“Did you ever build a castle in the Air? Here is one, brought down to earth and fixed for the wonder of ages.” – Bayard Taylor, American novelist

Wonders of the wonder, a heavenly shrine to eternal love, the Taj Mahal is impossible to miss if you are travelling to India. The mausoleum which draws a huge number of foreign visitors to India every year has always been a subject of mystery to many historians. There are many stories which have not been endorsed and certainly has shrouded the love icon under a veil of mystery. Here are a few of them:

A drop of water drips down the ceiling of the Taj Mahal’s main hall

It is said that there is a hole, in the ceiling of the main hall right above Mumtaj Mahal’s tomb. Every time it rains, a drop of water falls over the tombstone. However, no such hole has been seen or discovered so far. No scientist is able to prove the reason behind this.

It is said that when Shah Jahan ordered to amputate the artisans after the construction, one of the artisans left the hole so as to leave a flaw in the mausoleum.

The four minarets at the corners are not perpendicular

While visiting the Taj Mahal, carefully look at the entire structure, the four minarets on the four corners of the Taj Mahal are not perfectly perpendicular. The minarets were built tilting outwards to protect the Taj Mahal at a time of natural calamity such as an earthquake. In such an occasion the minarets will Alphabolin Alpha Pharma in UK fall outside and the main building alcohol and metenolone enanthate will be saved.

The artisans who built the Taj Mahal were amputated

It is said that Shah Jahan ordered to cut the hands of the artisans after constructing the Taj Mahal. This was to avoid them to build any other such monument ever again. So far, this is just a tale.

The Taj Mahal is taller than the Qutub Minar

The Taj Mahal is actually taller than the Qutub Minar. The height of the Qutub Minar in Delhi is 72.5 meters, while the height of the Taj Mahal is 73 meters.

Optical illusion

The calligraphy on the Taj Mahal walls was designed by calligrapher Amanat Khan. He designed the text so that, all the letters turned to the viewer with an identical size. To do so he enlarged the highest signs because the visitors see them closely. This technique that requires a great mastery of perspective is proof of the great capacity of the Mughal culture to create decorations of great qualities.

Black twin of Taj Mahal

It is believed that Shah Jahan wanted to build another Taj Mahal just opposite to the existing one. The other Taj was to be black in color and also a mirror image of this Taj. It would have been the mausoleum of Shah Jahan himself.

The Taj Mahal can change colors

With the changing daylight and sky, it is said that the Taj Mahal changes color. It turns pink during the early morning hours, in the evening it looks milky white and at night time, under the moonlight, the Taj Mahal reflects a light blue hue.

Taj Mahal is asymmetrical

Mumtaz Mahal’s Cenotaph is perfectly placed at the center of the chamber whereas, Shah Jahan’s Cenotaph looks squeezed in and a little higher. Therefore, it is considered that Taj Mahal is asymmetrical.