What is "taj mahal"

Taj Mahal \Taj Ma*hal"\ (t[aum]j m[.a]*h[aum]l"), prop. n. [Corruption of Per. Mumt[=a]z-i-Ma[.h]al, lit., the distinguished one of the palace, fr. Ar.] A marble mausoleum built at Agra, India, by the Mogul Emperor Shah Jahan, in memory of his favorite wife. In beauty of design and rich decorative detail it is one of the best examples of Saracenic architecture, and specifically of Mogul architecture.

mausoleum at Agra, India, built by Shah Jahan for his favorite wife, from Persian, perhaps "the best of buildings," with second element related to Arabic halla "to lodge." But some authorities hold that the name of the mausoleum is a corruption of the name of the woman interred in it, Mumtaz (in Persian, literally "chosen one") Mahal, who died in 1631. Persian taj is literally "crown, diadem, ornamental headdress," but here denoting an object of distinguished excellence. Figurative use of Taj Mahal in English as a name denoting anything surpassing or excellent is attested from 1895.

The Taj Mahal (, more often ; Persian for Crown of Palaces) is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the south bank of the Yamuna river in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan (reigned 1628–1658), to house the tomb of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The tomb is the centrepiece of a 42-acre complex, which includes a mosque and a guest house, and is set in formal gardens bounded on three sides by a crenellated wall.

Construction of the mausoleum was essentially completed in 1643 but work continued on other phases of the project for another 10 years. The Taj Mahal complex is believed to have been completed in its entirety in 1653 at a cost estimated at the time to be around 32 million rupees, which in 2015 would be approximately 52.8 billion rupees ( US$827 million). The construction project employed some 20,000 artisans under the guidance of a board of architects led by the court architect to the emperor, Ustad Ahmad Lahauri.

The Taj Mahal was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 for being "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage". Described by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore as "the tear-drop on the cheek of time", it is regarded by many as the best example of Mughal architecture and a symbol of India's rich history. The Taj Mahal attracts 7–8 million visitors a year. In 2007, it was declared a winner of the New7Wonders of the World (2000–2007) initiative.

Henry Saint Clair Fredericks (born May 17, 1942), who uses the stage name Taj Mahal, is an American blues musician. He often incorporates elements of world music into his works. A self-taught singer-songwriter and film composer who plays the guitar, piano, banjo and harmonica (among many other instruments), Mahal has done much to reshape the definition and scope of blues music over the course of his almost 50-year career by fusing it with nontraditional forms, including sounds from the Caribbean, Africa and the South Pacific.

The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum in Agra, India, built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan.

Taj Mahal may also refer to:

Taj Mahal is a German-style board game for 3–5 players designed by Reiner Knizia and first published in 2000 by Alea in German.

Taj Mahal is a 1999 Tamil film directed by Bharathiraja. The film featured the director's son, Manoj, alongside fellow debutant Riya Sen in the lead roles, with an ensemble supporting cast including Revathi, Radhika and Ranjitha. The film's story was written by Mani Ratnam while music was composed by A.R.Rahman and B. Kannan handled the camera. The story of the film revolved around two clashing communities and two lovers caught in the vortex of their rivalry. The film fared poorly at the 1999 Deepavali releases box office.

Taj Mahal is the debut American blues album by Taj Mahal.

Taj Mahal is a 1963 film based on the historical legend of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. As per the legend Shah Jahan created the Taj Mahal in fond remembrance and as a tomb for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. It was a commercial and critical hit, but is remembered most for its music.

Taj Mahal is a palace built by Sultan Shah Jahan, Begum of Bhopal. It is located beside the Taj-ul-Masajid in Bhopal, India.

'Taj Mahal (1941 film) ' is a Bollywood film. It was released in 1941 directed by Nanubhai Vakil and had Nazir and Suraiya in pivotal roles under the Banner of Sri Meenakshi Pictures.Film music was by Damodar.Film songs lyricists were Behzad Lakhnavi,S. Khalil and Pandit Anuj.Playback singers were Indurani and Fakir Mohammad.

Taj Mahal is a 2008 Indian Kannada romantic drama film directed and written by R. Chandru and starring Ajay Rao and Pooja Gandhi. Produced by T. Shivashankar Reddy, the film is Chandru's directoral debut. The film opened on 25 July 2008, and has been in theatres for 200 days in Karanataka. Music director Abhiman Roy was awarded the Best Music Director accolade at the Karnataka State Film Awards for his film score.

Taj Mahal is a 1995 Telugu romance film directed by Muppalaneni Shiva and produced by D. Ramanaidu. The film stars Srikanth, Monica Bedi and Sanghavi in the lead roles. The music was composed by M. M. Srilekha. It is the first hit film of Srikanth as a lead actor. It is the debut film of Chandrabose.

Taj Mahal is a 2015 French-Belgian thriller-drama film written and directed by . It was screened in the Horizons section at the 72nd edition of the Venice Film Festival. The story of the film makes explicit reference to the 2008 Mumbai attacks which have concerned The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel.