Taj mahal

INTRODUCTION

Commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to house the remains of his cherished wife, the Taj Mahal stands on the southern bank of the Yamuna River in Agra, India. The famed mausoleum complex, built over more than 20 years, is one of the most outstanding examples of Mughal architecture, which combined Indian, Persian and Islamic influences. At its center is the Taj Mahal itself, built of shimmering white marble that seems to change color depending on the sunlight or moonlight hitting its surface. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983, it remains one of the world’s most celebrated structures and a stunning symbol of India’s rich history.

TAJ MAHAL: SHAH JAHAN’S ROMANTIC GESTURE

Shah Jahan was a member of the Mughal dynasty that ruled most of northern India from the early 16th to the mid 18th-century. After the death of his father, King Jahangir, in 1627, Shah Jahan emerged the victor of a bitter power struggle with his brothers, and crowned himself emperor at Agra in 1628. At his side was Arjumand Banu Begum, better known as Mumtaz Mahal (“Chosen One of the Palace”), whom he married in 1612 and cherished as the favorite of his three queens.

In 1631, Mumtaz Mahal died after giving birth to the couple’s 14th child. The grieving Shah Jahan, known for commissioning a number of impressive structures throughout his reign, ordered the building of a magnificent mausoleum across the Yamuna River from his own royal palace at Agra. Construction began around 1632 and would continue for the next two decades. The chief architect was probably Ustad Ahmad Lahouri, an Indian of Persian descent who would later be credited with designing the Red Fort at Delhi. In all, more than 20,000 workers from India, Persia, Europe and the Ottoman Empire, along with some 1,000 elephants, were brought in to build the mausoleum complex.

DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE TAJ MAHAL

Named the Taj Mahal in honor of Mumtaz Mahal, the mausoleum was constructed of white marble inlaid with semi-precious stones (including jade, crystal, lapis lazuli, amethyst and turquoise) forming intricate designs in a technique known as pietra dura. Its central dome reached a height of 240 feet (73 meters) and was surrounded by four smaller domes; four slender towers, or minarets, stood at the corners. In accordance with Islamic tradition, verses from the Quran were inscribed in calligraphy on the arched entrances to the mausoleum, in addition to numerous other sections of the complex. Inside the mausoleum, an octagonal marble chamber adorned with carvings and semi-precious stones housed the cenotaph, or false tomb, of Mumtaz Mahal. The real sarcophagus containing her actual remains lay below, at garden level.

The rest of the Taj Mahal complex included a main gateway of red sandstone and a square garden divided into quarters by long pools of water, as well as a red sandstone mosque and an identical building called a jawab (or “mirror”) directly across from the mosque. Traditional Mughal building practice would allow no future alterations to be made to the complex. As the story goes, Shah Jahan intended to build a second grand mausoleum across the Yamuna River from the Taj Mahal, where his own remains would be buried when he died; the two structures were to have been connected by a bridge. In fact, Aurangzeb (Shah Jahan’s third son with Mumtaz Mahal) deposed his ailing father in 1658 and took power himself. Shah Jahan lived out the last years of his life under house arrest in a tower of the Red Fort at Agra, with a view of the majestic resting place he had constructed for his wife; when he died in 1666, he was buried next to her.

THE TAJ MAHAL OVER THE YEARS

Under Aurangzeb’s long rule (1658-1707), the Mughal empire reached the height of its strength. However, his militant Muslim policies, including the destruction of many Hindu temples and shrines, undermined the enduring strength of the empire and led to its demise by the mid-18th century. Even as Mughal power crumbled, the Taj Mahal suffered from neglect and disrepair in the two centuries after Shah Jahan’s death. Near the turn of the 19th century, Lord Curzon, then British viceroy of India, ordered a major restoration of the mausoleum complex as part of a colonial effort to preserve India’s artistic and cultural heritage.

Today, some 3 million people a year (or around 45,000 a day during peak tourist season) visit the Taj Mahal. Air pollution from nearby factories and automobiles poses a continual threat to the mausoleum’s gleaming white marble façade, and in 1998, India’s Supreme Court ordered a number of anti-pollution measures to protect the building from deterioration. Some factories were closed, while vehicular traffic was banned from the immediate vicinity of the complex.

Top of Mind: 8 Mistakes Young Professionals Make

Learn from these successful people and their biggest misunderstandings from when they first started on their career path.

Early in my career, I really lacked perspective. I made the mistake of thinking I was a big fish and learned quickly that it’s in proportion to the size of the pond, and there is always a bigger pond. Some people think they are happy where they are, but that is only because they don’t know what lies ahead for them on the other side of fear.

—Rachael Qualls, founder and CEO, Venture360

I took a job for the money, but I wasn’t excited about the work. That experience taught me salary doesn’t make you happy. I think about that experience every time I hire someone to work at ZipRecruiter. Learning what gets people excited is the best way to judge whether or not your environment is a match.

—Ian Siegel, co-founder and CEO, ZipRecruiter

A mistake I have made in the past was looking at an opportunity or project and immediately thinking I may not be qualified to take it on. I have found that all of my past work experiences and my personal life contribute to whatever task is at hand. I think that, as an entrepreneur, you find you have more skills than you ever thought you had. I now take on new opportunities with more confidence.

—Brittany Gaskill, co-founder, Stylelink

When you’re growing, trying to save money by limiting the size and quality of your team is a huge mistake. It’s important to hire people who will grow with you. Rather than hiring based on experience today, I have learned to hire based on our needs in 12 to 24 months. This reduces turnover and ensures that we have plenty of team members to support our company objectives.

—Jeff Platt, CEO, Sky Zone

The biggest mistake I’ve made was not being ambitious enough when I was younger and exploring and learning more things in life. However, I’ve learned that it is never too late to go for your dream. Regardless of how old you are, you should always set the bar high and never quit until you achieve it.

—Melanie Cho, co-founder and director of marketing, TrendPo

Early on, I naively extended trust to people who hadn’t earned it. I was left in financial hardship by unscrupulous partners whom I trusted far too easily. These days if you have my trust, you’ve earned it through dependability and loyalty during hard times. True colors tend to come out when we’re not flying so high.

—Christopher Longsworth, founder and CEO, Invesca Development Group

When I started my first corporate job, the biggest mistake I made was trying to fit a traditional role of leadership; I ran projects top down. By straying away from my natural style, I realized I wasn’t leveraging my core strengths: understanding my stakeholders’ needs and fostering a collaborative environment.

—Gloria Hwang, co-founder, Thousand

The way entrepreneurial success stories sometimes are told, it seemed that if you made something that consumers wanted, success would inevitably follow. I was all about the product, and now I've changed: I’m all about the company. Sure, the product needs to be the best, but that alone is worthless. You need to create awareness, and you need to give consumers access. That takes the right people. It’s all about the team.

—Kristy Lewis, co-founder and CEO, Quinn Popcorn

As told to Jennifer Chang

We all make mistakes, but the people who thrive from them are the high achievers. Find out what 10 things successful people never do again.

How to Speak Well... and Listen Better.

10 ways to be better at both sides of the conversation.There are two sides to every conversation, and both are essential to the art of communication.

So, how are your conversation skills? Think about it: Are you a smooth talker, or do you ramble? Are you an attentive listener, or do you tend to interrupt?

Here’s how to master the art of conversation—both sides of it:

When it’s your turn to talk…

1. Get your thinking straight.

The most common source of confusing messages is muddled thinking. We have an idea we haven’t thought through. Or we have so much we want to say that we can’t possibly say it. Or we have an opinion that is so strong we can’t keep it in. As a result, we are ill-prepared when we speak, and we confuse everyone. The first rule of plain talk, then, is to think before you say anything. Organize your thoughts.

2. Say what you mean.

Say exactly what you mean.

3. Get to the point.

Effective communicators don’t beat around the bush. If you want something, ask for it. If you want someone to do something, say exactly what you want done.

4. Be concise.

Don’t waste words. Confusion grows in direct proportion to the number of words used. Speak plainly and briefly, using the shortest, most familiar words.

5. Be real.

Each of us has a personality—a blending of traits, thought patterns and mannerisms—which can aid us in communicating clearly. For maximum clarity, be natural and let the real you come through. You’ll be more convincing and much more comfortable.

6. Speak in images.

The cliché that “a picture is worth a thousand words” isn’t always true. But words that help people visualize concepts can be tremendous aids in communicating a message.

But talking, or sending messages, is only half the process. To be a truly accomplished communicator, you must also know how to listen, or receive messages.

If you’re approaching a railroad crossing around a blind curve, you can send a message with your car horn. But that’s not the most important part of your communication task. The communication that counts takes place when you stop, look and listen—a useful admonition for conversation, too

So, when it’s your turn to listen…

1. Do it with thought and care.

Listening, like speaking and writing, requires genuine interest and attention. If you don’t concentrate on listening, you won’t learn much, and you won’t remember much of what you do learn. Most of us retain only 25 percent of what we hear—so if you can increase your retention and your comprehension, you can increase your effectiveness.

A sign on the wall of Lyndon Johnson’s Senate office put it in a down-to-earth way: “When you’re talking, you ain’t learning.”

2. Use your eyes.

If you listen only with your ears, you’re missing out on much of the message. Good listeners keep their eyes open while listening. Look for feelings. The face is an eloquent communication medium—learn to read its messages. While the speaker is delivering a verbal message, the face can be saying, “I’m serious,” “Just kidding,” “It pains me to be telling you this,” or “This gives me great pleasure.”

3. Observe these nonverbal signals when listening to people:

Rubbing one eye. When you hear “I guess you’re right,” and the speaker is rubbing one eye, guess again. Rubbing one eye often is a signal that the speaker is having trouble inwardly accepting something.
Tapping feet. When a statement is accompanied by foot-tapping, it usually indicates a lack of confidence in what is being said.
Rubbing fingers. When you see the thumb and forefinger rubbing together, it often means that the speaker is holding something back.
Staring and blinking. When you see the other person staring at the ceiling and blinking rapidly, the topic at hand is under consideration.
Crooked smiles. Most genuine smiles are symmetrical. And most facial expressions are fleeting. If a smile is noticeably crooked, you’re probably looking at a fake one.
Eyes that avoid contact. Poor eye contact can be a sign of low self-esteem, but it can also indicate that the speaker is not being truthful.

It would be unwise to make a decision based solely on these visible signals. But they can give you valuable tips on the kind of questions to ask and the kind of answers to be alert for.

4. Make things easy.

People who are poor listeners will find few who are willing to come to them with useful information. Good listeners make it easy on those to whom they want to listen. They make it clear that they’re interested in what the other person has to say.

Traits of Unabashedly Successful Women.

1.They have ambition.

Successful women do not dream about being the best in their section or department. Their eyes are set on the best in the state or country, at least. Most want to change the world.

2.They play to their strengths.

This is not necessarily the same as doing what you love. You might love doing mosaics but you might not choose that for your career. Think about what you can do so well that you can dominate your field with time. You should also love it. But successful women often choose their career paths by thinking first about what they’re good at and second about what they love to do.

3. They stay positive.

Successful women know how to deal with disappointment in a way that keeps them from getting down and staying down. They know the future will be bright for them.

4. They’re organized.

The vast majority of people I interviewed said yes quickly, checked their calendars, booked a date and did the interview. No extra emails. Not many reschedules. They decide what they want to do and then they just do it—simple and organized.

5. They’re constantly learning.

These women do not stay static. They are continually improving themselves, and use mentors and coaches to accelerate their improvement.

6. They have a strong support system.

Most of the women I spoke to have a partner or family member who is supportive of what they do. They know they have somebody to lean on when needed.

7. They know failure and success go together.

Everyone has their failures on their way to the top. That’s just how it is.

08. They do what they believe in.

This is crucial. The belief in the purpose of their work is the fuel behind years of hard work and dedication.

09. They have confidence.

Successful women believe in themselves. It’s a beautiful thing.

10. They have a vision for the future.

Successful women see a new and better world in the future and work toward achieving those changes. They are in it for the long haul.

11. They feel successful, but never done.

There’s always more, always better, always further t o reach. These women are seemingly tireless, ultimately devoted and constantly curious.

12. They remain grateful.

These women give credit to those who’ve helped them along the way. They are grateful for what they have. They don’t take their current position for granted.

13. They work hard and persistently.

Nobody got to where they are now without working hard and staying persistent during the tough times. This might be obvious, but it’s a lot easier to say than to do.

14. They don’t sweat the small stuff.

Successful people are good at separating the valuable from the worthless.

Happy International Women’s Day 2018: Wishes, Quotes, Photos, Images, Messages, Greetings, SMS.

Happy International Women’s Day 2018 wishes, quotes, images shared on March 8 is a nice way to show those around you that you care, while it serves as a reminder for people to stand up for the equality and freedom of women and to acknowledge their contribution to society.

International Women’s Day is celebrated annually to acknowledge the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women across the globe. It falls on March 8 every year, and is celebrated by almost every other women’s brand reminding us to feel empowered, while standing up for the equality and freedom for ladies. While women have proved themselves as fierce fighters, they are still called the ‘weaker sex’ irrespective of the milestones they have achieved.

And what do many get in return? Gender discrimination, pay disparity, sexual harassment, child marriage, abuse and exploitation? Is this fair? Tackling the pressing need for change, this year the United Nation’s theme for International Women’s Day 2018 is ‘PressForProgress’. It is a reminder that despite all the progress we have seen in recent years, there’s a long way to go for gender equality.

While fight many social battles, and one day cannot be seen as a true celebration really, but change often just starts with one. So, this International Women’s Day, here are some photos, images and messages to share with the women in your life, to show that you care and respect them. Mind you, let the sentiment not die after the 24 hours — THAT onus is on you!

* Happy Women’s Day! You deserve to be happy today so enjoy your day to the fullest.

On this International Women’s Day, remember that as a woman, all life spring from you. So look at the world and smile. For without you, there .

* Beloved woman you are the origins of life. You are the flexible river that travel for a long distant but will not get tired.

* You are the joy of every home and every heart. Remember that happiness is not complete in your absence.

International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8 every year. It commemorates the movement for women's rights.

While the first observance of a Women's Day was held on February 28, 1909 in New York, March 8 was suggested by the 1910 International Woman's Conference to become an "International Woman's Day." After women gained suffrage in Soviet Russia in 1917, March 8 became a national holiday there. The day was then predominantly celebrated by the socialist movement and communist countries until it was adopted in 1975 by the United Nations.

History

Women's demonstration for bread and peace - March the 8th, 1917, Petrograd, Russia

Clara Zetkin and Rosa Luxemburg in January 1910

The earliest Women's Day observance, called "National Woman's Day," was held on February 28, 1909 in New York, organized by the Socialist Party of America [5] at the suggestion of Theresa Malkiel. Though there have been claims that the day was commemorating a protest by women garment workers in New York on March 8, 1857, researchers have described this as a myth.

In August 1910, an International Women's Conference was organized to precede the general meeting of the Socialist Second International in Copenhagen, Denmark.[10]Inspired in part by the American socialists, German Socialist Luise Zietz proposed the establishment of an annual International Woman's Day and was seconded by fellow socialist and later communist leader Clara Zetkin, supported by Käte Duncker, although no date was specified at that conference. Delegates (100 women from 17 countries) agreed with the idea as a strategy to promote equal rights including suffrage for women.The following year on March 19, 1911, IWD was marked for the first time, by over a million people in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland.In the Austro-Hungarian Empire alone, there were 300 demonstrations. In Vienna, women paraded on the Ringstrasseand carried banners honouring the martyrs of the Paris Commune.Women demanded that they be given the right to vote and to hold public office. They also protested against employment sex discrimination.The Americans continued to celebrate National Women's Day on the last Sunday in February.

Female members of the Australian Builders Labourers Federation march on International Women's Day 1975 in Sydney

In 1913 Russian women observed their first International Women's Day on the last Saturday in February (by the Julian calendarthen used in Russia).

Although there were some women-led strikes, marches, and other protests in the years leading up to 1914, none of them happened on March 8. In 1914 International Women's Day was held on March 8, possibly because that day was a Sunday, and now it is always held on March 8 in all countries.The 1914 observance of the Day in Germany was dedicated to women's right to vote, which German women did not win until 1918.

In London there was a march from Bow to Trafalgar Square in support of women's suffrage on March 8, 1914. Sylvia Pankhurstwas arrested in front of Charing Cross station on her way to speak in Trafalgar Square.

On March 8, 1917, on the Gregorian calendar, in the capital of the Russian Empire, Petrograd, women textile workers began a demonstration, covering the whole city. This marked the beginning of the Russian Revolution. Women in Saint Petersburg went on strike that day for "Bread and Peace" – demanding the end of World War I, an end to Russian food shortages, and the end of czarism.Leon Trotsky wrote, "23 February (8th March) was International Woman's Day and meetings and actions were foreseen. But we did not imagine that this 'Women's Day' would inaugurate the revolution. Revolutionary actions were foreseen but without date. But in the morning, despite the orders to the contrary, textile workers left their work in several factories and sent delegates to ask for support of the strike… which led to mass strike... all went out into the streets."Seven days later, the Emperor of Russia, Nicholas II abdicated and the provisional Government granted women the right to vote.

Following the October Revolution, the Bolshevik Alexandra Kollontai and Vladimir Lenin made it an official holiday in the Soviet Union, but it was a working day until 1965. On May 8, 1965 by the decree of the USSRPresidium of the Supreme Soviet International Women's Day was declared a non-working day in the USSR "in commemoration of the outstanding merits of Soviet women in communistic construction, in the defense of their Fatherland during the Great Patriotic War, in their heroism and selflessness at the front and in the rear, and also marking the great contribution of women to strengthening friendship between peoples, and the struggle for peace. But still, women's day must be celebrated as are other holidays."

From its official adoption in Soviet Russia following the Revolution in 1917, the holiday was predominantly celebrated in communist countries and by the communist movement worldwide. It was celebrated by the communists in China from 1922.After the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1, 1949 the State Council proclaimed on December 23 that March 8 would be made an official holiday with women in China given a half-day off.

Communist leader Dolores Ibárruri led a women's march in Madrid in 1936 on the eve of the Spanish Civil War.

The United Nations began celebrating International Women's Day in the International Women's Year, 1975. In 1977, the United Nations General Assembly invited member states to proclaim March 8 as the UN Day for women's rights and world peace.