtyard, a jilokhana to enter the main gateway on the south. This courtyard was a place where travellers halted. Here, also, the poor were

provided with food and shelter.

		(fig.38) VIEW OF NORTH FAÇADE OF GATEWAY
(fig.36) GATEWAY, INTERIOR DOMED HALL	(fig.37) GATEWAY, SOUTH FAÇADE,DETAIL OF SECOND HALF OF SURA 89,AL-FAJR

TAJ MAHAL-A FEAST FOR SENSES

Bibi-ka-muqbara by aurangazeb, Victoria memorial by lord curzon in 1903, a model Taj Mahal in bangalore by a sorrow husband in 1998 and many other attempts have not succeeded to make an edifice with the singular pathetic distinctness with which every part of the taj mahal gives utterance to sorrow and affection. This year taj celebrates its 350^th birthday with a cultural extravaganza that hopes to pay a fitting tribute to the historical symbol of love & with the same spirit in mind is the above work. Explore360-degree panorama, capture the beauty of nature & architecture of this world wonder, short narrative gives viewer perspective and content, photos &text add depth for those hungry for deeper knowledge-learn about preserved heritage, Islamic decorative schemes in the above organized thoughts.

Let the splendor of the diamond, pearl and ruby vanish like the magic shimmer of the rainbow. Only let this one teardrop, the Taj Mahal, glisten spotlessly bright on the cheek of time...

	(fig.40) GATEWAY, DETAIL OF DOMED PAVILIONS ABOVE NORTH FACADE
(fig.39) GATEWAY, DETAIL OF LEFT SIDE OF SOUTH FACADE

REFERENCE SOURCES

Abdur Rashid Tattawi. Farhang-I Rashidi, ed. by AbuTahir Zulfiqar ‘ Ali Murshidabadi.Calcutta, Bibliotheca Indica, 1875.

Beale, Thomas W. An Oriental Biographical Dictionary, London, 1894.

Eliot, Henry M, Bibliographical Index to the Historians of Mohammadan India, London 1850.

And John Dowson , eds , History of India as Told by its Own Historians, London, 1867-1877.

Epigraphia Indo-Moslemica 1907-1950.

Epigraphia Indica , Arabic and Persian Supplement, 1951-present.

Hodiwala, S.H. Studies in Indo-Muslim History, A Critical Commentary on Elliot and Dowson’s History of India as told by its own Historians, 2 Vols. Lahore 1979.

Marshall, D.N. Mughals in India, A Bibliographical Survey , Volume One; Mansuscipts, Bombay 1967.

Sharma, S.R. , A Bibliography of Mughal India, Bombay, n.d.

Steingass, F.A. Comprehensive Persian –English dictionary, Delhi, 1973

Storey, C.A. Persian Literature, A Bio-biblographical Survey, 2 vols, hLondon 1970-71

Davies, Philip. The Penguin guide to the monuments of India, Vol II. London: Viking, 1989.

Tadgell, Christopher. The History of Architecture in India. London: Phaidon Press, 1990.