Let the splendor of the diamond, pearl and ruby vanish like the magic shimmer of the rainbow. Only let this one teardrop, the Taj Mahal, glisten spotlessly bright on the cheek of time…Rabindranath Tagore

Location:
Taj Mahal is located in the city of Agra, one of the most powerful cities in the medieval world. Agra is a part of the state of Uttar Pradesh, in the northern region of India. It is a part of the great northern plains and is situated on the west bank of river the Yamuna. Agra is 204 km south of Delhi.

Legendary Saga:
An immense mausoleum of white marble, built in Agra between 1631 and 1648 by order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favourite wife, Arjumand Banu. The Taj Mahal is one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world’s heritage and the jewel of Muslim art in India. Taj Mahal was constructed over a period of twenty-two years, employing twenty thousand workers. It was completed at a cost of 32 Million Rupees.

Elegy in Marble- Taj Mahal:
Taj Mahal means “Crown Palace” and is in fact the most well preserved and architecturally beautiful tomb in the world. The architecture is stunning and the unique mughal style combines elements of Persian, Central Asian, and Islamic architecture. Most impressive are the black and white chessboard marble floor, the four tall minarets (40 m high) at the corners of the structure, and the majestic dome in the middle. If observed minutely around the archways, the lettering of the Quran verses appears to be uniform, regardless of their height.

The impressive pietra dura artwork includes geometric elements, plants and flowers, mostly common in Islamic architecture. There is a high level of intricacy involved in artwork when one realizes that a 3 cm decorative element contains more than 50 inlaid gemstones.

the Taj Mahal is inspired by love and shaped to perfection, it immortalizes one man’s love for his wife and the splendor of an era.

t is the Annual Harvest Festival, celebrated in Kerala (South India). It is the day when it is supposed that the King Mahabali visits each house of his kingdom and meets his people. Feast is prepared on this day to mark this occasion. The main attraction is the entrance of the homes, which are decorated by Rangoli ( design on the floor made by hands) made from various colors.

The Festival

This ten day festival is celebrated with the square pyramids made of earthen mud placed on the entrance of the house. These represent two Gods of Hindus – Vishnu ( The Creator) and (Mahabali). Houses are cleaned and washed, decorated with flowers and lights. Fireworks are set on marking thewelcome of King Mahabali who is supposed to visit each house of his Kingdom on this day. Sumptuous feast of rich delicacies are on display. The eldest member of the family distributes new clothes on this day. Grand lunch is there which are taken with pleasure. Temples are visited and prayers are held throughout the day.

It is one of the festivals which is celebrated by the rich and the poor with the same fervor.

Even the city is decorated with lights and flowers. Throughout the city one can find the firecrackers cracking and sweets being distributed. From the shops to the malls everything is at its best. The night turns into a day with the display of lights. Melas (Fairs) for children are run and there are parties which run to the end of the night.

Eid-ul-Fitr is a joyous Islamic Festival that marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. On this day people thank Allah for providing them strength to undergo fasting and self restraint in the month of Ramadan. The date of Id is decided according to the position of the moon. Celebrations begin as soon as the first sight of the new moon is seen in the sky. Eid marks the first day of Shawwal, the tenth month of Islamic calendar. This is around the month of November according to Gregorian Calendar. Eid is celebrated with fervor by Muslims all over the world. In India too, festival of Eid is celebrated with enthusiasm and in a spirit of bonhomie. A special prayer is organized in mosques to mark the day of Eid. People wear bright new clothes and relish the best of festive food.

Rituals and Celebrations :
Eid is celebrated with extreme enthusiasm as it is also the ‘Festival of Fast-Breaking’. After a rigorous fast in Ramzan, Eid is definitely a welcome occasion. Great rush can be seen in markets a days before the festival as people do a lot of shopping for gifts, clothes and sweetmeats. On the eve of the festival womenfolk can be seen at the bangle shops and applying henna in their hands while the night before the festival called ‘Chand Raat’ is spend in preparation for the celebrations. Ladies in the house can be seen busy preparing for the grand feast for the Eid.

On an Eid morning people take early bath and wear new clothes. Following the tradition people give alms to the poor and needy and assemble at Idgah to render prayers. After this people hug each other and greet ‘Eid Mubarak’.

At home womenfolk prepare best of festive food including Sewain, biryanis, pulaos, meat and chicken kababs, dahi badas and kewra-flavoured kulfis and faloodas. All this is gorged by people after the month long restraint. Friends and relatives are invited to participate in the joyous celebrations.

Children particularly await the festival of Eid as it is time to receive Eidi from the elders in the family. Idi could be some special gift or cash.

Legend of Diwali :
Diwali is celebrated to mark the day when Lord Rama was crowned as the King of Ayodhya. Rama returned to Ayodhya with wife Sita and brother Laxman after spending 14 years in exile and slaying the demon King Ravana.

Diwali Celebrations :
Diwali is a joyous and funfilled festival. People desperately wait for it all the year round. Frenzied shopping can be witnessed days before the arrival of the festival as everybody gets new clothes for the occasion. People give a thorough cleaning to their house. Some even get their houses painted fresh for Diwali. Since it is the biggest festival it is also the time for family reunion. Those staying away from their homes strive to reach home and hold Diwali Puja with closed family members

Rituals of Day One: Dhanteras / Dhantrayodashi :
The 13th day of the Kartik month is meant for shopping. People consider it auspicious to buy gold and silver ornaments or coins besides utensils on Dhanteras