A Visit with Mrs. Evelyn Samuel


 
Our Thinkquest team had the privilege of visiting with Mrs. Evelyn Samuel, a native Indian.  Mrs. Samuel shared with us some historical information about India.  She explained how India had been ruled by the British before the Moguls came to power.  She talked about the different Mogul rulers, and how they had different goals and interests.  She pointed out that Shah Jahan was very interested in architecture.
    The following is a list of questions that we asked Mrs. Samuel during her visit:

1.  What kind of flowers are planted in 
     the gardens around the Taj Mahal?
     Mrs.  Samuel said that cypress trees 
     and roses were used.  Cypress trees
     represent death. 

2.  Has anything been added to the Taj 
        Mahal? 
     There have been no additional structural 
     changes made.  Mrs. Samuel did point out
     that through the years pollution has taken
     its toll on the white marble of the building
     leaving it tarnished and yellowed.

3.  How many acres of land does the Taj Mahal
     cover?
     The complex consists of a retangular plot
     measuring 1,902 by 1,002 feet and it is
     alligned north and south.

4.  What is the largest chamber in the Taj 
      Mahal? 
     The central area underneath the dome is
      the largest area.

5.  How much money was spent on the building 
     the of Taj Mahal?
     About 40 million rupees was spent.

6.  How many tours are brought to the Taj 
     Mahal each year?
     There are usually 10-20 groups per day.

7.  Was any gold used in the Taj Mahal?
     She was unsure about this, but she did talk 
     about the use of precious gems.

8.  Do you think any treasures are buried in the
     bodies?
     "No, not really."  She went on to explain that
     that was an Egyptian culture, but that it was
     not practiced in India.

9.  Is it the most valuable building in the world?
     She felt that it is one of the most valuable
     buildings in the world.

10.  How many statues are there in the area of 
      the Taj Mahal?
      Statues were not used at all.

11.  Do they have restaurants and shops for
      tourists?
      There are none on location, but just 
       outside of the complex you can find them.

12.  What kind of security is around the Taj
       Mahal?
      She was not sure, but she feels that there
      must be some.  Even  though, she did explain
      how many of the stones and gems have been
      stolen.

13.  Is the fort on separate land, or is it on the
      same property?
      The fort is approximately 2 miles outside 
      the complex area.

14.  Did religion play a part in the building of the
      Taj Mahal?
       "Yes, the Islam theme is strongly repre-
       sented.  The central dome and the min-
       arets are symbolic of mosques (the holy
       places of worship of Muslims), the gar-
       dens have been arranged to represent
       paradise.  Verses from the Koran are
       inscribed on the arches.

We would like to thank Mrs. Samuel for taking her time to come and share with us some information about her homeland, India.
 
 

 
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