India
Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal is the India’s most renowned monument and one of the Seven Wonders
of World as well. Taj Mahal is a pure charismatic dream in white marble by the banks
of Yamuna River. No words can explain its magnificence; you must visit Taj Mahal
to experience its alluring and incredible beauty. According to a maxim, ‘beauty
lies in the eyes of a beholder.’ But for the Taj Mahal axiom is just the opposite;
i.e. Taj itself is the personification of beauty. Varied shades of Taj in a day
display its variant moods. Shrouded in early morning mists, it is milky white, while
it glistens in afternoon and turns into dazzling bright in overhead sunlight while
the moonlight gives it a pearly glow and makes it simply majestic. The Nobel Laurette
Rabirndra Nath Tagore has aptly described Taj Mahal ‘A teardrop in the face
of eternity.’ Taj Mahal is in Agra, a State of Uttar Pradesh, and is a part
of India’s popular Golden Triangle tourist circuit. Taj Mahal was built by
Shah Jahan as a memorial for his third wife who died in 1631. The whole complex
looks twenty years to get completed. After the death of Shah Jahan in 1666 he was
buried here along with his beloved wife Mumtaz. Taj Mahal is a UNESCO World Heritage
Site and cited as ‘One of the universally admired masterpieces of Word Heritage.’
The tomb can be accessed through a grand and majestic gateway. The ceilings of Taj
Mahal are embellished with amazing floral patterns while floors are adorned with
geometric designs. Apart from the main building, there are other vestiges of beauty
inside the Taj Mahal complex including; The Mosque, Mihman Khana, the Jilaukhana
(Fore Court) Zone, the Bazaar Streets, Fatehabadi Darwaza (East Gate), Fatehpuri
Darwaza ( West Gate), Sidhi Darwaza (South Gate) the Darwaza-i-Rauza (the Great
Gate) and Charbagh (Paradise Gardens).