Taj Mahal the basis for subsequent theories and controversies. Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal (; , meaning "Crown of the Palaces") is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the south bank of the Yamuna river in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan (reigned from 1628 to 1658), to house the tomb of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It also houses the tomb of Shah Jahan, the builder. The tomb is the centerpiece of a complex, which includes a mosque and a guest house, and is set in formal gardens bounded on three sides
Taj Mahal dates due to differing opinions on "completion". Construction of the mausoleum itself was essentially completed by 1643 while work continued on the outlying buildings continued for years. Estimates of the cost of construction vary due to difficulties in estimating costs across time. The total cost at the time has been estimated to be about 32 million Indian rupees, which is around 52.8 billion Indian rupees ($827 million US) based on 2015 values. Abdul Hamid Lahauri in his book "Badshahnama" refers to Taj Mahal as "rauza-i munawwara", meaning the illumined or illustrious tomb. Soon after the Taj Mahal's completion, Shah Jahan