Taj Mahal joins 7 Wonders of the World

[yoda]

Re: Taj Mahal was built and owned by Hindus Again from wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taj_mahal The Taj Mahal was built on a stretch of land to the south of the walled city of Agra which had belonged to Maharajah Jai Singh: Shah Jahan presented him with a large palace in the centre of Agra in exchange.[5] Construction began with setting foundations for the tomb. An area of roughly three acres was excavated and filled with dirt to reduce seepage from the river. The entire site was levelled to a fixed height about 50 m above the riverbank. The Taj Mahal is 180 feet tall. The dome itself measures 60 feet in diameter and 80 feet high. In the tomb area, wells were then dug down to the point that water was encountered. These wells were later filled with stone and rubble, forming the basis for the footings of the tomb. An additional well was built to same depth nearby to provide a visual method to track water level changes over time. Instead of lashed bamboo, the typical scaffolding method, workmen constructed a colossal brick scaffold that mirrored the inner and outer surfaces of the tomb. The scaffold was so enormous that foremen estimated it would take years to dismantle. According to legend, Shah Jahan decreed that anyone could keep bricks taken from the scaffold, and it was dismantled by peasants overnight. A fifteen-kilometre tamped-earth ramp was built to transport marble and materials from Agra to the construction site. According to contemporary accounts teams of twenty or thirty oxen strained to pull the blocks on specially constructed wagons. To raise the blocks into position required an elaborate post-and-beam pulley system. Teams of mules and oxen provided the lifting power. The order of construction was * The plinth * The tomb * The four minarets * The mosque and jawab * The gateway The plinth and tomb took roughly 12 years to complete. The remaining parts of the complex took an additional 10 years. (Since the complex was built in stages, contemporary historical accounts list different "completion dates"; discrepancies between so-called completion dates are probably the result of differing opinions about the definition of "completion". For example, the mausoleum itself was essentially complete by 1643, but work continued on the rest of the complex.)

[yoda]

Re: Taj Mahal was built and owned by Hindus

Since when did Wikipedia become a expert on anything ?

Since when people started referring to it on a regular basis. It is like asking since when did google search provide any meaningful information.

[yoda]

Re: Taj Mahal was built and owned by Hindus

why not? some of these carvings could have taken years to complete

Have you seen them ?

It is not about me or you. We can't verify our claims one way or another. I can claim yes and you will say prove it. Let's stick to the facts that can be independently verified.

[yoda]

Re: Taj Mahal was built and owned by Hindus

And 12 year old buildings develop serious cracks and leaks .. ? never mind the Emperors Pet Project ?

When you undertake a project of such a scale, anything could wrong.

Please note that even the Master builder/ dome expert couldnt fix those leaks.

Ok.

[gator]

Re: Taj Mahal was built and owned by Hindus callin u a mullah was not to abuse u, but to praise u for ur dedication in standing up for ummah and its past deeds.... chill man....

[yoda]

Re: Taj Mahal was built and owned by Hindus

Since when did Wikipedia become a expert on anything ?

Since when people started referring to it on a regular basis. It is like asking since when did google search provide any meaningful information.

Do you know the process involved in how "stuff" getting into Wikipedia ? I (and everybody) knows how Google or a search engine works .

Yes, I know, but it surprisingly works well. Never had a problem quoting it. Will change my mind if it happens to list things out of order.

[yoda]

Re: Taj Mahal was built and owned by Hindus

callin u a mullah was not to abuse u' date=' but to praise u for ur dedication in standing up for ummah and its past deeds.... chill man....[/quote'] stop spouting garbage is all i want to say to you.

[yoda]

Re: Taj Mahal was built and owned by Hindus Will continue this discussion if anything more interesting pops up on this thread. For now, I will continue to be skeptical of this Oak guy's claims. Donno about you guys.

[yoda]

Re: Taj Mahal was built and owned by Hindus

Yes' date=' I know, but it surprisingly works well. [/quote'] Meaning the stuff about Taj on wiki may not have been written by Historians of any note right ?

They are not written by historians, but by people who give a neutral and factual view of things.

Never had a problem quoting it. Will change my mind if it happens to list things out of order.

I already gave you proof of Shah Jahans level of "tolerence" towards other religions ... do you need more ?

No. You had quoted the writings by the girish guy to counter his conclusion that Shah Jahan was tolerant of hinduism and hence the hindu motifs on the Taj.

[yoda]

Re: Taj Mahal was built and owned by Hindus

No. You had quoted the writings by the girish guy to counter his conclusion that Shah Jahan was tolerant of hinduism and hence the hindu motifs on the Taj.

And you refuted that by quoting Wiki !

They are not written by historians, but by people who give a neutral and factual view of things

How did you arrive at them being Neutral and being factual ? The guys listed in the links quoted by me are Neutral and also Experts ! BTW how does it matter who produces the facts ... I mean Neutral Lefty or Righty ? Is it necessary to be a "Neutral" for the findings to be accepted as facts ?

Yes, I quoted wiki and you haven't refuted anything I have quoted from Wiki so far. And I really don't want to go into a discussion about Wiki's correctness in general and whether it is useful thing or not. I am ok with referring to it and have learnt a lot from it and will probably refer to it for various things. There is nothing controversial there. Just the standard stuff that people will probably read in a text book, just available for you online. It has things ranging from VIP addresses, to SSL tunneling to the Taj Mahal to the Tirupati temple. You can disregard it. No problems. By the way, I don't care whether you are lefty or righty either as far as facts are concerned. The problems are with the "extrapolation" from those facts. For example, I am not doubting the authentacity of the letter from Aurangazeb or it's date. But I cannot accept blindly the inference that because the building needed immediate repairs after completion, it cannot be new.

[Guest dada_rocks]

Re: Taj Mahal was built and owned by Hindus

why not? some of these carvings could have taken years to complete

Have you seen them ?

It is not about me or you. We can't verify our claims one way or another. I can claim yes and you will say prove it. Let's stick to the facts that can be independently verified.

With the only difference that only scientific test done on it doesn't corroborate populary held belief and to add to it powers to be guards it from being subject of further investigation.. What the hell are they trying to hide..

[Guest dada_rocks]

Re: Taj Mahal was built and owned by Hindus Guys all u are doing is regurgitating the history text books which more often than not are subjective and are so gingerly staying clear of the only scientific text done to comfirm the matter one way or another..

[Anakin]

Re: Taj Mahal was built and owned by Hindus History is written by victors. Agree with DR, it's often very partial. In fact if you try you can proof quite easily how generous the mughal or muslim invaders were with the help of some history books. And as stated countless times, the only scientific test done suggests otherwise and another circumstantial evidence is the unwillingness of the govt to do further tests. If you know for certain all these "conspiracy" (although not sure why it is called that) theories are wrong, why not prove it once and for all.

[Guest dada_rocks]

Re: Taj Mahal was built and owned by Hindus

Refer to the point that you used to refute it ... i.e the Badshahnama that I quoted from the link. Either Wiki is correct or the Badshahnama is wrong. Whats it ? If the badshahnama is correct it means Shah Jahan wasnt a saint when it came to religious tolerance. (Just to recap and avoid going in circles)

PSec mode ON: Moral relativism should be looked at too. In those days everyone was equallly an a$$hole hence shahjehan excused and branded the saint. This defence is played for everyone starting from the great prophet himself. [Yes don't ask them to provide examples for the same]. I am still waiting from believers crowd on a board to point out some prophet who has indulged in cold-mannered behading of 900 odd captives for the crime and the crime was that they didn't respect the coveneant of fighting along side the great man. It's like russia/india having treaty of coming to aid to each other in case of war and one of them doesn't abide by this treaty then the other goes bonkers in first one's country. As far as I am concerned the very fact that Qutub Minar has nothing qutub about it so in all probabilty even taj mahal could be of similar nature and a govt who has nothing to hide won't put spanner in the project which is trying to establish the fact one way or another. Doubts become more strong in wake of the carbon dating results.

[Guest dada_rocks]

Re: Taj Mahal was built and owned by Hindus

this link describes everything about Negationism in India : http://voi.org/books/negaind/

Thanks for giving me tools to waste time :wtg:

[yoda]

Re: Taj Mahal was built and owned by Hindus Ok. This thread has taken the usual anti-muslim turn and allegations of P-sec and other unrelated innuendo wrt the original topic as far as I am concerned. Time for me to leave it in good hands.

[Gaurav]

Re: Taj Mahal was built and owned by Hindus

Ok. This thread has taken the usual anti-muslim turn and allegations of P-sec and other unrelated innuendo wrt the original topic as far as I am concerned. Time for me to leave it in good hands.

Why you getting all senti? Can't debate? Your feelings hurt? Then again debating with you will be pointless because you take word of Wiki as FACT :lmao: Sure for non controversial stuff it can be good but for other stuff it can be biased depending on who edits it. Yoda answere YES or NO- Where hundreds and thousand of temples/Hindu statues destroyed by muslims? YES OR NO? India has gone bonkers! People are brainwashed and brain dead Dhimmis to the core. I feel sorry thinking what is in store for India's future.

[Gaurav]

Re: Taj Mahal was built and owned by Hindus

this link describes everything about Negationism in India : http://voi.org/books/negaind/

EXCELLENT article!

[Guest dada_rocks]

Re: Taj Mahal was built and owned by Hindus

Ok. This thread has taken the usual anti-muslim turn and allegations of P-sec and other unrelated innuendo wrt the original topic as far as I am concerned. Time for me to leave it in good hands.

You have not debated anythign so far I am yet to see even a single point which will pass of a arational rejoinder even in high school debate... Have been asking everyone to corroborate their respectiev claims but it seems that's kind fo anathema... nice alibi though, taking potshots on hindutva this and that is fine but the moment someone shows miror holier than thou attitude comes to the fore..

[Gambit]

Quote

Taj Mahal joins Wonders of the World list July 07, 2007 21:55 IST Last Updated: July 08, 2007 00:47 IST The Taj Mahal, regarded as one of the most beautiful monuments, was on Saturday voted in a global poll as one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. Officials of the I Media Corp, the Indian representative of 'New7wonders of the World,' claimed they got the information about the Mughal marvel getting into the list from the Swiss organization, which organised the worldwide campaign. The official declaration of the new Seven Wonders of the World will be done in Lisbon at 0145 hours IST on Sunday. Asked about the number of votes cast in favour of Taj, 'the monument of love,' the I Media Corp officials told PTI that they have no information regarding this. "Information like the number of voted polled in favour of Taj and the other selected monuments will be available only after the official declaration," they said. The worldwide poll, in which people could vote for their favourite monument either online or through SMS, was conducted by the New 7 Wonders Foundation, a Swiss non-profit group. Earlier, media reports said that the organisers had on June seven named the world wonders that had received enough votes to be categorised among the top 10 and the bottom 10. However, no official ranking was allotted to the wonders. The wonders at the top of the list were India's Taj Mahal, Greece's Acropolis, Italy's [Images] Colosseum, Peru's Machu Picchu, Barzil's Christ the Redeemer, the Great Wall of China, Eiffel Tower [Images] in Paris, Mexico's Chichen Itza, Chile's statues of Easter Island and Jordan's Petra. The bottom list comprised of United States' Statue of Liberty, Australia's Sydney Opera House, Cambodia's Angkor Wat, Russia's [Images] Kremlin and St. Basil's Cathedral, Britain's Stonehenge, Spain's Alhambra, Turkey's Hagia Sophia, Japan's [Images] Kiyomizu Temple, Germany's [Images] Neuschwanstein Castle and Mali's Timbuktu.

http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/jul/07wonders.htm As if we needed some SMS poll to tell us that