11 Secrets of the Taj Mahal you probably never knew!

1. Optical illusions can be spotted everywhere!!

The designers and builders of the Taj Mahal were masters of proportions and the tricks of the eye. When you first approach the grand gate that frames the Taj, the monument appears incredibly close and large. But as you move closer to the gate, the Taj keeps getting smaller and smaller —exactly the opposite of what you’d expect.

The gate

And grow bigger as you walk away. Thus as you leave and take a glance back from the gate, the Taj will appear as big as ever, to keep with you in your heart.

2. The minarets surrounding the tomb actually lean.

When you see it plainly, the minarets will appear perfectly upright but in reality, the towers actually lean outwards. It serves dual purpose, in form and function: In addition to providing aesthetic balance, in the event of a natural disaster, like earthquake, the pillars would crumble away from the main ' gumbad ' or Dome, thereby ensuring the safety of the Tomb.

3. The most famous myth is probably false

According to a popular legend, to ensure that no one could recreate the Taj Mahal’s beauty, Shah Jahan supposedly severed the hands and gouged the eyes of the artisans and craftsmen.

Shrine of Love

But despite the prevalence of this terrible tale, historians have found no hard evidence to support the story—but it certainly does heighten the drama of the romantic tragedy.

4. Both of the tombs are empty

The Taj Mahal being a mausoleum, there are two tombs inside – one for Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan. Enclosed in an eight-sided chamber ornamented with pietra dura (an inlay with semi-precious stones) and a marble lattice screen, they are actually the cenotaphs – meaning they are empty. The real tombs are in a quiet room below, at the garden level!

5. It’s perfectly symmetrical - almost!

The Taj Mahal is the pinnacle of impeccable symmetry according to the customs of that period’s style. Minarets flank the domed tomb in a perfect symmentry and the central pool elegantly reflects the main building.

The garden

The gardens—an earthly representation of paradise—are divided into quadrants. The twin red sandstone buildings - an east-facing mosque and a west-facing guesthouse - give the entire complex a balanced harmony.

There is, however, one exception.

Shah Jahan’s cenotaph is strangely positioned not on the central axis, but to the west of the axis - throwing it off the equilibrium. Why is a still a mystery.

6. It changes color throughout the day

The constantly changing hue of the Taj Mahal according to the different times in a day is one of its most alluring features. From dusk to dawn, the sun transforms the mausoleum. It seems to be pearly gray and pale pink at sunrise, shining white at prime noon, and an orange-bronze when the sun sets. In the evenings, the Taj can appear translucent blue. And what more? Special tickets are sold for full moon and eclipse viewings.

7.. A second, black-marble Taj Mahal was being planned

Stories says that Shah Jahan wanted to construct a shadow image of the Taj across the Yamuna River!! —an identical, but opposite Taj Mahal hewn this time from black marble—a place where he wished to be entombed. But the construction came to a halt when he was deposed by his son Aurangazeb and imprisoned at the nearby Agra Fort. Some historians have dismissed this story as folklore, too.

8. The foundation of Taj Mahal would have eroded years ago if Yamuna wasn't there.

Taj's foundation is made of timber!! The wood should weaken overtime and crumble owing to rot and ruin, had the wood not being kept strong and moist by the Yamuna river.

9. A special feature to ensure uniform water pressure in all the fountains.

To ensure undiminished and uniform water pressure in all the fountains, the fountain pipes are not connected directly with the feeder copper pipes. Instead a copper pot is provided under each fountain pipe so that the water first fills in the pot and only then does it rise in the fountains all at the same time. The pressure in the pots are thus equated and hence in the fountains also.

10. The Taj gets regular facials

Age and pollution has taken a toll on the Taj Mahal, turning the gleaming white marble façade into brownish-yellow. And hence it needs regular facials. A mudpack facial called multiani mitti, a traditional recipe used by Indian women to restore radiance is applied on the Taj, and then washed off with brushes returning its glow.

It was as much of a symbol of power as it was of love

The complex’s matchless architecture and ordered symmetry symbolizes absolute power—the perfection of Mughal reign. And its grandeur and extravagance with crystal, lapis lazuli, makrana marble and turquoise brought Shah Jahan’s reign, great glory in his time.

11. As a ruler

Accounts show that as a ruler, Shah Jahan was more ruthless than romantic. In spite of all its relation to devotion and ardor, the Taj was also a source of propaganda.