Taj Mahal Overgrown With Vegetation In The 19th Century, Agra, 1860 Photo

Taj Mahal Overgrown With Vegetation C19th Agra, 2 Photos 1860d

Two rare 1860 photographs of Agra’s beautiful Taj Mahal. Both are 19th-century photos – one shows its grounds overgrown with vegetation. Astonishing to see the usually well-kept Taj Mahal in a dilapidated state. Following the decline of the Mughal Empire, the majestic white mausoleum was largely neglected. The image shows a rectangular pool surrounded by dense vegetation.

It was not until Lord Curzon became Viceroy of India that the situation began to change. Curzon was largely responsible for the restoration of the Taj Mahal during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Commissioned in 1631 by the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan (r. 1628–1658), the monument was built to house the tomb of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal, and later became the resting place of Shah Jahan as well. Built on the banks of the Yamuna River, which flows behind this historic mausoleum, see the 2nd photograph. Click on the image to enlarge. 

Read more History of The Taj Mahal.

Did you know – ironically, the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan abandoned the city of Agra and shifted his capital to Delhi in 1638

Past posts – 19C Painting of Indian And European Women By Hutchinson 1837., The Experimental Steam Tram of Calcutta, 1900 Postcard., Nizam Of Hyderabad Asaf Jah VI, 1889 Print., Rare Vintage Book – Madras The Birth Place Of British India.