Essay Sample about Taj Mahal

Introduction

Have you ever done something amazing for one of your loved ones? Shah Jahan did! He made the Taj Mahal, an amazing mausoleum and one of the 7 wonders, for one of his wives. He made a tombstone in the center of the Taj Mahal to honor her, so he could lay beside her when his time came. The Taj has been a symbol of Indian culture throughout history. The Taj Mahal was named after Shah Jahan’s most beloved wife of his four wives, Arjumand Banu Begum, who was then called Mumtaz Mahal Begum after marriage. It took 12 years, 5 million rupees -or $68,000– and thousands of paid workers from across all of Mughal India. If he were to build the Taj Mahal today it would cost much more than that. The Taj Mahal is one of the oldest symbols of love and war and shows even though at weddings they say till death do you part, love will never leave you and your partner. The Taj Mahal is amazing because of its purpose and location, its history and its crystalline shine, and all of the extra features that were added. 

The Purpose and location of the Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal was made for the 3rd wife of Shah Jahan after she died when she was giving birth to their 14th child. She was in labor for about 30 hours and died at the age of 40. This explains part of why it took so long to build and make the Taj. Another reason it took so long is because of all of the intricate details that were needed in the design. Another reason is because of the location, Shah Jahan had to argue a lot for it and The gemstones were found all across the world. Some of the gemstones included in the tomb are the white marble brought from Makrana, the jasper from Punjab, the pure jade from China, and the turquoise from Tibet. The Taj was made in Agra over a river basin or the Jamuna river, in western Uttar Pradesh. The location of the Taj Mahal was a well-thought-out decision by Shah Jahan who chose a peaceful site because it reminded him of how thoughtful and caring his wife was.

The history and efforts of the Taj Mahal

The Taj was built by 22,000 laborers, stone cutters, painters, and embroidery artists. Shah Jahan actually wanted to build a second Taj Mahal out of black marble across the river but a war between his sons struck, so his plans were canceled. The Taj Mahal was officially completed around 1643, which confirms that it is 378 years old. The construction of the Taj Mahal began around 1632, but they started gathering workers, builders, and architects in 1620. The Taj is a symbol of India because it has survived so many wars from the past such as the independence war and WWII. The Taj is a famous Indian landmark and one of the 7 wonders in the world, which explains why it is a tourist magnet, engaging more than a million tourists every year. If it was to be built today, the Taj would cost the Emperor about $1,000,000,000 to make it as beautiful as it is.

The Extra Features of the Taj Mahal

Some of the extra amazing features added to the Taj include the mood changes of his wife incorporated in the changing colors of the tomb at different times of the day. For instance, the Taj takes a pinkish color in the morning, a beautiful white in the evening, and a golden hue at night when irradiated by moonlight. It took a total of about 17 years if you include all of the precise details added to build the Taj Mahal. Not many people know what Taj Mahal means but, Taj in Persian means crown and Mahal means palace. So, the Taj Mahal most likely means Crown Palace or Palace of Crowns. The most recognizable feature is the white dome at the peak of the crypt. It rises to about 35 meters and is surrounded by four other domes. It is also called the onion dome because it has the shape of an onion. You are allowed in the Taj Mahal all year-round. However, on Fridays, the Taj is closed due to prayers.

Conclusion

Why is the Taj Mahal amazing? It is amazing because of its origin and how much effort it took to build it. The Taj Mahal has an extraordinary purpose as a loving tribute to his wife. The Taj has a powerful history because of all of the work and effort put into it. Also, breathtaking details incorporated into the cinerarium make it exquisite to the eye and mind. Finally, the reason the Taj Mahal is one of the 7 wonders is that it has survived many historical events, is a beautiful place to go and has amazing details applied to it.