Although its name has been in use for as long as one can remember, nobody quite knows how the name of this beautiful, one of the Seven Wonders of the World came to be Taj Mahal. The "Name of the Taj Mahal" myth states various theories as to how this monument of love got its name as Taj Mahal. Some believe it to have been originated from Persian language while others believe that it was named after the wife of Shah Jahan, Mumtaz Mahal. There's another set of theory that links the name of Taj Mahal to a Hindu Temple and that it was seized over by the Mughals and the temple was replaced by Taj Mahal. Although many of the theorists and historians deem these bits and pieces of information to be baseless, as no real evidences in favor of them have yet been provided, the myths and the legends just don't seem to get enough of the hype and continue to live and spread like a virus. One of the legends is that the name Taj Mahal is derived from the Persian language, the language spoken in Mughal court. In Persian, the word Taj means Crown and the word Mahal means place or area. In combination, the word Taj Mahal more or less means, "Crown Place" or "Place of the Crown". Another one of the myths behind the name of Taj Mahal is that the monument is named after the wife of Shah Jahan, its founder. Originally named as Arjumand Banu Begum, she was later christened as Mumtaz Mahal, meaning "Crown of the Palace". And, Taj Mahal is supposed to be a shorter version of Mumtaz Mahal. Still another legend of Taj Mahal's name is that it was derived from the name of a Shiva Temple, "Tejo Mahalya". It is said that the temple was taken over by Shah Jahan and then remodeled as the Taj Mahal.
