Taj Mahal, Agra
Inside The Taj Mahal
In
the centre are the cenotaphs of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. Shah Jahan's cenotaph
is to the left and is higher than that of his beloved which rests immediately
below the dome. The cenotaph of Mumtaz Mahal stands in the centre of the marble screen, it has inscribed on it in Persian with texts from the Koran. The cenotaph of Mumtaz has the single epitaph inscribed on it- "Marqad Munavvar Arjumand Bano Begum Mukhatib bah Mumtaz Mahal Tanifiyat fer sanh 1040 Hijri" (Here lies Arjumand Bano Begum called Mumtaz Mahal who died in 1040 A.H. or 1630 A.D.) The cenotaph of Shah Jahan is inscribed in Persian- .'Marqad Mutahar Aali Hazrat Firdaus Ashiyani Sahib-qiran Saani Shah Jahan Badshah taab surah sanh 1076 Hijri" (The sacred sepulchre of his most exalted Majesty, dweller of Paradise, the second lord of constellations, the king Shah Jahan, may his mausoleum ever flourish, 1076 A.H. (1666 A.D.).
Above the tombs is a Cairene lamp, the flame of which is supposed to never burn out.
Marble screen of trelliswork surrounds the graves. Both tombs are exquisitely inlaid with semiprecious stones.
The acoustics of the building are superb with the domed ceiling being designed to echo chants from Koran and musician's melodies.
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