Eight Secrets of the Taj Mahal

For first-time visitors to India, it’s nearly impossible to bucket-skip the Taj Mahal. The mausoleum in Agra is India’s most famous monument and a sublime shrine to eternal love. Built between 1632 and 1647 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, the Taj Mahal was dedicated to Jahan’s favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth.

But despite its iconic stature, much of its history is still shrouded in mystery. Here are a few things about the marble-clad marvel you may not have known.

Optical illusions can be spotted everywhere

The architects and craftsmen of the Taj Mahal were masters of proportions and eye tricks. For example, when you first approach the main gate that frames the Taj, the monument appears incredibly close and large. But as you get closer, it shrinks in size, just the opposite of what you’d expect. And although the minarets surrounding the tomb appear perfectly standing, the towers actually lean outward, which serves both form and function: as well as providing aesthetic balance, the pillars crumble from the crypt principal in a disaster such as an earthquake.

The most famous myth is probably false

According to a popular legend, Shah Jahan desperately wanted the mausoleum to be an exquisite masterpiece without equal. To ensure that no one could recreate the beauty of the Taj Mahal, Shah Jahan allegedly cut off his hands and gouged out the eyes of the artisans and artisans. Despite the prevalence of this gruesome tale, historians have found no evidence to support the story, though it does add to the drama of romantic tragedy.

Both cenotaphs are empty

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

It is (almost) perfectly symmetrical

The Taj Mahal is the pinnacle of Mughal architecture, built with impeccable symmetry according to the style doctrines of the period. Minarets flank the domed tomb and a central pool reflects the main building. The gardens – an earthly representation of paradise – are divided into quadrants, and the twin red sandstone buildings (a mosque facing east and a house facing west) give the mausoleum complex a balanced harmony. There is, however, one exception. Shah Jahan’s cenotaph is uniquely positioned to the west of the central axis, throwing off balance. The strange location has led many to believe he never intended to be buried there.

The Taj gets regular facials

Age and pollution have taken a toll on the gleaming white marble facade of the Taj Mahal, which has turned a brownish-yellow color in sooty conditions. Of course, a spa day is assigned to the monument. Specifically, a mudpak face called multani mitti. This traditional recipe used by Indian women to restore radiance is applied and then washed away with brushes, whereupon the Taj’s blemishes fade away and its glow returns.

Change color throughout the day

One of the draws of the Taj Mahal is its ever-changing hue. From sunrise to sunset, the sun transforms the mausoleum. It can appear pearly gray and pale pink at dawn, dazzling white at noon, and orange-bronze as the sun sets. In the evening, the Taj can appear translucent blue. Special tickets are also sold for full moon and eclipse views.

A second black marble Taj Mahal was planned

Remember the random placement of Shah Jahan’s cenotaph? Local tradition says that Shah Jahan wanted to build a shadow image across the Yamuna River: an identical but opposite Taj Mahal, carved out of black marble, where he would be buried. Construction was said to halt after Shah Jahan was deposed by his son (ironically, a son of Mumtaz Mahal) and imprisoned in nearby Agra Fort. Some historians have dismissed this story as folklore as well.

It was as much a symbol of power as it was of love

Accounts have shown that, as a leader, Shah Jahan was more ruthless than romantic. For all its associations of devotion and ardor, the Taj was also a source of propaganda. The orderly symmetry of the complex symbolizes absolute power, the perfection of Mughal leadership. And its grand scale and extravagance (crystal, lapis lazuli, makrana marble, turquoise) brought only glory to the reign of Shah Jahan.