Book 1 The Taj Mahal Photo Album

Overwhelmed by grief, Shah Jehan was determined to perpetuate her immortal memory and decided to build for his beloved wife the finest sepulchre ever - a monument of eternal love. Shah Jehan brought together the most skilled craftsmen from all over Asia and even Europe. The workforce included craftsmen from Italy, Persia and Turkey. The entire structure of the Taj was to be built out of white and yellow marble on the banks of the Yamuna River, not far from the Agra fort nearby. The main architect was Ustad Isa, a Persian.

After twenty-two long years and the efforts of over twenty thousand workmen and master craftsmen, the Taj Mahal and surrounding complex was completed in 1653. The Taj Mahal finally rested on the banks of the river Yamuna in Agra, the capital of the Mughal rulers.

Legend has it that Shah Jehan had intended to build a black marbled mausoleum for himself, but died before this could take conception. It was to have been the exact replica of the Taj Mahal on the opposite bank of the Yamuna River. The link between the two being a silver bridge.

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Court histories describe how the Shah used to travel from his nearby fort to visit the tomb of his wife by boat. He would arrive on the river side of the monument and ascend to the terrace by way of an embankment. This approach was reserved only for the emperor and members of his party. Others had to pass through a large courtyard, a Jilokhana to enter the main gateway on the south. This courtyard was a place where travelers rested. Here also the poor were provided with food and shelter, and on the anniversary of Mumtaz's death vast sums were distributed in charity from the funds with which the Taj was endowed.

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