The Taj Mahal is considered by many to be the most exquisite man-made structure on earth, and it represents the pinnacle of the Mughal architecture that flourished in northern India under Muslim rule between 1300 and 1700. The combination of its huge scale and intricate marble craftsmanship create an ambience that's hard to put into words.
Or pictures. Photographing the Taj is intimidating, because it's been done so many millions of times by so many millions of people, and there are so many angles, shadows, reflecting pools, structures to include or not, archways to frame shots, and a constant river of people washing through it all. Even the color of the structure changes throughout the day, from a purple glow at dawn through bright white under the mid-day sun to soft orange-brown in the late-afternoon haze.
The Taj was built by Shah Jahan in the 1600's as a tribute to his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died at the age of 39 while giving birth to their 14th child. Its construction kept 20,000 slaves and 1,000 elephants working for 22 years. Shah Jahan's son later imprisoned him in nearby Agra, where he lived out his final years in a small cell with a view of the Taj. A huge body of art, literature and music has been inspired by the Taj; the Indian poet Rabindrath Tagore described it as "a tear on the face of eternity."
You can also view the Taj Mahal from "behind," across the Yamuna River near the village of Nagla Kachpura.
