'After it was finished, Shah Jahan visited the Taj only twice.' 'There is a letter from Aurangzeb to him after a visit, reporting that the dome was leaking and needed to be fixed.' 'Shah Jahan wasn't bothered: He had moved on to designing his next project, Shahjahanabad,' reveals Aakar Patel.
A bench of Justices M R Shah and C T Ravikumar asked the petitioner to approach the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and make a representation before it.
In many ways, 17th century India occupied a position in the global economy comparable to that of the United States today. Just as millions of people now look towards America because of its economic opportunities, merchants, adventurers and trading companies once looked towards India.
As a ruler he was a pragmatist and adaptable, and trying all the time to strengthen and perpetuate the empire that he and his forefathers had built.He seldom, if ever, allowed his policies to be determined by his religious beliefs, notes Rudrangshu Mukherjee.
The Uttar Pradesh government has initiated the rehabilitation of 21 families residing within the historic Saundhan Fort in Sambhal. Each family has been allotted a 100-square-meter plot, with special provisions for widows under the Chief Minister's Housing Scheme, as part of efforts to conserve the ASI-protected Mughal-era monument and promote tourism.
A dagger that once belonged to Mughal emperor Shah Jahan fetched 1,700,000 pounds at the Bonhams Indian and Islamic sale in London on Thursday. The elegant and understated personal dagger carried by Shah Jahan (reign 1627-1657), with its fine gold inscriptions and decoration dated to 1629-30 AD, was expected to attract bids of around 300,000-500,000 pounds.The dagger was the most important item in a collection built by the late Jacques Desenfans, a Belgian.
If that name means nothing to you, you're not alone. It meant nothing to most people we met that day either. Including, as it turned out, some of them standing right next to his tomb.
A gold-encrusted dagger belonging to Mughal emperor Shah Jahan is expected to fetch 500,000 pounds when auctioned at Bonhams on Thursday.The dagger is part of the collection of Islamic and Indian art and artefacts of the late textile businessman Jacques Desenfans.The inscriptions in nasta'liq script on the blade include Shah Jahan's official titles, date and place of birth, and the honourific parasol.
'Melania Trump asked about the mud-pack treatment and was amazed when she got to know the details of the process'
A space designated or reserved for communal Eid day prayers, year after year is called an Eidgah or an Idgah and many an Indian city has a landmark, historic Eidgah.
Learn about the historical spots in India most visited by domestic tourists.
'Aurangzeb spent a major part in the Deccan. The later Mughals were looted by Nadir Shah and Ahmed Shah Abdali. The Mughals had no money to build. That's why Zafar Mahal, the only palace they built in Mehrauli, was built very shoddily and quickly fell into ruin.' 'Mehrauli spans a much longer period of time than any other city of Delhi,' says historian Rana Safvi.
Riteish Deshmukh's Shivaji may not be a flawless portrayal, but still remains engaging throughout, applauds Mayur Sanap.
'The city was not only a setting but also a major character in Sankar's stories, providing the readers insight into the ever-changing and complex nature of Calcutta,' observes Atanu Biswas.
Shah's emotional statement indicates he has bid farewell to MCX; but is he stooping to hit back?
The book, to be introduced in schools from the 2025-2026 academic year, marks a shift in tone in its portrayal of the Mughal emperors, offering detailed accounts of conquest, religious decisions, cultural contributions, and brutality.
From sultry cabaret numbers to soul-stirring ghazals, Asha Bhosle crafted a sonic universe where boldness met beauty and mischief mingled with melancholy. Her voice didn't just soundtrack cinema, it liberated expression, challenged norms and gave generations permission to feel, flirt, ache and celebrate without restraint. Sukanya Verma salutes the legend.
As we celebrate the 136th anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru's birth, let's embark on a journey to places in India, and across the world, that had a connection with India's first prime minister.
'Be it tourist guides, hotels, rickshaw drivers, all have a livelihood thanks to Shah Jahan.'
'Bollywood now pushing propaganda with #TheTajStory a film twisting history by showing the Taj Mahal as a temple. A country boasting of being the 4th largest economy is drowning in fantasy & communal myths. When propaganda feels ashamed, you know it's India 2025'
'My family are the mainstream audience and think I am wasting my time. Until I make a Rs 100 crore film, they won't be convinced.'
'Lots of people fade away from our memory after they die, but he will stay on forever.'
Sachin Tendulkar spent nearly an hour at the monument as he clicked pictures with Anjali on the Diana Bench.
Glimpses from the light and sound show at the Red Fort, which Union Home Minister Amit A Shah inaugurated on Tuesday, January 10, 2023.
'Look after your own mother before looking after your neighbour's mother.' 'I don't believe in starving my own mother and feeding sweets to the neighbours.'
How much do you know about Shah Jahan, Mumtaz Mahal and the Taj Mahal?
'When I undertook a study of temple desecration in precolonial India, it was not enough simply to document what temples were desecrated, by whom, when, and where.' 'It was also important to explore the total historical context of such incidents, with a view to discovering patterns, which in turn could reveal the reasons why they occurred.'
The cultural richness that began from a narrow bank of the Yamuna has continued for over 7 centuries. And you literally go underground for as little at Rs 50 to see it!
Glimpses of visitors enjoying the majestic beauty of maple trees at the Nishat Garden in Srinagar on Sunday, November 13, 2022.
Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Asim Azmi was on Wednesday suspended from the Maharashtra legislative assembly till the ongoing budget session ends on March 26, over his remarks eulogizing Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
CBI investigations point out that DG Vanzara, the then Deputy Inspector General of Gujarat Police, Border Range, received a go ahead two days prior to the encounter. Vicky Nanjappa reports
A body representing the 'Khadims' of the Ajmer dargah has condemned a plea in a local court that seeks to declare the shrine of Khawaja Gharib Nawaz as a temple, saying right-wing forces were trying to "isolate" Muslims and "disrupt" communal harmony in the country.
She also supported a petition in the Allahabad high court, seeking a fact-finding inquiry into the 'history' of the Taj Mahal and also opening of the doors of its '22 rooms' to see 'the truth, whatever it is'.
'Shivaji and Sambhaji followed the gospel of humanity. 'They did not discriminate based on religion, caste, or colour.' 'That is the beauty of Shivaji and Sambhaji's Hindvi Swaraj.'
Princess Jahanara, Mughal emperor Shah Jahan's daughter, was a paragon of virtues: well-educated, well-versed in statecraft, even-tempered, beautiful. Although she was on the side of Dara Shikoh in the succession battle, it says much for her stature that after Shah Jahan's death, she was made the chief lady of the court by Aurangzeb and accorded every respect.
The cardinal rule for Mughal princes was 'Ya Takht, Ya Takhta' (the throne or the funeral pyre). They often went to battle against their brothers, even their father, to become emperor, points out Syed Firdaus Ashraf. Nothing bloodless about it.
Sukanya Verma looks at Bollywood's best-known diamond robberies in film.
