15 Interesting FactsAbout the Taj Mahal
1. The Taj Mahalwas built by a whopping 22,000 laborers, painters, stonecutters, embroideryartists.
2. Legend has it that Emperor Shah Jahan intended to buildanother Taj Mahal in black marble
across the river but a war with his sons interrupted theseplans.
3. The changing moods of the Emperors wife are well capturedby the changing hues of the Mausoleum at different times of the day.
It takes a pinkishhue in the morning, milky white inthe evening and golden at night whenilluminated by moonlight.
4. It intricate work of art and architectural genius took 17years to complete.
5. The most recognizable feature is the white dome at thepeak of the mausoleum.
Often called the onion dome it rises to about 35 meters (115feet) and is surrounded by four other domes.
6. Taj Mahal is afamous Indian landmark and tourist magnet, attracting more than a milliontourists every year.
7. As always, rumor mills are on the overdrive about thismausoleum.
It is rumored that the Emperor ordered that all the workerswho worked on the mausoleum
get their hands chopped of so that no one could makeanything like it ever again.
8. If it was to be built today, Taj Mahal would cost the Emperor about US$100 to make it asbeautiful as it is.
9. The materials that were used to build Taj Mahal were transported to theconstruction site by a whopping 1,000 elephants.
10. Many of the precious stones on the mausoleum were rippedoff from the walls of the mausoleum by the British army during the Indianrebellion of 1857.
11. About 28 types of precious and semi-precious stones wereused for adorning the Taj and
they were sourced from Tibet, China, Sri Lanka and someparts of India.
12. Taj Mahal isthe most beautiful symbol of love.
It was a dedication of a sorrowful emperor Shah Jahan to hisbeloved wife Mumtaz Mahal,
who died in 1631 while giving birth to their 14th child.
13. In 1632, a year after the death of Mumtaz Mahal, Shah Jahandecided to make a monument of love as a dedication to his wife.
After an epic work of 21 long years, it was completed in1653.
14. It cost ShahJahan 32 million Indian rupees to built this monument,
which amounts approximately 52.8 billion Indian rupees atpresent.
15. The 4 pillars of height 130 ft surround the main dome ofthe Taj Mahal.
These are not standing 90 degrees to the surface but aretilted outwards
so that if an earthquake occurs, they will fall away fromthe tomb.