7 Wonders of the World-The Taj Mahal-India

The Taj Mahal in India is probably the most popular in terms of recognition of the 7 Wonders of the World. The Taj Mahal is located in close proximity to the capital city, New Delhi, in the small Agra City in northern India state called Uttar Pradesh.

The Taj Mahal is named after the deceased wife, Mumtaz Mahal, of the Emperor Shah Jahan.

Emperor Shah Jahan met his future wife to be at his fathers court where Mumtaz's father was the Prime Minister. They quickly became frineds and the Emperor then married Mumtaz as his second wife. Around 1680 whilst travelling, Mumtaz became extremely ill and is reputed to have requested a monument to be ercted in her memory by her husband the Emperor.

The Taj Mahal is the result of the love for his wife and is an expression of beauty and personification of all that his wife meant to the Emperor Shah. It is believed that a second Taj Mahal of Black Marble was to be erected on the opposite side of the river, but was decided against as being an ill omen of Mumtaz;s memory.

The word Taj Mahal can be described as meaning Crown Palace or Crown of the Palace. The Emperor grieved for a reported two years and was eventually succeeded by his son and imprisoned in a room overlooking the Taj Mahal for the rest of his life. On his passing, his son however honoured his wishes and as such was laid to rest in a tomb alongside the tomb of his sorely missed wife Mumtaz inside the walls of the Taj Mahal.

The Emperor is said to have work in consult with an architect named Ustad Ahmad until even the finest details had been decided.

 The Taj Mahal reportedly took over 22 years to complete with construction commencing in 1631. The Taj Mahal is composed almost entirely of white marble which seems to change color at certain times of the day and uner different light conditions and is thought to signify the current mood of Mumtaz Mahal.

The Marble stones used in the construction were not native ot hte city and had to be specially brought in from the indian state of Rajasthan whereby roughly 1000 elephants and 22000 workers laboured day and night to bring the marble to the construction site.

 The Taj Mahal was originally crafted with only the most precious rubies, emeralds and finishes throughout the interior and remains one of the most photographed locations in the world.

A visit to see the splendour of the Taj Mahal is a must for anyone taking a vacation to India. There are literally hundreds of gatherers who get down on bended knee and profess their undying love in a symbolic gesture as they propose to their bride or groom on the steps to the Taj Mahal.

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