Taj Mahal: From fascinating love story to tourist hotspot

The Guardian’s Songa wa Songa Tanzania’s sole representative in the tour unpacks what transpired there in a series capturing important events. First things first: when the topic is India, the first thing is the story of Taj Mahal, of course. In fact, this is where delegates were taken first.

Many have seen the iconic building in photos but those who have been there know that it is more than a building. Taj Mahal is a fantastic story of love, infusion of cultures and has since transformed into one of the biggest tourist attractions in India hence a source of income.

Located in what was once the capital India, Agra city some 220 km from New Delhi, Taj Mahal is a city within a city in Uttar Pradesh state. And it is nearly impossible to walk into this compound, listen to its captivating story and leave without carrying a piece of it with you.

For, outside the expansive compound and elsewhere in the city, there are a lot of shops, kiosks and vendors selling miniature Taj Mahals ranging from those made of marble to plastic. Then there are clothes, caps, key holders, you name it.

“Welcome to Taj Mahal, I am your guide for today,” said Shamsuddin Khan as we alighted from the vehicle.

The man who has been working here for 36 years began to narrate the story of Taj Mahal as members of the delegation listened attentively in a mixture of disbelief and awe.

The imposing building with Quranic verse inscribed on the walls is surrounded by Persian-style gardens with man-made water channels that reflect its shapes and gives the breathtaking illusion of being a floating stone.

“Taj Mahal simply means Memorial Palace. It’s a true story of love because the then king of this land built it in memory of his fifth wife whom he loved the most,” Khan said.

The tour guide added that emperor Shah Jahan built the palace in memory of his beloved Arjumand Banu Baygam who was of Persian origin.

“She died in 1630 while giving birth and the construction of the palace commenced in 1631 and took 22 years to complete,” he said.

“There were 200 workers on the construction site and it cost 700 million rupees then.”

These workers included reputed masons, stone-cutters, inlayers, carvers, painters, calligraphers, dome builders and other artisans who were assembled from the whole of the empire and also from the Central Asia and Iran.

Once the iconic Indo-Persian structure was done, Arjumand’s tomb which was somewhere else was moved into the palace where it lies to date.

Khan claimed that Arjumand is the only woman in the world to have been buried three times, stating that after her death in 1631, she was initially buried in the Zainabad garden in Burhanpur. The tomb of the emperor who died in 1666 is also in the mausoleum.

With its captivating story, Taj Mahal is a never-miss destination for most foreign tourists. However, it also a big hit amongst Indians. It should be remembered that India is a country of 1.4 billion people, with 25 million living in the city of Delhi alone. This means local tourism is huge.

Khan said visits to Taj Mahal see between 60,000 to 70,000 ticket sales every day with children under15 entering free. Foreign tourists are charged 1,300 rupees while Indians pay 250 rupees for a guided tour of the Taj Mahal.

 “Plus children, we get about 100,000 tourists every day,” he said.

After the end of the tour, the delegates were taken to a handcraft shop within the city for Taj Mahal souvenirs.

“Here you get Taj Mahal made of original marble like the ones used to build the palace,” one of the assistants said while banging a lamp decoration on a steel table top.   

The Taj Mahal was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 for being "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage".

According to UNESCO, the main criterion for its designation is that “Taj Mahal represents the finest architectural and artistic achievement through perfect harmony and excellent craftsmanship in a whole range of Indo-Islamic sepulchral architecture. It is a masterpiece of architectural style in conception, treatment and execution and has unique aesthetic qualities in balance, symmetry and harmonious blending of various elements.”

On its integrity, the UN body says the same is maintained in the intactness of tomb, mosque, guest house, main gate and the whole Taj Mahal complex.

“The physical fabric is in good condition and structural stability, nature of foundation, verticality of the minarets and other constructional aspects of Taj Mahal have been studied and continue to be monitored. To control the impact of deterioration due for atmospheric pollutants, an air control monitoring station is installed to constantly monitor air quality and control decay factors as they arise. To ensure the protection of the setting, the adequate management and enforcement of regulations in the extended buffer zone is needed. In addition, future development for tourist facilities will need to ensure that the functional and visual integrity of the property is maintained, particularly in relationship with the Agra Fort.”