On Sunday August 19 around 10 in the morning a documentary The Secrets of Taj Mahal was telecast by the famous National Geographic channel. Though the name suggested something intriguing the contents of the programme were extremely disappointing. No secret was revealed in the 30-minute long exercise. Other than the computer graphics the whole show was totally frustrating. Intermittently two scholars one from a European University and the other from the Jawahar Lal University, Delhi expressed their views on the great monument. Their comments were very ordinary and lacked research. Most of the information provided was also incorrect. For example the professor of the Delhi University told us that Shahjahan used to visit Taj and he arrived by boat. Why should he arrive by boat when the Taj and the Red Fort of Agra are situated on the same bank. Moreover from the river side there is no entrance of the Taj.
Nothing was said either on the subterranean chamber of the tomb where the original grave of the queen exists. Why the original graves were made in the underground chambers, the two so-called scholars were silent on this issue. The history of the Taj was not revealed either. Arjumand Bano Begum, the beloved wife of Shahjahan died at Burhanpur and the Emperor planned to build the Taj on the banks of River Tapti which flows close to Burhanpur. Later the plan was changed and Mughal capital was considered more suitable for the tomb. Arjumand was thus buried as amanat at Burhanpur and when the building of Taj Mahal was complete at Agra only then the Queen’s coffin was brought to Agra and interred in the underground chamber.
A third lady towards the end of programme tried to discuss the landscape of the mausoleum but it appeared as though she knew nothing about the concept of promised Paradise, the four rivers there and the development of Chaharbagh. Nowhere in the programme, the names of the architects or designers were revealed. Another comical aspect was the mock players of the show. Shahjahan looked more like a street vendor: thin, dark in complexion and having neither confidence nor authority on his face. Arjumand Bano Begum was better but still nowhere near the real lady. The characterization of Shahjahan during old age was also below satisfactory. For this kind of programmes, qualified professors of history of architecture are needed and not the professors of ordinary political history.
Dr. Shaukat Mahmood,
Lahore, August 23.