Are the Myths About Taj Mahal Actually True?

"Not a piece of architecture as other buildings are, but the proud passion of an emperor's love wrought in living stones."

Isn't it very easy to guess what I am talking about? Well, of course, by looking at the picture and reading that anonymous quote, you may have guessed it right, we are talking about the greatest beauty of all, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Taj Mahal (even the name gives out royal vibes).

Taj Mahal is a 17th Century riverfront mausoleum in the city of Agra, built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his queen Mumtaz who died while giving birth to their 14th child. The stunning monument - built with brick, red sandstone and white marble and famed for its intricate latticework - is one of India's biggest tourist attractions.

But as the saying goes 

with great beauty, comes its dark personality.

Taj too has its share of myths and legends.

Let's see if the myths are true or not. And if they are true, is there any evidence in support of it?

Did Shahjahan Actually Cut the Hands of Artisans and Craftsmen?

According to a popular legend, Shah Jahan wanted for the mausoleum to be an exquisite masterpiece without an equal. 

To ensure no one could recreate the Taj Mahal’s beauty, Shah Jahan supposedly severed the hands and gouged the eyes of the artisans and craftsmen. Despite the prevalence of this gruesome tale, historians have found no evidence to support the story—though it does heighten the drama of the romantic tragedy.

Are Both the Cenotaphs Empty?

Inside the Taj Mahal, the cenotaphs honouring Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan are enclosed in an eight-sided chamber ornamented with pietra dura (an inlay with semi-precious stones) and a marble lattice screen. But these are just for show. The real sarcophagi are in a quiet room below, at the garden level.

The Colour Changes Throughout the Day

One of the allures of the Taj Mahal is its constantly changing hue. From dawn to dusk, the sun transforms the mausoleum. It may seem pearly grey and pale pink at sunrise, dazzling white at high noon, and an orange-bronze during the sunset. In the evenings, it can appear translucent blue. 

Special tickets are even sold for the full moon and eclipse viewings.

Tajmahal Made of Black Marble

Remember the haphazard placement of Shah Jahan’s cenotaph? It's said that Shah Jahan wanted to construct a shadow image across the Yamuna River—an identical, but opposite Taj Mahal, built from black marble—where he would be entombed. Historians claim that construction came to a halt after Shah Jahan was deposed by his son, Aurangzeb (ironically, a child of Mumtaz Mahal) and imprisoned at the nearby Agra Fort. Some historians have dismissed this story as folklore, too.

Taj Mahal or Tejo Mahalaya?

Over the years, several BJP leaders have repeated and amplified claims that the Taj is in fact a Hindu temple that was built much before the reign of Shah Jahan. As a matter of fact, the Taj Mahal was originally a Shiva temple called Tejo Mahalay. Later after the Muslims captured it, they - as usual, tried destroying it by camouflaging it and making it like a makbara. However, nothing is proven yet and this too remains a thought-provoking mystery 

To summarize, these never-ending mysteries add to the beauty as well as the tourism of these historical monuments.  You can never confirm whether the myths are true but the beauty lies in wondering.   

Written by: Lavanya Chauhan

Edited by: Nidhi Jha