Taj Mahal, Agra

[Anshul]

closer views

[Anshul]

The building on the left of Taj:
It is a mosque, actually

[Anshul]

Inside the main Monument. Couldn't take many pics because it was very crowded
and dark and I was feeling a bit claustrophobic.



b'ful Marble art

[Anshul]

Yamuna ji right behind the Magnificent Taj.

[Anshul]

The Taj as seen in sunlight. and these are the last photos of this wonderful monument that I clicked. I was seeing it again and again turning my head. It filled me with respect for Old Indian architecture , which is a mix of Persian and Rajputana styles. India was so great during those days.







CC (all photos in my posts): Myself

[Jaarehrayenz]

TajMahal is sucha beautiful place in the world and also symbol of love,and it's atrchitecture and all are really amazing and it looks really very nice.

[sidney_jec]

Some I took an year back

image hosted on flickr

Taj - a different perspective by Blank Faces, on Flickr

image hosted on flickr

The Taj.. by Blank Faces, on Flickr

[m_1973]

http://www.tajmahal.gov.in/

UP Govt launched the website just before the commonwealth games

[ravan]

sad to see no indian art on taj mahal..but still a magnificient and one of a kind building..
my guide told me that there are appx 20,000 lines written lines in persian and appx 10000 from arabic mainly related to quran..But nothing of language spoken in agra itself..
there is no artistic paintings of calligraphy of indian elephants like elephants and peacock..
i whouLd be happy if it was in middle east..

[flyinfishjoe]

If any of you ever visit the Taj, I strongly recommend seeing it from Mehtab Bagh (on the northern bank of the Yamuna) at sunset. Mehtab Bagh is a well-maintained Mughal garden on the opposite side of the river. The views are absolutely beautiful.

[India101]

Looks like the Taj will be versing in the Giza pyramids in the SSC Wonders of the World Cup.

[Peterlee]

Yeah The Taj Mahal is one of the beautiful visitors place, which attract to every one to visit India.

[georgescifo]

I really feel guilty of not visiting Taj Mahal during my 5 years stay at north India...if I visit north India one more time I would make sure that I visit this spot..

[KavirajG]

Just came across this. Anyone knows if something is being done?

Taj Mahal could collapse within five years because wooden foundations are rotting

The Taj Mahal will collapse in less than five years unless the India government acts to prevent a growing environmental catastrophe, campaigners have said.
Conservationists and politicians say the foundations of the historic mausoleum are rotting because they have dried out.
The 358-year-old tomb, one of the architectural wonders of the world, is built on a foundation of mahogany posts sunk into wells fed by the Yamuna River in Agra, north India.


In danger: The Taj Mahal, near Agra in India. Experts have said it could be in danger of collapsing within five years because its wooden foundations are rotting

Now the river is running dry as a result of pollution, industry and deforestation.
Campaigners believe the foundations have become brittle and are disintegrating.
Cracks appeared last year in parts of the tomb, and the four minarets which surround the monument are showing signs of tilting.
The Taj Mahal was built by Mogul emperor Shah Jahan, who was grief-stricken by the death of his wife Mumtaz Mahal in childbirth.
It is India's most famous tourist attraction, with around four million visitors a year.
Its romantic image has attracted film stars and royalty, including Princess Diana, who posed in front of the building after the break down of her marriage to Prince Charles.


Architectural wonder: The 358-year-old tomb is built on mahogany post foundations sunk into wells fed by the nearby Yamuna River. That river has now run dry, and cracks appeared in the walls last year

A campaign group of historians, environmentalists and politicians say time is running out to prevent a 'looming crisis'.
Ramshankar Katheria, the MP for Agra who is leading the campaign, said: 'If the crisis is not tackled on a war-footing, the Taj Mahal will cave in between two and five years.
'The architectural wonder of the world is losing its shine, and if this persists the minarets may also collapse since the wooden foundation - beneath the wells - is rotting due to lack of water.
'No one has been allowed to go into the foundations for the last three decades. If everything is fine, what have they got to hide?'
Professor Ram Nath, a historian who is one of the world's leading authorities on the Taj, said: 'The Taj stands just on the edge of the river Yamuna which has now dried up.
'This was never anticipated by its builders. The river is a constituent of its architectural design and if the river dies, the Taj cannot survive.'


Attraction: The Taj Mahal, built by Mogul emperor Shah Jahan after the death of his wife Mumtaz Mahal in childbirth, gets around four million visitors a year

The Yamuna River has fallen victim to India's soaring growth.
Large numbers of businesses draw water from the Yamuna upstream of the Taj.
Pollution has increased as trees have been cut down to make way for new roads.
The trees also protected the city from the worst effects of regular dust storms which now blow over the Taj unimpeded.
Mr Katheria said: 'The Taj has been enveloped by a smokescreen of dust for the past few years.
'Every year, the water level is coming down by five feet, raising fears of turning the entire area barren.
'Besides, there is an acute shortage of drinking water in Agra. Around 70 per cent of the population is drinking impure water, and consequently suffering from several health hazards.'
The Taj is built on a raised platform on top of a hillock, which is based on wells underneath.
The four 40ft high minarets balance the platform, and are designed to tilt slightly outwards, to prevent them crashing on top of the tomb in an earthquake.
Mr Katheria said around £71million is needed to construct a barrage on the river.
Environmental campaigners also believe a tree-planting campaign and a water pipeline may improve the situation.
The sinking water level is also affecting India's capital, New Delhi, which is at risk of suffering water shortages.
The Indian government has set up body to deal with the Taj Mahal's preservation.
Officials connected with eight projects say the national and state governments are now working together to deal with the issue.
BB Awasthi, regional officer of the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board, said: 'These projects have been held up since 2003 for want of funds.'
He said he expected the projects 'would receive top priority treatment'.

[KavirajG]

Some Taj pics and the surroundings!

[KavirajG]

[IndiansUnite]

two aerial pics taken in 1930 -

Copyright Tahir Iqbal

[saggi]

Taj Mahal being the world's most expensive gift is included in this 7 World Famous Graves and Tombs list

[Cov Boy]

Nice pictures!

Wonder if any steps have been taken to protect the Taj & solve the issues with regards to the water situation in Agra?

[webdevelop]

When I see taj I see power of love and also the emperor who is so obsessed in building landmark of love that he cut the hands of those who built it.