The Taj Mahal is the most famous and well-known mausoleum in India, visited by about 2.5 million tourists every year. The Taj Mahal was built by the Muslim emperor Shah Jahan, in honor of his late fourth wife, Arjumand Banu Begum, who died giving birth to their fourteenth child.
The monument’s name also honors Arjumand Banu, popularly called Mumtaz Mahal, which in Persian Means “the chosen one of the palace.” And Taj means “crown”, therefore the translation of this monument is the crown of Mahal.
Characteristics of the Taj Majal
How was this funerary monument built?
It took more than 23 years to build, during the period between 1631 and 1654. It Took more than 20,000 workers to build this funerary monument, in which the body of the Mughal emperor’s wife is buried.
About 10 years after the construction was completed, the emperor passed away and was buried next to his favorite wife in the Taj Mahal. Breaking the perfect symmetry of the monument, since the emperor was a lover of symmetry, and had designed the mausoleum so that only the remains of his wife would rest. Therefore, when he was buried with her, the Taj Mahal lost its symmetry. For this reason, Mahal’s tomb is located in the center and the remains of the emperor are located next to it.
Thisartwork is mainly constructed of white marble, which comes from theMakrana quarries that are located almost 400 km from the city of Agra, where the Taj Mahal is located. Thousands of elephants, oxen and camels were used to transport this material.
The decoration of the walls is exceptional, different techniques were used, among them we find: the painting of walls and walls, and the inlay of gems, precious and semi-precious stones such as jade, turquoise, lapis lazuli and sapphire. A Total of 28 different types of semi-precious stones were used to decorate the walls. In addition, floraland plant motifs, Persian calligraphy and geometric decoration are drawn on the outside.
Visit one of the 7 wonders of the modern world while volunteering in Asia
Taj Mahal decorationIt is considered a world heritage site and is among the 7 wonders of the modern world, therefore, it is a mandatory stop on your volunteering in Asia. During your volunteering in Asia you will have time on the weekends to travel and get to know this country full of culture, and one of these destinations must be this incredible mausoleum.
One of the most striking and astonishing elements is the huge dome, which is decorated in relief with a ring of lotus flowers and at the end there is a golden spire. This main dome measures about 20 meters in diameter and 25 meters high, which corresponds to almost half of the mausoleum, since it has a total height of 58 meters.
What volunteer projects are in India?
You can visit this monument while volunteering in India. The projects are located in the city of Jaipur. Therefore, you can take advantage of your time there to discover the city ofAgra and its most well-known mausoleum.
Cooperating volunteers offer many programs in this country, surely one of them fits your desires. If You have studied or are studying medicine, nursing, or a health-related degree, a good option may be the medical program or medical volunteering for the homeless. These Programs would allow you to help the people of the region, while learning and getting to know how a hospital works in India.
On the other hand, if when you think of international volunteering you think of helping children, playing and having fun with them, some of the volunteering that we recommend are orphanage programs, teaching volunteering orsports volunteering. The women’s development programme is also available, and this volunteering does a necessary and very important job, since the inequality between men and women in this country is abysmal. Finally, we found the elephant care program, in this country there are about 50% of wild Asian elephants. For this reason, the tasks of caring for and protecting the habitat of these pachyderms are very relevant.
Don’t think twice and dare to discover the mausoleum that symbolizes eternal love during your volunteering in India.