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Nicole's
Travelogues and Budget Travel Tips..
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THE TAJ MAHAL (CONT.), INDIAThe Taj rises on a high red sandstone base topped by a huge white marble terrace on which rests the famous dome flanked by four tapering minarets.
The Taj Mahal complex is bounded by a crenellated red sandstone wall on three sides. The river-facing side is unwalled. Outside the wall are several additional mausoleums, including those of many of Shah Jahan's other wives, and a larger tomb for Mumtaz's favourite servant. These structures, composed primarily of red sandstone, are typical of smaller Mughal tombs of the era.
At the far end of the complex, two red sandstone buildings open to the sides of the tomb. We spent 4 hours at the Taj. We would wander around a bit, then find some shade with a view of Taj and sit for an hour talking, then would wander around a bit. It was 102F degrees - which in addition to be QUITE uncomfortable (whew!), it was HOT on our feet when we had to take off our shoes to walk around the Taj and Mosque. But that's traveling to India in July for you! |
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Within the dome lies the jewel-inlaid cenotaph of the queen. So exquisite is the workmanship that the Taj has been described as "having been designed by giants and finished by jewellers". The only asymmetrical object in the Taj is the casket of the emperor which was built beside the queen’s as an afterthought. 
While the white domed marble mausoleum is the most familiar part of the monument, the Taj Mahal is actually an integrated complex of structures. The complex is set in and around a large charbagh (a formal Mughal garden divided into four parts). Measuring 320 m × 300 m, the garden has sunken parterres or flowerbeds, raised pathways, avenues of trees, fountains, water courses, and pools that reflect the Taj Mahal. Each of the four quarters of the garden is divided into 16 flowerbeds by raised pathways. A raised marble water tank at the centre of the garden, halfway between the tomb and the gateway, reflects the Taj Mahal. 
They are precise mirror images of each other. The western building is a mosque and the eastern one is the jawab or "answer", whose primary purpose was architectural balance. The distinctions are that the jawab lacks a mihrab, a niche in a mosque's wall facing Mecca, and the floors of the jawab have a geometric design, while the mosque floor was laid out the outlines of 569 prayer rugs in black marble. The mosque's basic design is similar to others built by Shah Jahan, particularly to his 