Secrets of the Taj Mahal, you never even knew were lurking

As an Indian deeply enamoured by the history of my country, the one thing that always connected me to my roots was the Taj Mahal; The glory of one of the 7 wonders of the world that can’t be encapsulated in words, but this is my frail attempt in trying to do so. A structure incarcerated as the grandest token of love holds more to it than you know, or rather than what meets the eye. The monument, which was commissioned in 1632 by Shah Jahan to house the tomb of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, is a pinnacle of Mughal architecture. It’s a fusion of buildings embodying eternal love.

The architects of the Taj Mahal, or rather what I’d call the artists who brought Shah Jahan’s vision to life, of encasing his beloved in a safe heaven, are emulated through that very structure. The 4 quadrants of the Mahal are split into quartered gardens, which are bisected by 4 streams of water. Each stream representing milk, water, honey, and wine all meet in the centre of entombed pure bliss. I told you there was more than what met the eye. The truth is, this grand gesture of love is a treasure trove of optical illusions that have been tricking us for over 400 years. Knowing the secrets only enhances the enamoured beauty to a degree beyond our wildest imaginations, so I’ll let the lovers’ secrets slip loose today.

The Floating Dome

Traditionally, Mughal monuments are placed in the centre, as evidenced by Humayun’s tomb in Delhi or the tomb of Itmad-ud-Daulah in Agra, but the Taj Mahal was built in the far northern corner; it’s this shift that creates the bespoke magic of the structure. Upon entering from the royal gate, you can see the Mahal embellished in the centre of a structure, almost as if it were floating above the streams of water that guard it. The blue skies, coupled with the marble dome, mimic a floating dome-like structure, giving the illusion that the structure is actually floating in heaven, just as Shah Jahan envisioned it to be.

Unparalleled love

The Taj Mahal is famous for its symmetry. Upon entering from the forecourt through either the east or west gate, you stumble upon an array of rooms, standing right at the centre of those rooms, where all the points meet is the royal gate and the entrance to the Mahal. Reminiscent of the two hearts joining in a haven secluded to the eternal love shared between the king and his queen.

1 step forward, 3 steps back

The closer you walk towards the front gate, the further back the structure shifts, and you only see a sliver of the monument; the veil of the dome lifts higher into the sky, slowly revealing its beauty gradually, ensuring visitors breathe the interstice of the wait and take in the amorous gesture for its eternity at its own decided pace. The further you walk towards the structure, the more it blends with the sky and the gardens pulled back from it’s visitors, leaving you with an everlasting view.

The encased Quran

Verses of the Quran are etched on the front of the royal gate; the letters are in the Arabic language and have been etched stylistically in a calligraphic manner against the backdrop of the marble. The verses are from Surah Al Fajar (daybreak), and the letters seem to appear the same size within the script etched onto the gate; however, they are not of the same size but rather have been crafted to look that way through trigonometry. The letters etched at the bottom are the closest to the viewer, but as you look further upwards, the letters match the same case as those below.

The leaning tower of love

When you go on your trip to the Taj Mahal, I’m sure you’ll take pictures, and this is a fun fact to keep in mind for those times. A picture taken from the centre of the marble edifice, you’ll see the 2 minarets next to the dome are standing up straight, which may seem standard because of the importance placed on symmetry in this structure, but what you don’t realise is that the Minrets are actually tilted. This was a security measure placed in case of an earthquake, so that if the structure was to shift, then the minarets would fall to the side of the structure rather than towards the centre, thus protecting the dome and keeping the tomb intact.

The trail of the Jasmines

As you walk across the marble floor of the Taj Mahal, you may notice the jasmines embellished in its surface. The petals of these jasmine flowers aren’t joined together. This takes on the play of yet another fascinating geometric principle, adding more intrinsic design to this structure. When two parallel shapes are close enough, the eye bridges the gap and reads them as one. The craftsmen knew this and used it intentionally. The flowers are always apart, always appearing together. A quiet metaphor, hidden in the floor like a buried bouquet.

A structure built with love, not only an homage to the late Queen but also an ode to geometry. The grandeur of the Taj Mahal was built with the precision of a mathematical calculation, and the longer you look at it, the more it gives back to you. An everlasting symbol of traditional Mughal Architecture, forever encasing the empress, was laid to rest in the physical depiction of Shah Jahan’s embrace, which we now know as the Taj Mahal.

For more information on one of the world’s greatest architectural achievements, and tips on guided tours to this wonder of the world, be sure to check out https://www.travelosei.com/india/cultural/north/luxury-taj-mahal-tours for more guided journeys!