The original tomb of Shah Jahan’s begum Mumtaz is in the Burhanpur district of Madhya Pradesh, 493 miles away from Agra. She died in 1631 while giving birth to her 14th child, a daughter named GauharAra Begum, in Burhanpur. Actually, Shah Jahan went to Burhanpur to suppress the rebellion of Lodhi, At that time Mumtaz was pregnant and even though she escorted her husband to Burhanpur. Shah Jahan had three wives and his favourite one was Begum Mumtaz who had been the mother of 14 of his 16 children. Shah Jahan ascended the throne in 1628 and assigned Arjumand the title of Mumtaz Mahal. One day he swore by placing his hand on Mumtaz's grave at Burhanpur that he would build a tomb in her memory that would not be equal to any other in the world. It was to her loving memory that the Taj Mahal was constructed on the bank of river Yamuna. Her original tomb was also built on the bank of river Tapti in Burhanpur. It is said that Shah Jahan wished that a grand building should be built in memory of Mumtaz on the bank of river Tapti. Shah Jahan called the craftsmen from Iran to Zainabad.
How Diaspora of Craftsmen Started in Agra For Construction of Taj Mahal
The craftsmen inspected the Tapti river and refused to build any building at this place. That prompted the emperor to turn towards Agra for the construction of his wife's tomb. The land where the TajMahal exists was purchased from Raja Jai Singh, grandson of Raja Man Singh. From Burhanpur, Mumtazs funeral was brought to Agra after six months and reburied tentatively in a garden near the current mosque inside the Taj Mahal premise. While transferring and tentative burying it was ensured to preserve the dead body by applying various paste to the body for preserving it for a long duration. It took 17 years for the construction of the main mausoleum and in the remaining five years mosque, JamatKhana, garden and outer boundary were constructed. As soon as the main mausoleum was construed her dead body was reburied inside the sanctum sanctorum of the Taj Mahal. Craftsmen were invited from Italy, France, Turkey and Iran for the construction of the TajMahal. You will be acquainted with many more facts about its history by your Taj Mahal tour guide.
Tour Guide Impart knowledge about Art of Blending Semi Precious Stone in Taj Mahal
The chief architect Ustad Isa Effendi from Shiraz city of Iran designed the TajMahal with the team of twenty thousand artisans who worked consistently for twenty-two years. The invincible foundation of the TajMahal is 17.5-metre depth as per ground penetration radar method, made of ebony tree, known for higher density than water, remain unaffected from termite and moisturizer. This wood retains strength with the increase in the moisturizer that is why it is said that in coming years the TajMahal will become younger with an increase in the water level of Yamuna. Ebony wood, mortar, bricks, iron and stones were used in the foundation construction of the TajMahal. Brick kilns were set at the worksite for preparing bricks using sand and clay.
Impregnable Wooden Foundation of Taj Mahal
That time all measurements were done using bamboo and jute ropes. Series of 64 x 84 wooden wells were constructed beneath the foundation of the TajMahal and they were filled with iron, sand, mortar, lime and stone dust. Debris of stone, sand and lime were used in filling the gap between the wells. After constructing the foundation the network of piers and arches were constructed over it so that a load of the TajMahal can be distributed equally on the foundation of wells. Your local tour guide for the Taj Mahal will brief you with more information about its foundation. White marble from Makrana is the main building material for the TajMahal and it was inlaid with semi-precious stones mainly Cornelian, Lapizlazulu, Jasper, Sapphire, Turquoise, Jate and Crystal.
VISIT RED TAJ MAHAL WITH PRIVATE TOUR GUIDE
Apart from the Taj Mahal, there is another building in Agra, the Red Taj Mahal, depicting immortal love of wife towards his beloved husband, John Hessing. Tourists visiting Agra get fascinated with the beauty of the Taj Mahal that they tend to ignore other historical sites in the city.One such unexplored secret of Agra is the Red Taj Mahal, also known as Tomb of John Hessing. John Hessing was basically a Dutch traveller who ended up becoming an army officer and served in the troop of the Marathas in Agra as commander of Agra Fort. When British attacked Agra Fort in 1803, he was killed in battlefield defending the Fort. The edifice exhibits the Mughal architecture and stands on a square platform with a corridor around, while the top is a typical dome-shaped structure. The cemetry of John Hessing is inside the central hall and a few English inscriptions that are engraved on his tomb. You can hire service of private tour guide for sightseeing of Red Taj Mahal.
EXPLORE WITH LOCAL PRIVATE TOUR GUIDE, THE MYTH ABOUT BLACK TAJ MAHAL
The idea of a Black Taj Mahal standing opposite side of the White Taj certainly keeps the anticipations and hypothetical imaginations on a high. Historians believe that Shah Jahan had never anticipated for himself to be buried along with his paramour but was planning another gignatic tomb purportebly built in black marble (mirror image of Taj Mahal) on the other side of the river and connect the two by a bridge. The dream for the black Taj Mahal was another obsession for Shah Jahan and the idea seems plausible but did not materialise as he was dethroned by his son, Auranzeb. An observation made by Archeological Survey of India in 2006, when they reconstructed part of the pool in the moonlit garden which reflected a dark reflection of the white mausoleum. The blackened marbles remains in Mehtab Bagh that lie on the other side of the river are ostensibly foundations of an abandoned plan. Some tour guides outrightly dismiss the theory of Black Taj Mahal as it was discovered that the black marble remains in the Mehtab Bagh are not natural but have become black over the course of time due to staining. The theory of Black Taj Mahal is once again dismissed because if Shah Jahan wanted to build a Black Taj Mahal, he would have started working on it immediately after finishing the Taj Mahal in 1653, after which he had 5 years before he was imprisoned in Fort. Also, First Mughal Emperor Babur built Mehtab Bagh, years before construction of Taj Mahal even started. There is a stunning structure in Burhanpur (Madhya Pradesh) made of black marble called the black Taj Mahal. It was constructed between 1622 to 1623 as mausoleum of Shah Nawaz Khan who was commander in Mughal Army.It is believed that most of the designs were copied from this black Taj for the construction of Taj Mahal in Agra.
URS CEREMONY AT TAJ MAHAL WITH TOUR GUIDE
During three days Urs occassion, celebration of Shah Jahan’s death anniversary, basement of the Taj Mahal is opened for tourists and priest. Here visitors get opportunity to see real tombs of Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal. These graves were bathed with Gulab Jal (Rose Water) as a part of ritual called ‘Gusl’ (Full body purification before the performance of rituals). Prayers are being offered near the original graves of Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal for peace. Throughout the year this basement remain closed except for this occasion during which visitors are entitled for free entry.Visitor can observe tradition of applying sandalwood paste on the real graves and offering of Chadar (large sheet of colourful textile) called “Chadar-Poshi”.
FAQ RELATED TO TOUR GUIDE FOR TAJ MAHAL
Is it really worth to book private tour guide for sightseeing of the Taj Mahal ?
The Taj Mahal is the white pristine tomb, made of marble, not only famous for her beauty but also for it geometrical construction. Lot of civil engineers infuse their hard work in designing of the Taj Mahal. The tour guide for Taj Mahal impart pragmatic knowledge, accummulated by his experience, to tourists hiring his services.
How to book tour guide for the Taj Mahal?
Full up query form in our web page, call or whatsup us your detail. Our official guide will report at your hotel, railway station or airport, to escort you for guided sightseeing of the Taj Mahal.
What is the best time to explore the Taj Mahal in guided sightseeing tour?
The tour guide recommend early morning time to enjoy the Taj Mahal when it is less busy. Also for sunset view of the Taj Mahal, evening time is recommended though it is crowdy. Also one can enjoy changes in color of Taj Mahal by this time and also good for photography.
How much time one should spend in guided sightseeing tour of the Taj Mahal ?
Generally with tour guide 120 minutes are sufficient to explore the Taj Mahal. But for photography at various locations can consume some time of visitor. The tour guide shows you multiple best points inside the premise meant for photography.
VALUABLE TIPS FROM LOCAL GUIDE FOR TAJ MAHAL SIGHTSEEING TOUR
Tips Of Tour Guide For Photography Inside The Taj Mahal
Local tour guides are regular visitors to the Taj Mahal and possess necessary knowledge to assist you in identifying appropriate spots famous for photography like shot from the arch of the main gate and capturing reflection of the Taj Mahal in the central water tank. The tour guide can recommend you nearby rooftop coffee shops for photography. Sunrise time is preferable for photography because that time this beautiful monument has minimum visitors and changes in color of Taj Mahal electrifying its beauty.
Does Visitors Required To Carry Hard (Print) Copy Of Online Tickets
Soft copy of ticket is sufficient for entry inside the Taj Mahal, it is not mandatory to carry print copy of ticket. All the three entry gates for the Taj Mahal are automated and opened spontaneously after scanning the bar code of tickets. But if you buy tickets from nearby ticket counters than plastic coin is scanned to open the gate and while exiting you are required to insert the coin to open the gate.
What Wear While Visiting Taj Mahal
The couples wearing wedding dress for prewedding photo shots are not allowed for photography, they must have written permission from ASI office. There is no mandatory dress code for visiting Taj Mahal but tourists are required to maintain dressing decorum because there is adjoin mosque where local inhabitants offer prayers inside the mosque.
Mud Therapy For Cleaning The Marble Of The Taj Mahal
Mud therapy is the traditional treatment for cleaning the Taj Mahal. Chemical-less mud paste (Multani Mitti) is regularly used to restore natural shine and colour of the Taj Mahal. The major vulnerability to the Taj Mahal is air and water pollution. Acid rain reacts with marble and leaves yellow stains on it due to formation of calcium and sulphur nitrate powder. Mud packs have been the effective ways for ASI to wash away yellow strains from the surface of marble. Operating electric vehicles from parking to Taj Mahal is one of the effective ways to combat threat of air pollution. Local government in Agra has started building a new dam to maintain flow of water in river and monitoring discharge for sewage water only after treatment before poring it into the river Yamuna to control water pollution.
Mystery And Controversy About Rooms Of Taj Mahal At Its Basement
Having inspected the basement area of the Taj Mahal on many occasions, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has rejected the theory of rooms in it. They rather stated that a long arced corridor along which doors were fixed during the British rule to utilize the basement area. The rooms are not sealed but locked by officials to prevent visitors roaming inside the basement lacking ventilation.
Can Tour Guide Escort Tourist During Night Viewing Taj Mahal On Moon Night
Generally government certified licensed tour guides are exempted from tickets while escorting guests inside the Taj Mahal during day time. They are not allowed to escort guest inside the Taj Mahal during night viewing perhaps being visitor they can accompany guest by buying tickets from their own expense.
Is the Taj Mahal a mosque (religious place)? If no, what is the purpose for constructing it?
The Taj Mahal is a finest example of indo-Islamic architectural design combining elements of Persian and Hindu architectural values. So a mosque was constructed near the mausoleum in direction of Mecca. Additionally, the Taj Mahal complex has a mosque and a guest house on its adjacent sides. The mosque and the guest house in the Taj Mahal complex are built of red sandstone unlike the marble mausoleum made of ivory white marble. The mosque as well as the guest house are identical structures on either side of the Taj Mahal giving it a perfect architectural balance. The Taj Mahal is closed on Friday so that local muslim inhabitants can visit Taj Mahal for prayers. Your Taj Mahal tour guide can show you pertinent point for photography near the Mosque plateform.
