Main Entrance Gate
Of The Taj Mahal
Befitting
the most beautiful symbol of love, the Taj, is the gateway to this great
monument. Taj Mahal looks like a miniature on the landscape from a distance,
but appears to grow as you start to approach it. But, the minute you would
enter the open square before the main entrance, you will be surprised to
find the Taj Mahal disappear from your sight. Actually, the Taj is hidden
by a massive red sandstone gateway within this square.
The
massive Taj Gateway was completed in the year 1648 and stands 30 m high.
The gateway is topped by small cupolas or chhatris. From a distance the
Taj Mahal looks like a miniature on the landscape, which appears to grow
as you approach it.
However,
as you enter the open square before the main entrance to the Taj Mahal,
you will be surprised to find the Taj disappear from your sight. From within
this square the Taj is hidden by a massive red sandstone gateway. Symbolic
of the divide between the material and the spiritual, the gateway is decorated
in calligraphy with verses from holy Koran. The original door of the gateway
was made out of the solid silver and there are letters inscribed on it
from top to bottom. All the letters appear to be of same size to the naked
eyes. Actually, the engravers enlarged and stretched the lettering as their
distance from the ground increased, creating an illusion of uniformity
to the naked eyes.
The
actual function of this magnificent gateway was to prevent people from
getting any glimpse of the tomb inside until they are right in the doorway
itself. The tomb is visible from here only and the view stuns the eyes
as one walks forward. The dwarfing images of people moving around the tomb
70 m high are excellent and the best that you can get.
The Taj Mahal incorporates
and expands on many design traditions, particularly Islamic, Persian, Hindu
and earlier Mughal architecture.
The overall design
derived inspiration from a number of successful Timurid and Mughal buildings:
these include the Gur-e Amir, Humayun's Tomb, Itmad-Ud-Daulah's Tomb (sometimes
called the Baby Taj), and his own Jama Masjid. Under Shah Jahan's patronage,
Mughal building reached new levels of refinement:, previous Mughal building
had primarily been constructed of red sandstone; Shah Jahan promoted the
use of white marble inlaid with semi-precious stones.