Taj Signatures

Away from the Taj Mahal8217;s grandeur that inspires a long queue of tourists on a hot Agra summer day, the northern wall of the monument f...

Away from the Taj Mahal8217;s grandeur that inspires a long queue of tourists on a hot Agra summer day, the northern wall of the monument faces a murky Yamuna. Etched on this wall are the names of the unknown hands that shaped the Taj. And those masons who couldn8217;t write, drew out swastikas and stars, fish and flowers instead. The names of the workers are mostly in Devanagari and Persian.

It is perhaps apt that while an emperor8217;s ode to love receives such lavish attention, the wall that holds the names of those who realised his dream, has only a dirty drying river and a few stray dogs as audience. But not any more.

The Archaeological Survey of India is all set to change that with its survey8212;the first such detailed documentation of mason marks undertaken by the ASI.

Building the Taj Mahal took 17 years8212;from 1632-48 AD8212;and 20,000 skilled and unskilled workers. The planning heads were usually Persian or Turk while the actual execution was carried out by Indian artisans.

The making of the Taj spawned a host of myths that have survived through centuries. To ensure his monumental tribute was never replicated, Shah Jahan is said to have amptutated the hands of some of the master craftsmen and even blinded a few. However, there8217;s little historical truth in it.

What has been established, however, is that quite a few workers left their mark on the Taj. The ASI-conducted survey started six or seven months ago and has finished documenting these mason marks on the northern wall. It has already recorded about 671 names and symbols and will continue the survey on other parts of the monument, an exercise that will take another four months.

And it does not want to stop at that. 8216;8216;We will perhaps later take out a similar exercise at the Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri and see if the names and symbols that are found in the Taj occur in Sikri and the Fort. The idea is to see a connecting contemporary period,8217;8217; says D Dayalan, superintending archaeologist at Agra.

While the name of chief calligrapher Amanat Khan Shirazi is inscribed on the main mausoleum and the chief architect is generally acknowledged to be Ustad Isa Afandi from Iran, this survey will put a name to the Taj8217;s forgotten artisans.

The documentation at the Taj will help paint a larger picture, for instance sketching the origin of the artisans. 8216;8216;These masons came from Iran, central Asia and various parts of India. Those who were illiterate, denoted symbols as a mark of their identity,8217;8217; says Dayalan.

Story continues below this ad

These guild marks could perhaps someday trace the journey of an artisan. 8216;8216;On a few visits to Bastar, I noticed a guild mark tattooed on the arms of the tribals which is also etched on the wall of the Taj,8217;8217; he adds.

All over India, in temples and in monuments, masons have left their mark. Temples of Bhojpur in Madhya Pradesh have these hidden codes while in Karnataka8217;s Halebid, a sculptor has gone beyond just etching his name8212;he has challenged all future artists to better his work.

And the desire to leave behind a trace of one8217;s fleeting identity on an immortal monument transcends time and space. Kaptan Singh, a mason from Dholpur working at the conservation of the Taj, understands the sentiment. 8216;8216;When we make buildings, sometimes we carve out our name on them, just like these on the Taj.8217;8217;