TAJ MAHAL: A TEAR DROP ON THE

CHEEK OF TIME
OBJECTIVES
 TO share a piece of Mughal histories in
India.
 To share a very romantic love story of an
Emperor and his Queen.
 To share the ancient Mughal architectural
and engineering histories.
 To bring a thought of being more
conservative about our own heritages.
 Not to promote any kind of religious belief.
CONTENTS
 Introduction and history
 Shah Jahan’s romantic
gesture
 Coming into existence and
compromises behind it
 Taj Mahal’s Engineering
concept
 Taj Mahal, over the years
SHAH JAHAN’S ROMANTIC GESTURE

 Monument of love
 Dawn of a love story
 The ever-together
couple
 Mumtaz Mahal
MONUMENT OF LOVE

 The magnificent
monument of jndia
 Melts the hearts of
millions of listners
 The story ended in 1631,
but continues to live on
in the form of Taj
 DAWN OF A LOVE STORY

 Shah Jahan, initially named Prince Khurram

 Caught a glimpse of a girl
 Fall in love at first sight
THE EVER-TOGETHER COUPLE

 In 1628, Shah Jahan became

the Emperor.
 He bestowed her with the tiltle
of ‘Mumtaz Mahal’, meaning
‘Jewel of the Palace.’
 The Queen accompanied the
King even on military
campaigns.
MUMTAZ MAHAL

 Had gained a luxurious life.

 Poets admire her grace and charm; even the
moon, they say, hides from her beauty in
shame.
 The mutual affection and harmony between
the husband and wife had reached the
degree never seen among the other people.
COMING INTO EXISTENCE AND
COMPROMISES BEHIND IT

 The war period

 After the Queen’s
demise
 End of Shah Jahan’s
era
 THE WAR PERIOD

 In 1629, there came an

uprising.
 The Queen followed Shah
Jahan during the war.
 The King had a string of
victories using Turkish
canons.
 Mumtaz Mahal had to make
a last wish.
 AFTER THE QUEEN’S DEMISE

 The construction began in 1632.

 The construction drained the
empire treasury.
 The King brought his people into
an artificial famine.
 The Taj Mahal was finished in
1643.
 END OF SHAH JAHAN’S ERA

 Shah Jahan rulled for more

20 years after the
construction had finished.
 Shah Jahan was sent to
prison by his own son.
 Shah Jahan died in 1666, at
the age of 74.
 Shah Jahan was reunited
with his chosen one of the
palace.
ENGINEERING BEHIND THE TAJ
MAHAL

 Foundation
 Architectural Concepts
 Structural Details of Taj Mahal
 FOUNDATION

 The location brought challenges.

 Well foundation came into revolution.
 The foundation slabs were supported
by massive arches.
 ARCHITECTURAL CONCEPTS

 Remarkable opticle
tricks by Mughal
architects.
 Concept of
interlocking
arabesque
 Islamic decoration of
the mausoleum
 The final mystry
STRUCTURAL DETAILS OF TAJ MAHAL

 The gigantic measurements of the

components
 The four leaning minerats and the
advantage of the lean
 The giant dome without reinforcement
 TAJ MAHAL OVER THE YEARS

 The later history and the myths

 Security and maintainance
 Tourism
THE LATER HISTORY AND THE MYTHS

 When Shah Jahan’s son

Arunzeb got power
 Was it a Hindu temple?
 The Taj is going to sink.
 The Emperor had cut the
hands.
SECURITY AND MAINTENANCE

 Fear from terrorism

 Management policies
 Protection from pollution
 Government’s fund provision
TOURISM

 About 3 million people

visit each year.
 Tickets prices for visiting
Taj Mahal
 Day time visiting for Taj
Mahal
 Night time viewing at Taj
Mahal