RE: What do you like about Religion?
March 5, 2012 at 2:22 am
(This post was last modified: March 5, 2012 at 2:32 am by Rokcet Scientist.)
(March 5, 2012 at 12:05 am)padraic Wrote:Quote:The remains of the reflecting pool have been found.
Fascinating, I didn't know that. Do you have a reference?
It was shown in a documentary on History Channel or the BBC or some such.
Obviously what remains of a 10 inch high pond wall isn't much, 4 centuries later. But there are visible bits left. That, and the location on a terrace directly opposite the Taj, plus a CGI reconstruction with the correct lighting where you could actually see the black Taj and the white Taj against the dusk sky from Jahan's viewpoint paint a very convincing picture.
That concept is one of today's must-have attractions for decadent luxury hotels in exotic locales: an "infinity pool". Only Jahan incorporated two aspects more brilliantly than in any "infinity pool" that I'm aware of: light and reflection.
Quote:As far as I'm aware,Shah Jihan originally planned to built a black marble replica on the opposite side of the river. This did not occur due to the cost and being deposed by his son Aurangzeb (1658)
That was the amalgamated explanation agreed on when they couldn't find any remains of a physical black Taj. Understandably, but erroneously, it turns out. A perfect example of history by committee!
Quote:Addendum: after doing some digging,it seems the notion of a real black Taj may be myth.
No, the black Taj wasn't a myth, the black Taj was real. Just not as a physical building. The two notions got mixed up.
