I see in the news that President Trump has just visited the Taj Mahal during his trip to India. I visited the mausoleum in the late 60s, or maybe it was the very early 70s. I’m sure it’s gotten worse by now, but even back then the surrounding area had become a tourist trap, with about a million vendors that would sell you all sorts of junk associated with the Taj Mahal, or other things that I didn’t even know existed.
I was very fortunate to have a good “guide” for my visit. I can’t remember his name, but he worked at the American Embassy in New Delhi, and must have been a real student of Indian history. To say he was very knowledgeable about the Taj Mahal would be a gross understatement.
I don’t remember everything he told me, but I’m sure some of the information was different, and probably more accurate, than the normal guided tours that seemed to be very popular.
One of the first things you learn about the Taj Mahal is that it was inspired by love — the Shah (Jahan) was inspired to build it after his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, died during child birth. (She died while giving birth to her 14th child and was in labor for 30 hours before she died. She was 40.)
There is a long-standing rumor or myth that the artists and architects involved with the construction of the Taj Mahal were later put to death so that they could never “repeat such a beautiful feat.” My guide assured me that it wasn’t true. It’s interesting that the chief architect wasn’t an Indian — he was Ustad Ahmad Lahuri, a Persian from Iran.
It took 22 years to build the Taj Mahal. Over 1,000 elephants were used to transport heavy materials and supplies for construction. The four towers surrounding it were constructed farther away from the main structure than usual and they lean slightly outward. Again, according to my guide, this was done so that if any of them fell, they would fall away from the tomb. The Taj Mahal contains a working mosque and is closed for Fridays for prayer.
I’m sure it’s much worse now, but when I was there, the white marble used in the construction, was turning a yellowish color — even then it was attributed to air pollution.
The Taj Mahal is located in Agra, a city that President Trump managed to mis-pronounce this morning. But I’m sure he’s having a good time — I hope he enjoyed his tour and found it as informative as I did.
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