English: Anyone who so much as walks past it, cannot hold himself/herself from the feeling of wanting to look at it one more time. And anyone who has been in the presence of it cannot help but sing praises of its glory. It's inevitable! Taj Mahal impressions consist of the things that people have said after experiencint the magnificence of this outstanding monument. From awe to delight to sheer ecstasy, impressions of Taj Mahal depict each and every conceivable feeling.

Famous sayings of Taj Mahal: "The sight of this mansion creates sorrowing sighs and makes sun and moon shed tears from their eyes. In this world this edifice has been made to display, thereby, the Creator's glory." -Shah Jahan (Badshah Nama)

Taj Mahal Story: Male Protagonist: Shah Jahan (Prince Khurram) Female Protagonist: Mumtaz Mahal (Arjumand Banu Begum)

Taj Mahal, the magnificent monument that stands at the heart of India has a story that has been melting the hearts of millions of listeners since the time Taj has been visible. A story, that although ended back in 1631, continues to live on in the form of Taj and is considered a living example of eternal love. It's the love story of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal, two people from the course of history who set an example for the people living in present and the future to come. An English poet, Sir Edwin Arnold best describes it as "Not a piece of architecture, as other buildings are, but the proud passion of an emperor's love wrought in living stones." The story that follows next will prove why the statement is true.

Shah Jahan, initially named Prince Khurram, was born in the year 1592. He was the son of Jehangir, the fourth Mughal emperor of India and the grandson of Akbar the Great. In 1607 when strolling down the Meena Bazaar, accompanied by a string of fawning courtiers, Shah Jahan caught a glimpse of a girl hawking silk and glass beads. It was love at first sight and the girl was Mumtaz Mahal, who was known as Arjumand Banu Begum at that time. At that time, he was 14 years old and she, a Muslim Persian princess, was 15. After meeting her, Shah Jahan went back to his father and declared that he wanted to marry her. The match got solemnized after five years i.e., in the year 1612.

It was in the year 1628 that Shah Jahan became the Emperor and entrusted Arjumand Banu with the royal seal. He also bestowed her with the title of Mumtaz Mahal, meaning the "Jewel of the Palace". Though Shah Jahan had other wives also, but, Mumtaz Mahal was his favorite and accompanied him everywhere, even on military campaigns. In the year 1631, when Mumtaz Mahal was giving birth to their 14th child, she died due to some complications. While Mumtaz was on her deathbed, Shah Jahan promised her that he would never remarry and will build the richest mausoleum over her grave.

It is said that Shah Jahan was so heartbroken after her death that he ordered the court into mourning for two years. Sometime after her death, Shah Jahan undertook the task of erecting the world's most beautiful monument in the memory of his beloved. It took 22 years and the labor of 22,000 workers to construct the monument. When Shah Jahan died in 1666, his body was placed in a tomb next to the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal. This magnificent monument came to be known as "Taj Mahal" and now counts amongst the Seven Wonders of the World. This is the true story of the Taj Mahal of India, which has mesmerized many people with its bewitching beauty.

Taj Mahal Legends: When the sense of mystique rises, the immortality of anything reaches an all time high. The myths and legends associated with the Taj Mahal consist of all the stories that have been said about it, but have not been proven to be true. However, all these legends of the Taj Mahal of India have added to the curiosity and have built up an atmosphere of mystery that seems irresistible. The intriguing element involved in these mysteries and speculations regarding how much of it is true have been attracting more and more people from all over the world to this marvelous monument. Some of the main myths about the Taj Mahal, Agra are:

Italian Architect The Taj Mahal of Agra that has been illuminating heavenly for the past three centuries and more, and attracting and inspiring millions of people from across the world. It was built up by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, who wanted his beloved wife to be remembered by one and all, with help

Black Taj The Taj Mahal of Agra is one fine example of how to plan and then successfully apply symmetry into the proceedings. Every inch of Taj Mahal is a breathing example of it, except for one thing: the cenotaph of Shah Jahan himself, which appears to be an afterthought

Demolition Of Taj For long Taj Mahal has been a monumental figure, contributing to the epical history of the country. Clothed with white marble and ornamented with precious and semi precious stones, for long has it raised the jealousy bar in the hearts of the malice ones

Asymmetric Taj The beauty of the ever graceful and magnificent Taj Mahal has always had admirers watch and praise in awe, and the symmetry of it has always had the architects from world across speculate and contemplate as to how this could have been done on such

Mutilation Among all the fascinating myths and legends that surround the existence of Taj Mahal, there is one in particular that is the most grotesque. This legend tells the tale of the craftsmen who, one day were marveling at the stunning creation they crafted out of their own hands,

Name Legend Although its name has been in use for as long as one can remember, nobody quite knows how the name of this beautiful, one of the Seven Wonders of the World came to be Taj Mahal. The "Name of the Taj Mahal" myth states various theories as to how this monument

Sinking Taj As long as there have been magical monuments, there have been mystical and mythical tales surrounding them like fog on a misty morning. And the Taj Mahal of Agra is no exception to it. So, what myth is it this time? It's the myth of the sinking Taj!

Taj A Palace Raved as one fine example of Mughal architecture with a style that brought Persian, Islamic, and Indian architectural elements together into one place and merged them to form the ever wonderful Taj Mahal, it is believed that the monument is one of a kind

Taj A Temple Shah Jahan, belonging to the lineage of the first Mughal Emperor Babur, built Taj Mahal back in 17th century in the loving memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Since then, this epic monument of love has been impressing and luring millions from across the world.

Theft In Taj It is believed that when Taj Mahal first saw the light of the day, the precious, semi precious, and other priceless decorative items it was adorned with, shone as if the stars themselves came down to bask it in a heavenly glory. As many as 28 kinds of rare stones

Third Graves The first set of graves is placed in the central chamber, surrounded by an intricately carved marble screen or jali, inside the main mausoleum. The second set of graves is placed in the lower chamber, which is right below the central chamber.

Location: City: Agra, on the banks of river Yamuna State: Uttar Pradesh

Distance from Delhi: 204 Km (approx)