A beautifully laid out walled garden encloses the magnificent monument "Taj Mahal". The entire Taj complex consists of five major constituents, namely
· Darwaza (The main gateway)
· Bageecha (The gardens)
· Masjid (The mosque)
· Naqqar Khana (The rest house)
· Rauza (The main mausoleum)
Taj Mahal architecture is a kind of fusion of Persian, Central Asian and Islamic architecture. The main gateway, with its domed central chamber, is situated at the end of the long watercourse. On one side of the Taj Mahal is the Mosque and on the other, the Naqqar Khana, built mainly to maintain its symmetry. The main building, that of the Taj itself, stands on a raised, square platform with its four abridged corners, forming an unequal octagon. The architecture of Taj Mahal of Agra has made use of the interlocking arabesque concept.
As per this concept, each element maintains its own identity and yet perfectly merges with the main structure. The principles of self-replicating geometry, along with symmetry of architectural elements are also seen in the design and layout of Taj Mahal. The four 162.5 feet minarets have been consciously shortened a bit to emphasize the faintly spherical dome. The central dome, 58 feet in diameter and 213 feet in height, stand bordered with four subsidiary domed chambers.
A shadowy burial crypt inside the Taj Mahal houses the tombs of Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Above these tombs is the main chamber that has the false tombs, typical of mausoleums of the Mughals. Perforated marble screens were used to transmit light into the central chamber. A major irony behind Taj Mahal is that the man who got this magnificent monument built is himself responsible for disturbing its symmetry. His tomb, which lies next to that of Mumtaz Mahal, was never planned and deranges Taj's interior.
