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Showing posts with label myth of black taj mahal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label myth of black taj mahal. Show all posts

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Black Taj Mahal Myth


Black Taj Mahal myth is concerned with another monument that was supposed to be built opposite the magnificent Taj, on the other side of the river. It is believed that another mausoleum, exactly identical to the original one, was to be built, dedicated to Shah Jahan himself. 


This monument is now called as the Black Taj since it was to be constructed out of black marble. The legend of the Black Taj further goes on to suggest that it could not be erected, because, before this could happen, Shah Jahan got toppled by his son, Aurangzeb.



There have been many disputes over the question that "Was there a Black Taj Mahal". Some ruins of a black marble structure are said to have been found across the river. These ruins are believed to be those of the alleged Black Taj Mahal. However, later, it was discovered that the marble that was used had become black from staining and was not originally white. Another contention is that Taj Mahal gardens form a cross, typical of the other garden tombs of Mughals, only when ruins on the other riverbank are included. This indicates that those ruins were indeed meant to be a part of the Taj complex.