The pillars surrounding Taj Mahal are slightly tilted outwards so that in the event of an earthquake they will fall away from the tomb.
The Taj Mahal was defaced by the British soldiers when they carved out precious stones from the walls of the monument during the rebellion of 1857.
At the end of the 19th century, British Viceroy, Lord Curzon, ordered restoration of the monument and also gifted a large lamp which hangs in the interior chambers of the Taj Mahal.
After the Taj Mahal was completed, Shah Jahan was dethroned by his son Aurangzeb and was put under house arrest in 1658.
Shah Jahan was only able to view the Taj Mahal from his window for the last eight years of his life.
After Shah Jahan's death, he was also buried beside the mausoleum of Mumtaz Mahal.
