History of the Taj Mahal

India, a country in Southeast Asia, is the seventh largest in the world by area and the second most populous, with over 1.4 billion inhabitants. It borders Pakistan to the northwest, China and Nepal to the north, Bhutan to the northeast, and Bangladesh and Myanmar to the east. To the south, it is surrounded by the Indian Ocean.

India has a rich and ancient history that dates back thousands of years. It was home to the Indus Valley Civilization and has been the birthplace of major religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. It was a British colony until 1947 when it gained independence.

At Cooperating Volunteers, we carry out different projects throughout the year, and many participants choose it as a destination to experience volunteering.

Today, we are going to talk about the most emblematic monument, considered one of the wonders of the world. So that when you visit it during your free time, you can learn a little more about it.

Do you know what we are referring to? Obviously, the famous Taj Mahal.

Its location is in the city of Agra, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, on the banks of the Yamuna River.

It was built between 1632 and 1654 by the Muslim emperor Shah Jahan of the Mughal dynasty, in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to their fourteenth child. His resources for the construction were virtually unlimited.

Ustad Ahmad Lahuri is generally credited as the principal architect, and it is estimated that around 20,000 workers participated in its construction.

This monument is a magnificent example of Mughal architecture, which combines elements of Islamic, Persian, Ottoman, and Turkish styles.

Although the marble-domed mausoleum, which is the most well-known part, with approximately 35 meters in height, belongs to a walled complex of buildings that occupies 17 hectares and also includes a large mosque, gardens, and a guest house. It contains calligraphic inscriptions from the Quran on the interior and exterior walls and is decorated with precious and semi-precious stones such as jade, crystal, turquoise, and lapis lazuli.

The Charbagh-style gardens are a Persian design divided into four symmetrical parts.

The Mosque and Guest House are located on the sides of the main mausoleum. And it is accessed through the main entrance portal made of red sandstone.

In 1983, it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is a symbol of eternal love and one of the finest examples of funerary architecture, making it one of the most popular tourist attractions in India and the world, attracting millions of visitors each year.

The word Taj comes from Persian and means “Crown,” while Mahal is a variant of the formal court name of Arjumand Banu Begum, whose meaning is “First Lady of the Palace.”

The conservation of the Taj Mahal is a constant concern due to air pollution, wear and tear from the influx of tourists, and the effects of the climate, such as acid rain. Various measures have been implemented to protect the structure, such as limiting nearby traffic and using non-polluting fuels in the surrounding area as it is adopting a yellow color.

By the late 19th century, several parts had deteriorated. During the time of the Indian Rebellion in 1857, it was damaged by British soldiers, sepoys, and government officials, who would remove semi-precious stones from its walls.

Estimates of the total cost of the construction of the Taj Mahal vary due to the difficulties in estimating costs over time. It is estimated to be around 52.8 billion Indian rupees (USD 827 million), although the value of gold at different times makes this inaccurate.

The Taj Mahal is iconic worldwide and therefore a must-see if you travel to India.

We recommend getting up early and enjoying the sunrise, which creates an unforgettable image.

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UNIVERSITY PRACTICES

Our volunteers will be able to validate university credits with the aim of traveling in a more responsible and economical way.

What does volunteering focused on university practices involve?

At Cooperating Volunteers, we make agreements with different universities to validate university credits with the aim of traveling in a more responsible and economical way.

The specialties we work with are extensive: medical volunteering, nursing, education, social work, psychology, physiotherapy, engineering, architecture…

The practices can be carried out in our designated destinations for this purpose, as well as in Spain.

If you choose an international destination, it’s a unique way to live an unforgettable and enriching experience, as you will have the opportunity to continue your education in another country, with a completely different culture.

Stepping out of our comfort zone and being part of the various projects at the destination will allow us to grow both personally and professionally, creating a more extensive curriculum.

And we are fully convinced that this experience will accompany you throughout your life.

You will be able to visit hospitals, schools, centers, orphanages, and participate directly and actively in the daily lives of all those people at the destination, always accompanied by other professionals willing to collaborate hand in hand with you and guide you in daily tasks.

If your university is not part of the agreement with Cooperating Volunteers, you can contact cristina@cooperatingvolunteers.com so that we can get in touch and make this experience a reality. 

CORPORATE VOLUNTEERING

Corporate volunteering consists of tailored programs for your company, designed to develop teamwork skills.

It is proven that teamwork directly impacts productivity. 

Collective effort surpasses individual capabilities, promotes diversity of skills, stimulates creativity, and facilitates problem-solving in the face of various challenges.

Therefore, it not only maximizes efficiency but also enriches the work environment.

We conduct corporate volunteering programs that consist of customized programs for your company, designed to develop teamwork skills, improve performance, and foster unity among employees.

We tailor projects to the corporate identity and size of the company, and we can adjust them to any destination and time of the year.

The advantages of corporate volunteering include:

  • Improving communication.
  • Group unity.
  • Cultural integration in different situations.
  • Employee training.
  • Increased Corporate Social Responsibility.

The future is aligned with a more responsible society, and participating in social projects positions our company among the list of revolutionary businesses that want to be part of the change.

If you resonate with this message, corporate volunteering is a unique experience both individually and collectively, and at Cooperating Volunteers, we accompany you throughout the process to make it a unique journey.

FAMILY VOLUNTEERING

Quality time spent with family strengthens emotional bonds, promotes communication, and contributes to the emotional well-being of its members. 

Spending quality time with family and being able to disconnect from our hectic routines is not only enriching but also necessary.

Sometimes we forget to communicate, connect, and dedicate time to each other. Each one of us lives focused on our jobs, schools… And it’s necessary to find the opportunity to pause and take care of ourselves.

Quality time spent with family strengthens emotional bonds, promotes communication, and contributes to the emotional well-being of its members. And of course, it creates lifelong positive memories.

At Cooperating Volunteers, we suggest moving away from those ‘more superficial’ trips (which can also be fantastic), but we invite you to live this experience to bring out our most empathetic and humanitarian side.

Family volunteering gives us the opportunity to be part of a positive impact, promoting values of solidarity and social responsibility.

There are many families who choose to experience these trips focused on cooperation and direct involvement with different communities around the world, where living conditions are very different and sometimes entirely precarious.

Projects are tailored to different ages, allowing us to work together.

An incredible way to fill our suitcase with memories, learning, and knowledge.

And although stepping out of our comfort zone often feels daunting, we assure you firsthand that it’s worth it.

At Cooperating Volunteers, we accompany you throughout the entire experience, from start to finish, to make it unforgettable.

SENIOR VOLUNTEERING

At Cooperating Volunteers, we believe it’s never too late for anything, especially for volunteering and living a unique and unforgettable experience.

There are many people, increasingly so, who opt for responsible travel that involves social work.

Accustomed to organized and mostly touristic trips, at Cooperating Volunteers, we want to advocate for a more enriching experience, one that transforms us from within and allows us to be part of the change the world needs to see.

We can adapt both the destination and the duration of our projects to fit your needs.

It’s an opportunity full of emotions that allows us to significantly contribute to different communities and their evolution. And you can participate in different areas such as education, social support, or assistance in different centers.

Some of the benefits include:

  • Sense of purpose: Provides a sense of purpose by contributing your skills and experiences to meaningful causes.
  • Emotional well-being: Reduces feelings of isolation and establishes social connections.
  • Personal development: It’s continuous learning, skill development, and discovering new activities while keeping the mind-body active.
  • Physical health: Keeping active.
  • Stress reduction: The act of helping others reduces stress and contributes to mental health.

Living this experience will undoubtedly be a before and after. 

SOCIAL VOLUNTEERING

A volunteering initiative with leadership and impact through the educational action program.

When we talk about social volunteering, we refer to all those actions and activities carried out altruistically, selflessly, and with the aim of addressing multiple problems and needs of different communities, always focused on education and self-sufficiency.

Education is essential because it provides the tools and knowledge necessary for personal, social, and economic development.

Our goal is to create self-sufficient communities and provide opportunities for the future personal development of each member. The message is not to ‘give’, but to accompany in the process of training for self-managed provision.

At Cooperating Volunteers, many of our destinations and projects embrace this type of volunteering. Some of our projects include: community programs, education, women’s empowerment…

And although they are completely different from each other, they share a single objective: progress towards a society that can embrace us all in the same way.

If you are someone who is restless, who needs to see a change in the future, volunteering is an experience tailor-made for you.