By Edwin Thomas
Facts About Taj Mahal in India
The white marble splendor of the Taj Mahal is recognized to be one of the world's true marvels. The beautiful and iconic complex stands as one of Muslim India's crowning accomplishments. The Taj Mahal's home city of Agra forms one of the legs of the famed "Golden Triangle" of Indian tourism, along with Jaipur and Delhi. The great monument stands as arguably the single most important tourist attraction in a vast country that is filled with them.
Origin
The Taj Mahal is accurately presented as a monument to love, for it is the tomb of Mughal overlord Shah Jahan's third wife, Mumtaz Mahal.
Construction
The Taj Mahal took a truly international workforce of more than 1,000 elephants and over 20,000 laborers, craftsmen and artists 22 years to complete.
Shah Jahan's Fate
Aurangzeb, arguably the greatest Mughal Emperor.
Soon after work on the Taj Mahal was completed, Shah Jahan was deposed by his son Aurangzeb. Legend has it that Jahan was kept under house arrest where he could see his great monument. When Jahan died he was definitely laid to rest next to his beloved wife.
Dimensions
The dome and finial of the Taj Mahal.
The building sits on a square marble base that is 186 feet on a side. The top of the main dome is 213 feet high, reaching 239 feet with the finial included.
Tourism
The Taj Mahal attracts over two million visitors per year, and amazingly most of them are Indians rather than foreigners. The popular monument was declared one of the New Seven Wonders of the World by an international vote.
Dollars Unwelcome
It had been a long standing policy of the Indian government to collect a variety of hard currencies for the Taj Mahal admission fees. They suspended accepting the U.S. dollar in early 2008, due to volatility and weakness of the currency.
About the Author:
Edwin Thomas has been writing since 1997. His work has appeared in various online publications, including The Black Table, Proboxing-Fans and others. A travel blogger, editor and writer, Thomas has traveled from Argentina to Vietnam in pursuit of stories. He holds a Master of Arts in international affairs from American University.
Photo Credits:
Richard Thomas, Wikimedia Commons
