Commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to

house the remains of his cherished wife, the Taj Mahal stands
on the southern bank of the Yamuna River in Agra, India. The
famed mausoleum complex, built over more than 20 years, is
one of the most outstanding examples of Mughal architecture,
which combined Indian, Persian and Islamic influences. At its
center is the Taj Mahal itself, built of shimmering white marble
that seems to change color depending on the sunlight or
moonlight hitting its surface. Designated a UNESCO World
Heritage site in 1983, it remains one of the worlds most
celebrated structures and a stunning symbol of Indias rich
history.

TAJ MAHAL: SHAH JAHANS ROMANTIC GESTURE

Shah Jahan was a member of the Mughal dynasty that ruled
most of northern India from the early 16th to the mid 18th-
century. After the death of his father, King Jahangir, in 1627,
Shah Jahan emerged the victor of a bitter power struggle with
his brothers, and crowned himself emperor at Agra in 1628. At
his side was Arjumand Banu Begum, better known as Mumtaz
Mahal (Chosen One of the Palace), whom he married in 1612
and cherished as the favorite of his three queens.

Did You Know?

According to one gruesome (and most likely

sensational) story, Shah Jahan had his minions
cut off the hands of the Taj Mahal's architect
and his workers after the structure was
completed, ensuring they would never build
another of its kind.

In 1631, Mumtaz Mahal died after giving birth to the couples

14th child. The grieving Shah Jahan, known for commissioning
a number of impressive structures throughout his reign,
ordered the building of a magnificent mausoleum across the
Yamuna River from his own royal palace at Agra. Construction
began around 1632 and would continue for the next two
decades. The chief architect was probably Ustad Ahmad
Lahouri, an Indian of Persian descent who would later be
credited with designing the Red Fort at Delhi. In all, more than
20,000 workers from India, Persia, Europe and the Ottoman
Empire, along with some 1,000 elephants, were brought in to
build the mausoleum complex.

DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE TAJ MAHAL

Named the Taj Mahal in honor of Mumtaz Mahal, the
mausoleum was constructed of white marble inlaid with semi-
precious stones (including jade, crystal, lapis lazuli, amethyst
and turquoise) forming intricate designs in a technique known
as pietra dura. Its central dome reached a height of 240 feet
(73 meters) and was surrounded by four smaller domes; four
slender towers, or minarets, stood at the corners. In
accordance with Islamic tradition, verses from the Quran were
inscribed in calligraphy on the arched entrances to the
mausoleum, in addition to numerous other sections of the
complex. Inside the mausoleum, an octagonal marble chamber
adorned with carvings and semi-precious stones housed the
cenotaph, or false tomb, of Mumtaz Mahal. The real
sarcophagus containing her actual remains lay below, at
garden level.

The rest of the Taj Mahal complex included a main gateway of

red sandstone and a square garden divided into quarters by
long pools of water, as well as a red sandstone mosque and an
identical building called a jawab (or mirror) directly across
from the mosque. Traditional Mughal building practice would
allow no future alterations to be made to the complex. As the
story goes, Shah Jahan intended to build a second grand
mausoleum across the Yamuna River from the Taj Mahal, where
his own remains would be buried when he died; the two
structures were to have been connected by a bridge. In fact,
Aurangzeb (Shah Jahans third son with Mumtaz Mahal)
deposed his ailing father in 1658 and took power himself. Shah
Jahan lived out the last years of his life under house arrest in a
tower of the Red Fort at Agra, with a view of the majestic
resting place he had constructed for his wife; when he died in
1666, he was buried next to her.

THE TAJ MAHAL OVER THE YEARS

Under Aurangzebs long rule (1658-1707), the Mughal empire
reached the height of its strength. However, his militant Muslim
policies, including the destruction of many Hindu temples and
shrines, undermined the enduring strength of the empire and
led to its demise by the mid-18th century. Even as Mughal
power crumbled, the Taj Mahal suffered from neglect and
disrepair in the two centuries after Shah Jahans death. Near
the turn of the 19th century, Lord Curzon, then British viceroy
of India, ordered a major restoration of the mausoleum
complex as part of a colonial effort to preserve Indias artistic
and cultural heritage.

Today, some 3 million people a year (or around 45,000 a day

during peak tourist season) visit the Taj Mahal. Air pollution
from nearby factories and automobiles poses a continual
threat to the mausoleums gleaming white marble faade, and
in 1998, Indias Supreme Court ordered a number of anti-
pollution measures to protect the building from deterioration.
Some factories were closed, while vehicular traffic was
banned from the immediate vicinity of the complex.
Shiva
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Neelkanth" redirects here. For the 2012 Indian film, see Neelkanth (film).

For other uses, see Shiva (disambiguation).

Shiva (/iv/; Sanskrit: iva, meaning "The Auspicious One"), also known
asMahadeva ("Great God"), is one of the Trinity deities of Hinduism. He is thesupreme
god within Shaivism, one of the three most influential denominations in contemporary Hinduism.[2]
[3]
He is one of the five primary forms of God in theSmarta Tradition,[2] and "the Destroyer" or "the
Transformer"[4]
At the highest level, Shiva is regarded as limitless, transcendent, unchanging and formless. [5][6][7][8]
[9]
Shiva also has many benevolent and fearsome forms.[10] In benevolent aspects, he is depicted as
an omniscient Yogi who lives an ascetic life on Mount Kailash,[4] as well as a householder with
wife Parvatiand his two children, Ganesha and Kartikeya, and in fierce aspects, he is often depicted
slaying demons. Shiva is also regarded as the patron god of yogaand arts.[11][12][13]
The main iconographical attributes of Shiva are the third eye on his forehead, the
snake Vasuki around his neck, the adorning crescent moon, the holy riverGanga flowing from his
matted hair, the trishula as his weapon and the damaruas his musical instrument. Shiva is usually
worshiped in the aniconic form ofLingam.[14][15][16]
The worship of Shiva is a pan-Hindu tradition, practiced widely across all of India, Nepal and Sri
Lanka.[17][18]

Meenakshi Amman Temple

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Meenakshi Amman Temple (also called: Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, Tiru-aalavaai[1]

[2]
and Meenakshi Amman Kovil) is a historic Hindu temple located on the southern bank of
the Vaigai River[3] in the temple city[4] of Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is dedicated to Parvati, known
as Meenakshi, and her consort, Shiva, here named Sundareswarar. The temple forms the heart and
lifeline of the 2,500 year old city[5] of Madurai and is a significant symbol for the Tamil people,
mentioned since antiquity in Tamil literature though the present structure was built between 1623
and 1655 CE.[6][7][8] It houses 14 gopurams (gateway towers), ranging from 4550m in height. The
tallest is the southern tower, 51.9 metres (170 ft) high,[6]and two golden sculptured vimanas, the
shrines over the garbhagrihas(sanctums) of the main deities. The temple attracts 15,000 visitors a
day, around 25,000 on Fridays,[9] and receives an annual revenue of sixty million. There are an
estimated 33,000 sculptures in the temple.[9] It was on the list of top 30 nominees for the "New Seven
Wonders of the World". The temple is the most prominent landmark and most visited tourist
attraction in the city.[10] The annual 10-day Meenakshi Tirukalyanam festival, celebrated during April
and May, attracts 1 million visitors.

Vishnu
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses, see Vishnu (disambiguation).

Vishnu (/vnu/; Sanskrit: , Viu) is a central god and one of the three deities of
the trimurti in Hinduism. He is the Supreme god Svayam Bhagavan ofVaishnavism (one of the
principal denominations of Hinduism).[1] He is also known as Narayana and Hari. As one of the five
primary forms of God in theSmarta tradition,[1] he is conceived as "the Preserver or the Protector" [2]
In Hindu sacred texts, Vishnu is usually described as having dark complexion of water-filled clouds
and having four arms. He is depicted as a pale blue being, as are his
incarnations Rama and Krishna. He holds a padma (lotus flower) in his lower left hand,
the Kaumodaki gada (mace) in his lower right hand, thePanchajanya shankha (conch) in his upper
left hand and the discus weapon considered to be the most powerful weapon according to Hindu
ReligionSudarshana Chakra in his upper right hand.

Brahma (/brm/; Brahm) is the deva (god) of creation in Hinduism. He has four faces, looking
in the four directions.[1] Brahma is also known asSvayambhu (self-born),[2] Vga (Lord of Speech),
and the creator of the fourVedas, one from each of his mouths.[1][3] Brahm is often identified
withPrajapati, a Rigvedic deity. In Hindu mythology, Brahm's wife is Saraswati, the goddess of
knowledge, music, arts and learning.[4][5] In most Puranic texts, Brahma's creative activity depends on
the presence and power of a higher god.[6]

In the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, he is conflated with Purusha.[1] He is not to be confused with
the metaphysical concept of Ultimate Reality in Hindu philosophy known as Brahman, which is
genderless.[7][8] The two concepts are, however, etymologically linked. [9] He is revered in ancient texts,
yet rarely worshipped as a primary deity in India. [10] Temples dedicated to him are found in India such
as the Brahma Temple, Pushkar in Rajasthan,[11] and Thailandsuch as the Erawan
Shrine in Bangkok.[12]