A monument so perfect it seems to float.
Shah Jahan commissioned the construction of the Taj Mahal in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who passed away in 1631 while delivering their fourteenth child. Legend has it that her death caused his hair to turn white overnight. The building process commenced the next year and involved 20,000 laborers, artisans, calligraphers, gemstone experts, and architects from various regions within the Mughal empire. The marble used in the construction was sourced from Makrana, Rajasthan, located 350 km away.
Over 21 years, they constructed not just a building, but rather a statement in stone: that beauty, when achieved correctly, has the power to endure sorrow. The Taj Mahal's precise proportions, from the dome matching the height of the facade to the minarets leaning slightly outward to create a sense of perfect verticality, create a sense of slight disorientation, as nothing appears as heavy as it truly is.
These 38 pictures showcase the Taj Mahal from various perspectives and moments - at sunrise when the marble glows with a rose-gold hue, at night, from within the Great Gate, from the opposite side of the Yamuna River at Agra Fort, and in the intricate architectural details of the minarets and inlay work that are best appreciated up close.
As the Taj Mahal comes into view, even the brilliance of diamonds, pearls, and rubies dims in comparison to the awe-inspiring beauty. The Sun and Moon themselves seem to weep in shame at their own lack of radiance.
Sāhir Ludhiānvī, Urdu poet
