Taj Mahal (otherwise known as “the Taj”) is the most popular (though unofficial) symbol of India. The monument was constructed in Agra, India, between 1631 and 1654. The Mughal Emperor Shan Jahan commissioned the construction as a mausoleum to his favorite wife, Arjumand Banu Begum, who is also known as Mumtaz Mahal.According to one of the most romantic legends, the future Shah Jahan met a beautiful girl while having a stroll along the bazaar on a lazy afternoon. The girl was wearing bracelets made of tiny wooden beads around her wrists.She gave him just one look. The prince Jahan was apparently spellbound. He decided to marry the beautiful girl and stay inseparable till death do thempart.
The meeting reportedly took place in 1612. The girl was 19 years old - way beyond her prime - even by the standards of a present-day India.
The Shah
Jahan ascended the throne in 1628. Not unlike any other dignitary at
the time, he had a big harem. But he seemed to have ignored his other
women because he was totally devoted to his favorite wife, Mumtaz
Mahal. Visiting Agra in 1663, the French traveller François Bernier
gave the following description of the Taj Mahal and Shah Jahan's
reasons for building it:
“I shall finish this letter
with a description of the two wonderful mausoleums which constitute the
chief superiority of Agra over Delhi . One was erected by Jehan-guyre
[sic] in honour of his father Ekbar; and Chah-Jehan raised the other to
the memory of his wife Tage Mehale, that extraordinary andcelebrated
beauty, of whom her husband was so enamored it is said that he was
constant to her during life, and at her death was so affected as nearly
to follow her to the grave.”
Shan Jahan was reportedly
inconsolable following the death of his beloved wife in childbirth in
1629. Mumtaz Mahal had already borne him thirteen children during 17
years of conjugal bliss. Having been informed of his wife’s demise, the
shah was on the verge of taking his own life. His hair turned gray
overnight. Six months later, he brought the body of his wife to Agra,
where he decided to erect a mausoleum that would do proper homage to
his late wife in terms of excellence.
The Taj Mahal was not
designed by a single person. The project demanded talent from many
quarters.The names of many of the builders who participated in the
construction of the Taj Mahal indifferent capaciti......
Archaeologists working on India's south-west coast believe they may have solved the mystery of the location of a major port which was key to trade between India and the Roman Empire - Muziris, in the modern-day state of Kerala.For many years, people have been in search of the almost mythical port, known as Vanchi to locals. Much-recorded in Roman times, Muziris was a major centre for trade between Rome and southern India - but appeared to have simply disappeared.Now, however, an investigation by two archaeologists - KP Shajan and V Selvakumar - has placed the ancient port as having existed where thesmall town of Pattanam now stands, on India's south-west Malabar coast. "It is the first time these remains have been found on this coast," Dr Sharjan told BBC World Service's Discovery programme.
"We believe it could be Muziris."
Key evidence
Pattanam is the only site in the region to produce architectural features and material contemporary to the period.
"No other site in India has yielded this much archaeological evidence," said Dr Roberta Tomba, of the British Museum.
"We knew it was very
important, and we knew if we could find it, there should be Roman and
other Western artefacts there - but we hadn't been able to locate it on
the ground."
Untilrecently, the best
guesses for the location of Muziris centred on the mouth of the Periyar
river, at a place called Kodungallor - but now the evidence suggests a
smaller town nearby, Pattanam, is the real location.
Drs Shajan and Selvakumar
now meet locals on a regular basis as they continue their work, with
some older people in particular remembering picking up glass beads and
pottery after heavy rains.
Undoubtedly, they told
Discovery, the many pieces of amphora are from the Mediterranean - a
key to establishing Pattanam as the place where Muziris once stood.
"These amphora are so common," Dr Shajan said.
"We have hundreds of shards of Mediterranean pottery."
Archaeologists working on India's south-west coast believe they may have solved the mystery of the location of a major port which was key to trade between India and the Roman Empire - Muziris, in the modern-day state of Kerala. For many years, people have been in search of the almost mythical port, known as Vanchi to locals. Much-recorded in Roman times, Muziris was a major centre for trade between Rome and southern India - but appeared to have simply disappeared. Now, however, an investigation by two archaeologists - KP Shajan and V Selvakumar - has placed the ancient port as having existed where the small town of Pattanam now stands, on India's south-west Malabarcoast.
"It is the first time these remains have been found on this coast," Dr Sharjan told BBC World Service's Discovery programme. "We believe it could be Muziris." Pattanam is the only site in the region to produce architectural features and material contemporary to the period. "No other site in India has yielded this much archaeological evidence," said Dr Roberta Tomba, of the British Museum. "We knew it was very important, and we knew if we could find it, there should be Roman and other Western artefacts there - but we hadn't been able to locate it on the ground." Until recently, the best guesses for the location of Muziris centred on the mouth of the Periyar river, at a place called Kodungallor - but now the evidence suggests a smallertown nearby, Pattanam, is the real location. Drs Shajan and Selvakumar now meet locals on a regular basis as they continue their work, with some older people in particular remembering picking up glass beads and pottery after heavy rains. Undoubtedly, they told Discovery, the many pieces of amphora are from the Mediterranean - a key to establishing Pattanam as the place where Muziris once stood. "These amphora are so common," Dr Shajan said. "We have hundreds of shards of Mediterranean pottery."
It is a matter of great pride that the birthplace of Lord Buddha, Lumbini, is in Nepal. Ashoka Pillar, erected by Empire Ashoka at the birthplace of Lord Buddha, Lumbini, has ended all controversies regarding the Birthplace of Lord Buddha. To commemorate his 20th anniversary in throne, Ashoka, the King of Mouriya dynasty, had erected the pillar in 245 B.C.According to Buddhist text, Divyavadana, Ashoka started to make a pilgrimage to Lumbini in company of one of his preceptors. On their arrival, the preceptor pointing at the tree under which the mother of the Buddha had stood while delivering her child, said 'hida budhe jate sakyamuniti"(oh, Maharaja ! Here the Blessed one wasborn).The birthplace of Lord Buddha remained unknown for long.
Only at the end of 19th century, after having studied the Buddhist religions books in detail, Lumbini was excavated. Badahakim (senior official) of Palpa Khada Sumsher noticed a pillar in Lumbini in 1986. Later Fuhrer came and found out an inscription written in pali language (in Brahmi script) on the pillar.
This ended
all controversies prevalent then regarding the birthplace of Lord
Buddha. The inscription and the pillar are still intact there as a
proof that Buddha was born there. The inscription has five lines and 90
letters. The first line has 23, the second and third has 21 each, the
fourth has 19 and the fifth line has 16 letters:
Devanapiyena piyadasina
lajina visativasabhis itena atana agacha mahiyite hida Budhe Jata
Sakyamuniti Silavigadabhica kalapitasilathabhe cha usapapite hida
Bhagavam Jateti Lumminigame ubalike kate athabhagiya cha
The Department of Archaeology, Nepal, has translated the above inscription as follows:
King Piyadasi (Ashoka), the
beloved of Devas in the twentieth year of the coronation himself made a
royal visit; Buddha Sakyamuni having been born here, a stone railing
was built and a stone pillar erected. The Bhagavan having tax-reduced
and entitled to the eighth part (only). After a few decades of this,
Ripu Malla, a prince of the Nagaraja dynasty of western Nepal, visited
Lumbini and engraved his name on the eastern side of the upper part of
the pillar. The inscription consisted of:
Om mani padme hum
Shree Ripu Malla Chiram Jayatu
In the place where the
Ashoka pillar is erected, is situated the Lumbini Garden and thetem......
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Archaeologists working on India's south-west coast believe they may have solved the mystery of the location of a major port which was key to trade between India and the Roman Empire - Muziris, in the modern-day state of Kerala. For many years, people have been in search of the almost mythical port, known as Vanchi to locals. Much-recorded in Roman times, Muziris was a major centre for trade between Rome and southern India - but appeared to have simply disappeared. Now, however, an investigation by two archaeologists - KP Shajan and V Selvakumar - has placed the ancient port as having existed where the small town of Pattanam now stands, on India's south-west Malabarcoast. 
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