Worldroom MICE Tourism Guide: India 2008


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	Worldroom National Tourism Guide INDIA 2008archive


	The Taj Mahal has been officially voted as one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. The perfect symmetry, the ethereal luminescence, the wonderful proportions, the sheer scale, the exquisite detailing in every inch of marble, justifies it as a wonder of the world. Tourists from all over the world visit Agra in India to see the perfectly proportioned white marble magnificence, the Taj Mahal, a symbol of 'eternal love' and the finest example of Mughal architecture. The Taj Mahal stands on the bank of River Yamuna which flows through Agra and is two and a half hours by express train from New Delhi. Agra was the capital of the Mughal Empire during the 16th and the 17th centuries. The Taj was built by the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan in 1631 in the memory of his second wife, Mumtaz Mahal, a Persian princess. It is said that her death so crushed the emperor that all his hair and beard turned snow white in a few months. When Mumtaz Mahal was alive, she extracted a promise from the emperor that he build a memorial to her. Construction began in 1631 and twenty thousand people were deployed to work on it. The Taj Mahal was constructed over a period of twenty-two years, and was completed in 1648 at a cost of 32 Million Rupees. It is built entirely of white marble brought from Rajasthan. Over 1000 elephants were used to transport building material during construction. The Taj rises on a high red sandstone base topped by a huge white marble terrace on which rests the famous dome flanked by four tapering minarets. The interior and exterior are adorned by intricately carved floral bouquets, inlaid with precious stones as well as with different shades of marble, slate, and sandstone. The workmanship is exquisite with beautiful calligraphy, carved relief work and filigree screens. The only asymmetrical object in the Taj is the casket of the emperor which was built beside the queen's, as an afterthought. Within the dome is the jewel inlaid cenotaph of the queen with the words: Help us oh lord to bear what we cannot bear! The Taj is the favorite place for all lovers. People from around the world come to India to view this great legend and the Taj is also one of the most popular international attractions in India. Its stunning beauty is beyond adequate description, particularly at dawn and sunset. On a foggy morning, the visitors experience the Taj as if suspended when viewed from across the Yamuna River. Like a jewel, the Taj sparkles in moonlight. The Taj is pinkish in the morning, milky white in the evening and golden when the moon shines. The Taj seems to have a life of its own! Get to the Taj entrance at dawn, before it opens, then rush -- run if you must -- straight to the cenotaph chamber (remember to remove your shoes before ascending the marble steps). If you manage to get there first, you will hear what might aptly be described as "the sound of infinity" -- the vibration created by air moving through the huge ventilated dome. As soon as the first visitor walks in, jabbering away, it reverberates throughout the room, and the sacred moment is lost until closing time again. Legend has it that Shah Jahan cut off the hands of the architect, Persian-born Ustad Ahmad Lahori and his laborers, to ensure that they would never build another monument such as this, but there is little to substantiate this sensational story. According to another legend Shah Jahan planned another Taj Mahal in black marble across the Jamuna River but his son Aurangzeb threw him into jail before the Black Taj Mahal could be built. The emperor was deposed by his son and imprisoned in the Great Red Fort for eight years but was later buried in the Taj. During his imprisonment he was barred from visiting Taj. What he could have was just a little view of the Taj in the reflection of a diamond! You could plan your visit to the Taj during the mesmerizing Taj Festival, a ten-day event, called Taj Mahotsav - at Agra which is a cultural introduction of India, usually held in the month of February. The festivities commence with a spectacular procession of bedecked elephants and camels, drum beaters, folk artists and master craftsmen who try to recreate the golden era of the Mughal Darbars. The Taj festival is a culturally vibrant platform that brings together folk music, shayari (poetry), classical dance performances and musical recitals, elephant and camel rides, games and food festivals, along with a display of various craft products.