Rabindranath Tagore said it is ‘a teardrop on the cheek of eternity’. Rudyard Kipling praised the beauty of the Taj stating it is ‘the embodiment of all things pure’ & Shah Jahan said it made ‘the sun and the moon shed tears from their eyes’. No wonder the Taj Mahal is one of the most fascinating architectural marvels in the world. One of three World Heritage Sites in India, it is set in serene Mughal Gardens and stands on a raised marble platform with its back towards the Yamuna River. The four sides of the Taj Mahal exhibit perfect symmetry and feature impressive vaulted arches embellished with Pietra Dura scrollwork, and verses from the Qu’ran in calligraphy using inlaid jasper. The Taj Mahal looks as immaculate today as when it was first built, leaving all who gaze upon it mesmerised.

#wildartworks, #Canon, #architecture, #history, #TajMahal, #Taj, #architecturephotography, #HistoricIndia, #Akbar, #ShahJahan, #MumtazMahal, #MughalArchitecture, #FatehpurSikri, #WonderoftheWorld

Fatehpur Sikri stands like a proud maiden showing off her beauty even as an air of melancholy surrounds it.  The rich sand stone walls echo the tales of poignancy and erstwhile glory. And yet there is something special about the 500 year old town that stands like a faded jewel sparkling in the afternoon sun. The legends of Akbar and his famed courtiers, the "nine jewels," or navaratnas, originated in Fatehpur Sikri. and echo from these walls. This was where Tansen sang the Raag Deepak and Raag Malhar and Birbal polished his wits.

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