The Taj Mahal is one of the
most fascinating and beautiful monuments of the world.
The Indian ruler Shah Jahan ordered it built in memory
of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died in 1629.
The tomb stands on the bank of the Yamuna River near the
city of Agra, in Uttar Pradesh. About 20,000 workers were
employed in its construction, completed after some 20
years. The Taj Mahal is made of white marble and rests
on a platform of red sandstone. At each corner of the
platform stands a slender minaret while a most elegant
dome covers the centre of the building. A central room
contains two cenotaphs; the bodies of Shah Jahan and his
wife lie in a vault below. Passages from the Muslim holy
book, the Quran, decorate the outside along with inlaid
floral patterns. So perfect are the proportions of the
Taj and so exquisite its workmanship that this is really
one of the world's most marvellous buildings.
Agra Fort
The principal monuments of Agra - the Taj
Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri - were built when
the Mughal Empire reached its peak in wealth, power and
enlightenment, and Agra was the capital and focus of attention.
Built in the form of a half moon on the west bank of the
Yamuna river, the Agra Fort is a masterpiece of design
and construction. In 1565 A.D., Akbar erected the walls
and gates and the first buildings inside. His grandson,
Shah Jahan, had most of the principal buildings erected,
and Aurangzeb, the last great emperor, added the outer
ramparts. The fort's colossal walls rise over 20m in height
and measure 2.5 km in circumference. They are encircled
by a wide moat and contain a maze of buildings that form
a small city within a city. Some of the most exquisite
buildings are the Halls of Public and Private Audience,
Shah Jahan's white marble Khas Mahal Palace, and the Musamman
Burj tower where Shah Jahan died after seven years of
imprisonment in the fort.
Fatehpur Sikri
The principal monuments of Agra - the Taj
Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri - were built when
the Mughal Empire reached its peak in wealth, power and
enlightenment, and Agra was the capital and focus of attention.
Built in the form of a half moon on the west bank of the
Yamuna river, the Agra Fort is a masterpiece of design
and construction. In 1565 A.D., Akbar erected the walls
and gates and the first buildings inside. His grandson,
Shah Jahan, had most of the principal buildings erected,
and Aurangzeb, the last great emperor, added the outer
ramparts. The fort's colossal walls rise over 20m in height
and measure 2.5 km in circumference. They are encircled
by a wide moat and contain a maze of buildings that form
a small city within a city. Some of the most exquisite
buildings are the Halls of Public and Private Audience,
Shah Jahan's white marble Khas Mahal Palace, and the Musamman
Burj tower where Shah Jahan died after seven years of
imprisonment in the fort.
Ajanta
The Buddhist caves of Ajanta, located 100 km from
Aurangabad in Maharashtra, reflect the zenith of ancient Indian
art and architecture. Artificial caves were cut in rocky cliffs
above a horseshoe shaped valley during the 2nd century B.C.
till 650 A.D. to provide prayer halls and place of residence
for Buddhist monks. Craft workers cut out the rock and sculpted
it whilst others made beautiful murals depicting places, royalty,
culture and tales of everyday life of ancient India. As Buddhism
gradually declined, the Ajanta caves were abandoned and eventually
forgotten. It was as late as in the 19th century that a party
of British officers discovered the Ajanta caves. Their isolation
contributed to the fine state of preservation of the remarkable
paintings
