The---Taj-Mahal

SnakecharmerBuddhaDancinggirlSnakecharmerBuddhaDancinggirlSomefeelthemasterpieceisbestseenatdawnSomethinkthemasterpieceisbestseeninthesunshineButsomeinsistthattheplaceisbestseenatsunsetMumtazMahalShahJahanTheInterestingPlace：Where？Name？Topic：TheWonderfulInterestingPlace：TajMahalPingBo.ChenMengJie.HuYanQun.Fan2011-12-28ThelegendaryMumtazMahal：theheroineofTajMahalAttheageof19,MumtazMahalwasmarriedtotheIndiaEmperor.ShehadaverydeepandlovingmarriagewiththeEmperor,ShahJahan.MumtazwastheEmperor’strustedcompanion.Andsheactedaswifeandgoodcounselor(advisor).Intheirnineteenyearsofmarriage,theyhadthirteenchildrentogether.Mumtazdiedin1631,whilegivingbirthtotheirfourteenthchild.WhyandWhotobuild?Storygoesthattheemperorwasheavilystrickenwhenhelosthisbelovedwife.SogreatwastheEmperorlovetohiswifethatheorderedthebuildingofthemostbeautifultombonEarthforher,inhonorofhiswife.ThemasterpieceTajMahaliscompletedin1648,builtbyIndiaEmperorShahJahaninmemoryofhisfavoritewife,MumtazMahal.NowtheTajMahalisregardedasoneoftheeightwondersoftheworld,justlikeTheGreatWallofChinaThegreatinfluence：ThegreatIndiawriterTagore：Aneverlastingtearfromthecheek!Today,theTajMahalstillstandsastheultimatemonumenttolove,andasymboltoMumtazMahal’sbeautyandlife.Architecture1.Thetomb2.Exteriordecoration3.Interiordecoration4.Thegarden5.Thegreatgate6.Mosquealarge,multi-chamberedcubewithchamferedcornersThislarge,whitemarblestructurestandsonasquareplinthandconsistsofasymmetricalbuildingwithanarch-shapeddoorwaytoppedbyalargedomeandfinialThemarbledomethatsurmountsthetombisthemostspectacularfeatureTheshapeofthedomeisemphasisedbyfoursmallerdomedkiosksplacedatitscorners,whichreplicatetheonionshapeofthemaindome.ThisfeatureprovidesaclearexampleofintegrationoftraditionalPersianandHindudecorativeelements.Thefinialistoppedbyamoon,atypicalIslamicmotifwhosehornspointheavenwardThedecorativeelementswerecreatedbyapplyingpaint,stucco,stoneinlays,orcarvingsFlowers&VinesTheinnerchamberisanoctagonwiththedesignallowingforentryfromeachfaceTheoctagonalmarblescreenorjaliwhichbordersthecenotaphsismadefromeightmarblepanelswhichhavebeencarvedthroughwithintricatepierceworkthebodiesofMumtazandShahJahanwereputinarelativelyplaincryptbeneaththeinnerchamberwiththeirfacesturnedrightandtowardsMeccaBoththebaseandcasketareelaboratelyinlaidwithpreciousandsemipreciousgemsThegardenusesraisedpathwaysthatdivideeachofthefourquartersofthegardeninto16sunkenparterresorflowerbedsAraisedmarblewatertankatthecenterofthegarden,halfwaybetweenthetombandgatewaywithareflectingpoolonanorth-southaxis,reflectstheimageofthemausoleum.GatewaytotheTajMahalAtthefarendofthecomplex,therearetwograndredsandstonebuildingsthatareopentothesidesofthetomb.Theirbacksparallelthewesternandeasternwalls,andthetwobuildingsareprecisemirrorimagesofeachotherTHREATSenvironmentalpollutiononthebanksofYamunaRiverincludingacidrainduetotheMathuraOilRefineryadeclineinthewaterleveloftheYamunaRiverwhichisdecreasingatarateof5feetayear.Cracksappearedlastyearinpartsofthetomb,andthefourminaretswhichsurroundthemonumentareshowingsignsoftilting.WHATSHOULDWEDO?MrKatheriasaidaround£71millionisneededtoconstructabarrageontheriver.Officialsconnectedwitheightprojectssaythenationalandstategovernmentsarenowworkingtogethertodealwiththeissue.Environmentalcampaignersalsobelieveatree-plantingcampaignandawaterpipelinemayimprovethesituation.TOURISMTheTajMahalattractsbetween2millionand4millionvisitorsannually,includingmorethan200,000fromoverseas.HOWTOGETTHERE?ByAirTakeflightfromtheDelhi'sIGIairport,andlandattheKheriaairportinAgra.Oncethereyoucanhireaprivatetaxi/localbus/orevenrickshawstoreachTajMahalByRailthemostcomfortablemeanstoreachTajwithouttrafficchaosandinverylesstime.ByRoadYoucantaketheluxuryVolvobusesfromDelhi,Mathura,FatehpurSikriforAgra.ByDecember2011YamunaExpresswayisalsogettingreadywhichwillreducethedistancebetweenDelhiandAgra.WHEN?ThebesttimetovisitAgrawouldbeFebruary,OctoberandNovemberduetomoderatetemperature.RULES•MobilePhonesareallowedbutmustbekeptswitchedoff.•EatingandsmokingisstrictlyprohibitedinsidetheTajMahalcomplex.•Lockersareavailableatthegatestokeepyourbelongings•Photographyisprohibitedinsidethemainmausoleum,andvisitorsarerequestednottomakenoiseinsidethemausoleum.•Avoidtouchingandscratchingthewallsandsurfacesofthemonumentastheseareoldheritagesitesthatneedspecialcare.TheTajisopenfrom6:00AMto7:30PMeverydayexceptFridayEntrycostsRs250(aboutRMB30)forforeignersandRs20forIndiansREMEMBER!!!Ifyouaretakingacamera,bewarethatbecausetheTajiswhiteyourcameramayunderexposeyourphotos.Tobuytickets,youcangotothesouthgate,butthisgateis1kmfarawayoftheentranceandthecounteropenat8:00AM.Atthewestandeastgate,thecounteropenat6:00AMGetthereasearlyaspossibletobeatthecrowds,andplantovisittheTajatleasttwodifferenttimesduringtheday(duskanddawnarebest)inordertoexperiencethefulleffectofchangingsunlightontheamazingbuilding.Itisagoodideatobringaflashlight,becausetheinterioroftheTajMahalisquitedark(evenduringtheday)andtofullyappreciatethedetailsofthegeminlays,younee