Shahjahan purchased a plot of
land from Raja Jai Singh on the banks of Yamuna River for building
the
Taj
Mahal. Raja Jai Singh was also instructed by Shahjahan to provide
a regular supply of special, hard and non-porous marble from the
quarries of Makrana. A 2½-mile (4.02 km) road ramp was built
to haul huge pieces of marble to the site of the construction. Strangely
the scaffolding of this magnificent building was made, not of wood
or bamboo, but with bricks. It is probable that the lack of wood
made the architects to make brick scaffoldings.
Though Shahjahan provided the vision
behind the entire concept, he was assisted in his endeavor by a
number of architects. The name of the architect, which is often
mentioned during the building of Taj Mahal, is that of Muhammad Isa
Khan, who hailed from Shiraz in Iran. It is also said that a
creative nucleus of 37 people formed the core advisory group behind
this gigantic project. The construction of Taj Mahal commenced in
1632. Work on the mausoleum started in frenzy with thousands of
artisans and laborers toiling ceaselessly day after day. It is said
that Taj Mahal took 21 years to complete, with the help of an army
of 20,000 laborers, who worked under the guidance of Shahjahan. It
is also said that the royal coffers went dry after this project was
over.
At the end of the first year of construction the
mausoleum had taken shape and the crypt chamber along with its
surrounding works were also completed. The body of Mumtaz Mahal was
ceremoniously interred into the tomb. Six years of extensive labor
saw the main building of the mausoleum complete and crowned with a
majestic guava shaped dome. According to some historians the major
construction of Taj Mahal was completed in about 10 years time.
The Taj Mahal is built according to a predefined
plan. It is built according to the Islamic concept of Paradise,
where an enormous, shimmering pearl white dome stands supported by
four corner pillars, from which flow the rivers of grace. he massive
plinth on which the Taj Mahal stands is representative of the
material world, while the octagonal main structure signifies the
transitional phase. Finally the dome is symbolic of being the vault
of the heaven. To complete the illusion of the paradise, the tomb
has been ornamented with splendidly calligraphy of verses from the
holy Koran, in flowing Arabic. An inscription written on the massive
front gateway leading to the gardens in front of the Taj reads, O
soul that art at rest, return to the lord, at peace with Him and He
at peace with you. So enter as one of His servants and enter into
His garden.
The Taj is marked by perfect symmetry and
harmony, be it the shape of the four towering minarets; the cupolas
(chhatris); the central arch in the façade; the perfectly
arranged arched recesses on both the story. s; the intricate pietra
dura (stone inlay work); the delicate lattice work on marble windows
or the magnificent dome. Even the mosque and the guesthouse
(mehmankhana) are a mirror image of one another.