Incredible India - Taj Mahal, A Dream Made In Marble

As part of Incredible India series, this post is for Taj Mahal, A Dream Made In Marble, which is located in historical Agra city of Uttar Pradesh, most populous state in India.

There is so much written about Taj Mahal but possibly the best way to describe it is the way Rabindranath Tagore, Nobel Prize winner in Literature (1913) did. 
You knew, Shah Jehan, life and youth, wealth and glory, they all drift away in the current of time. You strove, therefore, to perpetuate only the sorrow of your heart... Let the splendor of diamond, pearl, and ruby vanish like the magic shimmer of the rainbow. Only let this one tear-drop, this Tajmahal, glisten spotlessly bright on the cheek of time, forever and ever. 
O King, you are no more. Your empire has vanished like a dream, your throne lies shattered... your minstrels sing no more, your musicians no longer mingle their strains with the murmuring Jamuna...Despite all this, the courier of your love, untarnished by time, unwearied, unmoved by the rise and fall of empires, unconcerned with the ebb and flow of life and death, carries the ageless message of your love from age to age: ‘Never shall I forget you, beloved, never.’ 
- By Rabindranath Tagore
Taj seems to display varied shades including pinkish in morning, milky white in evening, golden when the moon shines and intermediary variants during different hours of the day and during different seasons in a year. So one can enjoy and appreciate beauty of Taj at all times and never get enough of it in a single visit.





Taj is without a doubt, a masterpiece made in marble, beauty personified, widely recognized as "the jewel of art in India" and one of the universally admired monuments of the world's heritage.
Taj Mahal translates to "crown of palaces", is a white marble mausoleum built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan (1628-1658 A.D.), grandson of Akbar the Great in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died during the birth of their 14th child. 
The mausoleum is located on the right bank of the river Yamuna. Red sandstone mosque on the western, and Mehman-Khana on the eastern side of the tomb provides aesthetically a clear colour contrast. 
Taj Mahal is regarded by many as the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Islamic, Persian, Ottoman Turkish and Indian architectural styles.
The Gate Way of Taj, Royal Gate is an octagonal entrance hall, surrounded by small rooms on both the sides in the floors having beautifully ornamented gates on both sides. The Royal gate has 22 domes to symbolize the amount of years it took to build Taj.


Taj is a perfect fusion of Indian and Persian Architecture. The four minarets are built to slightly tilt outwards to save the main structure from any earthquake or disaster.



As part of Incredible India series, I had earlier shared blog posts on Karnataka Road Trip, Qutub Minar, Golconda Fort, Humayun's Tomb, Temples in Delhi, Bird Watching, Gwalior Fort, Gwalior Palace Museum, Temples in Gwalior, Agra Fort & Tomb of Akbar

Incredible India - Agra Fort

As part of Incredible India series, this post is for Agra Fort located in historical Agra city of Uttar Pradesh, most populous state in India.

Agra Fort is like a walled city surrounded by a 21.4 m high fortification wall and is situated on the river bank of Yamuna river. Fort has been built by thick and strong walls of red sand stone. Agra Fort is an amalgamation of buildings and palaces, which were built by Mughal dynasty from Emperors Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan to Aurangzeb.  


The present day structure was built by the Mughals, though a fort had stood there since at least the 11th century. Agra Fort was originally a brick fort known as Badalgarh Fort, which was a strong foothold of the Rajput rulers. 


Fort is also the place where Aurangzeb imprisoned Shah Jahan, his own father for 8 years until Shah Jahan died in 1666 in the lap of his dear daughter Jahan Ara gazing towards the Taj, the tomb of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal and was later buried in the Taj Mahal. 

Agra Fort is also famous for the fact that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was kept under house arrest by Aurangzeb from 12th May to 17th August 1666 AD and with his brave skills & planning, Shivaji successfully managed to escape from this heavily guarded fort to reach Raigard. 


Previously Agra Fort had 4 main gates but presently only Amar Singh Gate and Delhi Gate are in use. The monumental Delhi Gate, which faces the city on the western side of the fort, is considered the grandest of the four gates and a masterpiece of Emperor Akbar's time. Amar Singh Gate was built by Emperor Shah Jahan and named after the great Rajput hero, Amar Singh Rathore, Maharaja of Jodhpur. Legend has it that in 1644 AD in the court of Emperor Shah Jahan, Salabat Khan, imperial treasurer insulted Amar Singh, who then slewed Salabat Khan. This act turned Mughal army against Amar Singh, who then riding on the back of his horse jumped the high walls of the fort near the spot where Amar Singh Gate was built. 



Though this fort has lost the glamour and grandeur of the Mughal rule, yet it still is a magnificent monument that deserves a visit and go down the lanes of history. Diwan-I-Khas, the 'hall for private and distinguished audiences' was built by Shah Jahan with white marbles in the year 1637 AD. The pillars and arches of this dignified building are inlaid with semi precious stones and colored flowers. Its ceiling was decorated with golden colors and the floors with shining marble slabs, which were taken away by the Jats during their invasion of Agra. The famous peacock throne of Shah Jahan was placed here and was later taken to Delhi by Aurangzeb, which was then taken away by invaders to now present Teheran. 



As part of Incredible India series, I had earlier shared blog posts on Karnataka Road Trip, Qutub Minar, Golconda Fort, Humayun's Tomb, Temples in Delhi, Bird Watching, Gwalior Fort, Gwalior Palace Museum & Temples in Gwalior.

Incredible India - Temples in Delhi

As part of Incredible India series, this post is for some incredible temples located in New Delhi, India.
Incredible temples located in New Delhi include Chhatarpur Temple, Lotus Temple, Birla temple (LaxmiNarayan temple) and Akshardham temple.

Chhatarpur Temple and within its complex and vicinity, there are some beautiful architected temples. Chhatarpur Temple is located on Gurgaon-Mehrauli Road, in South Delhi. Temple is having easy access by buses, autos, metro and taxis from New Delhi city.

Erected in white marble, the main shrine is dedicated to Goddess Katyayani (sixth form of Durga). The temples within the complex of Chhatarpur Temple have been built in both South as well as of North Indian style of temple architecture.

The Temple is spread over an area of ~70 acres including number of structures dedicated to each deity. Near main entrance, there is an ancient tree, which is covered with holy threads that people tie with belief that their wishes would be fulfilled.

Lotus Temple is another incredible architecture, which is at times referred as modern times Taj Mahal.  Temple is built in the shape of a lotus flower and is the last of seven Major Bahai's temples. Built in 1986, lush green landscaped gardens add up to its beauty. 

Lotus Temple is located in east side of the city. Structure is made up of pure white marble and its architect Fariborz Sahba chose lotus as the symbol common to Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Islam. 

Birla Mandir in New Delhi is also known as Laxminarayan Temple. Temple was built by the industrialst J.K. Birla in 1939. The temple is dedicated to Laxmi (the goddess of prosperity) and Narayana (The preserver). 

This beautiful temple is located in the west of Connaught Place and was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi on the condition that people of all castes will be allowed to enter the temple.

Akshardham temple in New Delhi epitomizes 10,000 years of Indian culture in all its breathtaking grandeur, beauty, wisdom and bliss. The temple, at the center of the complex, was built according to the Vastu Shastra and Pancharatra Shastra

The building was inspired and developed by Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the spiritual head of the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, whose 3,000 volunteers helped 7,000 artisans construct Akshardham. 

As part of Incredible India series, I had earlier shared blog posts on Karnataka Road Trip, Qutub Minar, Golconda Fort & Humayun's Tomb.