From the moment of the building’s construction, it has been a source of appreciation that transcends traditions and geography, so personal and emotional responses have been constantly harmonizing the educational review of the monument.

Very old myths hold that Shah Jahan was planning to build a black marble monument across the Yamuna River. The thought originates from the imaginary writings of Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, a European tourist who came to Agra in the year 1665. Shah Jahan is said to have been removed from power by his son Aurangzeb before construction was finished. The blackened marble remains along the rivers at Moonlight Garden, Mahtab Bagh, seem to support this myth. However, excavations carried out in the 1990s reveal that these were white-stained stones that had once had a black appearance. A more convincing hypothesis about the origins of the black tomb was confirmed in 2006 by archaeologists who renovated part of the pool in Moonlight Garden. A faint reflection of the white mausoleum could evidently be seen, demonstrating Shah Jahan’s fascination with the balance and placement of the pool.

There are many details describing the deaths, dismemberments and mutilations that Shah Jahan allegedly inflicted on various architects and craftsmen connected with the tomb. Some stories claim that those involved in the construction signed statements pledging not to participate in any similar design. Related claims are made for many renowned buildings. There is no evidence that Lord William Bentinck, Governor General of India in the 1830s, apparently planned to tear down the Taj Mahal and sell the marble. Bentinck’s writer John Rosselli stated that the story arose from Bentinck’s idea to raise money by auctioning off discarded marble from the Agra Fort.

In 2000, the Supreme Court of India dismissed PN Oak’s appeal to announce that a Hindu king built the Taj Mahal. Oak argued that the beginning of the Taj, in addition to other historical constructions in the country, is currently attributed to the pre-Indian Muslim profession of the Muslim sultan and therefore has a Hindu origin. A fancier tale narrates that once a year, at monsoon time, a single drop of water falls on the monument, as he was excited and stimulated by the explanation of Rabindranath Tagore’s tomb. One more fable suggests that hitting the outline of the finial will cause the water to come forward. To this day, officials find traces of broken bracelets near the silhouette.