Taj Mahal is a palace built by Sultan Shah Jahan, Begum of Bhopal. It is located beside the

Taj-ul-Masajid The Taj-ul-Masajid ( ar, , Tāj-ul-Masājid, lit=Crown of Mosques) or Tāj-ul-Masjid (), is a mosque situated in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India. It is the largest mosque in India and one of the largest mosques in the world. History The constr ...

Bhopal Bhopal (; ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and the administrative headquarters of both Bhopal district and Bhopal division. It is known as the ''City of Lakes'' due to its various natural and artificial lakes. It i ...

, India.

History

The Taj Mahal at Bhopal was built as the Begum's residence, at a cost of 3,000,000. Its construction spanned over a period of 13 years, from 1871 to 1884. It was one of the largest palaces of the world built at that time. The building was originally named Raj Mahal ("royal palace"). The British

Resident Resident may refer to: People and functions * Resident minister, a representative of a government in a foreign country * Resident (medicine), a stage of postgraduate medical training * Resident (pharmacy), a stage of postgraduate pharmaceuti ...

at Bhopal, highly impressed with the architecture, suggested that the palace be renamed the Taj Mahal, the

Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal (; ) is an Islamic ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1631 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan () to house the tomb of his favourite wife, Mu ...

Agra Agra (, ) is a city on the banks of the Yamuna river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about south-east of the national capital New Delhi and 330 km west of the state capital Lucknow. With a population of roughly 1.6 million, Agra i ...

having been built by the Begum's namesake Shah Jahan. The begum accepted the suggestion and the palace was renamed to Taj Mahal. The Begum is said to have ordered a three-year-long celebration called ''Jashn-e-Taj Mahal'' after the completion of the building. After the partition of India in 1947, Nawab Hamidullah Khan allowed Sindhi refugees to stay in the palace. They stayed in Taj Mahal for around 4 years, before shifting to Bairagarh. The palace suffered some damage during this period. After India's independence, some members of the royal family of

stayed at the palace, but gradually moved away, as they had no money for the repairs. By 2008, large parts of the palace complex had collapsed. The palace was declared a state heritage monument by the

Government of Madhya Pradesh Government of Madhya Pradesh also known as the State Government of Madhya Pradesh, or locally as the State Government, is the supreme governing authority of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and its 52 districts. It consists of an executive ...

in 2005 and the state archaeology department carried out restoration in parts. However, it was denotified in 2011 and the government now plans to transfer the property to the tourism department for its development as a heritage hotel.

Architecture

The architecture of Taj Mahal has

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

, French, Mughal,

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

and

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

influences. The palace contains 120 rooms, a hall of mirrors or ''sheesh mahal'' and the ''savon bhadon'' pavilion, an elaborate fountain like structure that simulated the effect of rain. The main entrance is a seven-storied structure. The palace was part of a complex of buildings along the three lakes that includes the Benazir Palace, which was the begum's summer palace, and the Taj-ul-Masjid Mosque. The palace has been built in the Indo-Saracenic style and is kept cool by the winds blowing in from the lakes.

Gallery

File:Bhopal State Postage Service - 4 annas - Taj Mahal and Benazir Palaces.png , Taj Mahal and Benazir Palaces on a Bhopal State postal stamp File:Taj Mahal Bhopal.jpg , Taj Mahal main entrance back side File:Taj Mahal Bhopal (11).jpg , North facing entrance gate

References

{{City of Bhopal Palaces in Madhya Pradesh Buildings and structures in Bhopal Royal residences in India Tourist attractions in Bhopal