The visit to incredible India cannot be complete without experiencing its most spectacular piece of architecture — the Taj Mahal, literally ‘the Crown Palace’. Its curving, gently swelling dome and the square base upon which its rests so lightly, surrounded by four lofty minarets, is a familiar image in hundreds of travel brochures and travelogues on India. This picture postcard image of the Taj, as it is lovingly called, does little justice to the legend, the poetry and the romance woven into its history. Its beauty is eternal. It overawes, it mesmerizes, and it inspires.

The beauty of Taj Mahal is so mesmerizing that one cannot avoid the enticement of capturing it into their camera. Agra Taj Mahal is believed to be the most photographed monument of India. Taj Mahal in Agra India has never failed to fascinate the tourists from the world over. If one want to understand this beauteous monument of love and would like to know more about Taj Mahal then one should experience it. No trip to India is complete without visiting the Taj Mahal Agra.

Bhopal’s Taj Mahal building at Shahjehanabad to be restored. Efforts would be undertaken to complete the work within a year to restore the lost grandeur of this great monument. For this purpose an action plan would be chalked out and discussed with various departmental heads in the district, said Culture, Public Relations and Mineral Resources Minister Laxmikant Sharma after inspecting the renovation work going on at Taj Mahal here on Thursday.

The Culture Minister said that several Nawabi era buildings including Taj Mahal have archaeological value. So far, the Culture Department is undertaking the renovation work from its own funds but now help of other departments would also be sought. A proposal would also be sent to the Union government seeking total restoration of this sprawling building complex. The Culture Department would see to it that various cultural programmes are held here so that people can be introduced to the building’s grandeur. Funds to the tune of Rs 20.58 lakh received under 12th Finance Commission have been spent on the renovation work during the years 2006-07 and 2007-08.

These funds have been utilised for renovation of plaster of Sheesh Mahal, Plaster of Paris, aluminium frames and pieces of mirrors of different colours. The Sheesh Mahal has been fully restored with the help of artisans from Rajasthan.

A long time ago, there lived a Shah Jahan who built the Taj Mahal. This, incidentally, is not the oft-repeated story of Emperor Shah Jahan and his Taj Mahal. Instead, it is the little known saga of Begum Shah Jahan — the Begum of Bhopal and her Taj Mahal. It’s a tale that has for long been hidden under the cobwebs of time, although Begum Shah Jahan, like her Mughal namesake, was a great patron of architecture. The ruins of her Taj Mahal — the magnificent palace that she built in Bhopal — even now tell silent tales of the grandeur of her times.

But first, a little bit about the Begum. By all accounts, Begum Shah Jahan led a fairly eventful life, becoming the ruler of Bhopal twice — the first time, at the age of six in 1844. Since she was a minor then, her mother Sikandar Begum wielded power as the regent. Shah Jahan retained the throne for 16 years till 1860, when her mother was recognised by the British as a ruler in her own right. After the death of her mother in 1868, Shah Jahan again succeeded to the throne, this time ruling till 1901.

The Begum was also a compulsive builder, with numerous masjids, schools and hospitals to her credit. In that respect, she shared a lot of similarity with the Emperor Shah Jahan and like him, she named one of her most beautiful buildings, the Taj Mahal.

Taj Mahal in Bhopal.

As you wind your way through the old city, past the majestic Taj-ul-masajid — which was also built by the Begum and is believed to be one of the largest mosques in Asia, start looking towards your left. As soon as you cross Motia Talab — the massive lake adjoining the masjid, you will spot two huge gates that stand as sentinels to the ruins of the palace. Take a chance and knock on them. If you’re lucky, the caretaker might hear and open the side-doors to let you in. Enter and be prepared to be awed at the height of the portico that you find yourself in. This was the area from which horse drawn buggies (carriages) entered the palace. Stories abound that the width and height of this area was so designed that even a large carriage with four horses could be easily driven in without any difficulty.

Before you enter the portico however, take a look at an oval-shaped mirror located on top of the front facade. Centuries of dust and grime have now coated it almost black, but at the height of the palace’s glory, the three-inch thick mirror, imported from Belgium, shone resplendently, recounts Husain, who incidentally, is a treasure trove of information on all things concerning the Bhopal rulers. For instance, he recalls how an Englishman visiting the Taj Mahal, when informed somewhat smugly that the said mirror could not be broken, took it as a challenge and fired a couple of shots at it. The mirror, needless to say, remained intact.

As you meander further into the palace, crossing its galleries and rooms — many in ruins now — close your eyes and try to imagine a time more than 100 years ago, when these rooms reverberated with life. Festivals were celebrated with great fanfare and momentous decisions taken here. In many respects, says Caludia Preckel, author of the book Begums of Bhopal, the Taj Mahal resembled the palaces of Delhi since it was built in the form of a square with a large open courtyard in the centre. In the Hayat-i Shahjahani, Begum Shah Jahan’s biography, her daughter has provided a description of the rooms in the palace: “Every room is differently coloured and artistically furnished in colours to match. The carpets, chandeliers, chairs and sofas, the divans together with the coverings, even the punkhas and the curtains are of the same colour as the ceiling and the walls.”

Today, dust, rubble and weeds cover the place. It’s a tad ironical that a palace such as this was for many years after Partition, being used to house refugees from Sindh. However, the silver lining is that after the efforts of conservation bodies like Intach, the state archaeology department has recently taken over the complex and is now trying to restore some of its lost splendor. Given the vast area that the palace occupies and the state of abandon that it is in currently, this is going to be a mammoth task. But, as and when it gets completed, the ‘other Taj Mahal’ built by the other Shah Jahan can perhaps then take its rightful place on the country’s architectural heritage map.

Sources : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/