Taj Mahal India – Enduring Masterpiece
The Taj Mahal India is famous as an enduring monument to love and Shah Jahan’s real intention was to create a monument that would be unrivalled in beauty and grandeur and to leave an enduring legacy, a masterpiece for the ages to come, to assure his place in history and his immortality. His objectives were superlatively achieved.
In the words of his court historian Muhammad Amin Qazwini " It will be a masterpiece for ages to come, increasing the amazement of all humanity."
The Taj Mahal was the ideal vehicle for his ambition and Shah Jahan set about planning and constructing it with utmost deliberation, taking six months alone to make his final selection of the site on which it would stand..
The prevailing fashion in the royal capital, Agra, at the time was to convert river-front havelis into garden tombs. The noblemen were erecting these to evade the property laws which decreed that a haveli would revert to the state after the noble's death.
Shah Jahan had two aims, firstly to construct the largest mausoleum in the world and the complex he designed was almost a kilometre long. Secondly, his aim was to produce a masterpiece of classical symmetry. He succeeded in both. Every element in the tomb complex played a vital role in its composition. Take away even one element from it and the whole harmony is destroyed.
Shah Jahan took great care to ensure that his Taj would be an enduring monument that would last forever. Contemporary sources have recorded how wood-lined wells were sunk into the ground to replace the sand with gravel and concrete to reinforce the foundations of the building. So well did he succeed at erecting a building that could withstand earthquakes and floods that today conservationists are amazed by its extraordinary stability.
The Taj Mahal was constructed using materials from all over India and Asia. More than 1,000 elephants were used to transport building materials during the construction. The translucent white marble was brought from Rajasthan, the jasper from Punjab and the jade and crystal from China. The turquoise was from Tibet and the Lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, while the sapphire came from Sri Lanka and the carnelian from Arabia. In all, 28 types of precious and semi-precious stones were inlaid into the white marble.
Then there is the extraordinary appeal the Taj makes to our senses. Shah Jahan had the entire tomb faced in white marble, so that every hour, as the sun moves across the sky, the light changes the colour of the marble. Before dawn, it is a pearly grey, which quickly turns to pink as the sun rises. In the mid-day sun it is a dazzling white which turns to fiery gold as the sunsets.
The Taj is a seamless fusion of many different architectural traditions. There is the Hindu concept adapted from the vaastu shastras of using only two colours: brahmanical white and kshatriya red.
With this Shah Jahan was declaring that the Mughals were the new brahmins and kshatriyas of India. Then there's the European pietra dura work that surpasses in its ingenious crafting the original from Italy. Finally, the Islamic elements.
One of the most interesting discoveries to be unearthed is that the original plans included a caravenserai— four open-air squares, where travellers could pitch their tents and unhitch their animals, and surrounded by arcades of shops. This must be the only monument anywhere in the world of its age to have had this facility for visitors. The plan being to use the revenue from the shops to finance the upkeep of the Taj Mahal India.
History of the Taj Mahal India
History of the Taj Mahal India shows that construction began in 1631 and took 22 years to complete with a work force of more than 20,000 men. It was finally finished in 1653 at a cost of 32 million Rupee or $400 million in today’s prices.
Nor surprisingly there have been many claims and counter claims regarding the Taj Mahal history and those who were responsible for its design and constrution.
Taj Mahal history does record that it was not designed by a single person. The project demanded the varied talents, creativity, artistry, skills and abilities of many. Twenty thousand workmen and master craftsmen- from Persia, France, Iran, Italy and Turkey worked on the building and their names were recorded for posterity on scrolls.
The Persian architect, Ustad Isa and Isa Muhammad Effendi, trained by the great Ottoman architect, Koca Mimar Sinan Agha, is credited with a key role in the architectural design of the complex.
However, an architect named only as 'Puru from Benarus, Persia (Iran), is also mentioned as the supervising architect in Persian language texts.
Taj Mahal History: Fact and Fiction
The main dome was designed by Ismail Khan from the Ottoman Empire. He was considered to be the premier designer of hemispheres and builder of domes of that age.
Qazim Khan, a native of Lahore, cast the solid gold finial that crowned the Turkish master's dome. Chiranjilal, a lapidary from Delhi, was chosen as the chief sculptor and was also in charge of the mosaics. Amanat Khan from Persian Shiraz, Iran was the chief calligrapher (this fact is attested on the Taj Mahal gateway itself, where his name has been inscribed at the end of the inscription).
Muhammad Hanif was the supervisor of masons. Mir Abdul Karim and Mukkarimat Khan of Shiraz, Iran handled finances and the management of daily production.
The creative team included sculptors from Bukhara, calligraphers from Syria and Persia, inlayers from southern India, stonecutters from Baluchistan, a specialist in building turrets, another who carved only marble flowers — thirty seven men in all formed the creative nucleus. To this core was added a labour force of twenty thousand workers recruited from across northern India.
European commentators, particularly during the early period of the British Raj, suggested that some or all of the Taj Mahal was the work of European artisans. Most of these suggestions were purely speculative.
One claim dates back to 1640, when a Spanish Friar who visited Agra wrote that Geronimo Veroneo, an Italian adventurer in Shah Jahan's court, was primarily responsible for the design.
There is no reliable scholarly evidence in the Taj Mahal history to back up this assertion, nor is Veroneo's name mentioned in any surviving documents relating to the construction.
E.B. Havell, the British scholar of Indian art in the later Raj, dismissed this theory as unsupported by any evidence, and as inconsistent with the known methods employed by the designers.
His conclusions were further supported by the Taj Mahal history research carried out by Muhammad Abdullah Chaghtai. He carefully examined the origin of the tradition that the Taj was designed by a European, and concluded that it was a spurious 19th century creation of Taj Mahal history.
Fact of the Taj Mahal – Architecture
The Taj Mahal incorporates and expands on many design traditions, particularly Persian and earlier Mughal architecture. Specific inspiration came from a number of successful Timurid and Mughal buildings. These include the Gur-e Amir (the tomb of Timur, progenitor of the Mughal dynasty, in Samarkand),[6] Humayun's Tomb, Itmad-Ud-Daulah's Tomb (sometimes called the Baby Taj), and Shah Jahan's own Jama Masjid in Delhi.
Under his patronage, Mughal building reached new levels of refinement.[7] While previous Mughal building had primarily been constructed of red sandstone, Shah Jahan promoted the use of white marble inlaid with semi-precious stones.
The Taj Mahal can be divided into four distinct architectural sections:
The Taj Gateway: The massive red sandstone Taj Gateway was completed in the year 1648 and stands 30 m high. The gateway is topped by small cupolas or chhatris. Symbolic of the divide between the material and the spiritual, the gateway is decorated in calligraphy with verses from holy Koran.
Charbagh - The Taj Garden: The beauty of the Taj Mahal is enhanced by the garden laid out in the Persian Charbagh (four garden plan) style. The entire area of the Taj complex is 580 m (1,902 ft) by300 m (984 ft), while the garden alone makes up an area of 300 m (984 ft) by 300 m (984 ft).
Taj Mahal - Pietra Dura The Tomb: The tomb stands on its own marble plinth, which rests on a red sandstone platform. Four tall pillars, 138 ft each, rise up from the corners of the white marble plinth are topped with eight windowed cupolas. Immediately below the dome is the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal which is centrally lined with the main entrance. Besides Mumtaz Mahal's tomb is the tomb of Shahjahan. The tomb of Shahjahan was not actually intended to be there but Aurangzeb placed it there thus breaking the symmetry.
Pietra Dura: The crypt and the cenotaphs at the Taj carry pietra dura decoration of a fabulous unexcelled elegance. As many as 35 different types of precious stones have been used on a single bloom-turquoise, jade, agate, coral, lapis Lazuli, onyx, bloodstone, cornelian, jasper, garnet and malachite used to fashion blooms of fuchsias, lily, honeysuckle and more. Today, much is left to the imagination of the visitors as most of the precious stones have been plundered or destroyed in the years when Taj Mahal fell into insignificance.
The main entrance is from the west, but there are also two other entrances from the east and from the south. The majestic main gateway is a large three-storey red sandstone structure, 50ft wide and 100ft high. It has an octagonal central chamber with a vaulted roof and with smaller rooms on each side, and was completed in 1648.
The gateway consists of lofty central arch with doubles storied wings on either side. Above the central portal on the north and south sides, there is a series of 11 attached chattiris (umbrellas) with marble cupolas, flanked by pinnacles. The walls are inscribed in black calligraphy with verses from the Quran.
A notable feature of the gateway is the lettering, which appears to be the same size from top to bottom. This was done by heightening the letters as the distance from the eye increased. The small domed pavilions on top are Hindu in style and signify regality. The gate was originally lined with silver, now replaced with copper and decorated with 1,000 nails whose heads were contemporary silver coins.
Taj Mahal itself is at the north end of the garden and stands on two bases, one of sandstone and above it, a raised, square platform (186 x 186 feet) in white marble worked into a black and white chessboard design. A huge blue-veined white marble terrace finishes the Taj Mahal India.
Fact of The Taj Mahal India Garden
Fact of Taj Mahal India Garden indicate that the ornamental gardens are designed in the classical Mughal 'char bagh' style and are divided into four equal squares. The garden is laid out in such a way as to maintain perfect symmetry. Measuring 320 m × 300 m, the garden has sunken parterres or flowerbeds, raised pathways, avenues of trees, fountains, water courses, and pools that perfectly reflect the Taj Mahal, The gardens were once stocked with colourful fish and beautiful birds.
Each of the four quarters of the garden is divided into 16 flowerbeds by raised pathways. A raised marble water tank at the centre of the garden, halfway between the tomb and the gateway, reflects the Taj Mahal.
The charbagh is a Persian design, and was introduced to India by the first Mughal emperor Babur, The charbagh is meant to reflect the gardens of Paradise. In Islamic texts, paradise is described as an ideal garden, filled with abundance. Water plays a key role in these descriptions: In Paradise, four rivers source at a central spring or mountain, and separate the garden into north, west, south and east.
Facts of the Taj Mahal – The Moonlight Garden
Mughal charbaghs are rectangular in form, with the tomb in the centre. The Taj Mahal is unusual as the tomb is at the end rather than at the centre of the garden. Recently there has been an archaeological project that has proved the existence of the Mahtab Bagh or "Moonlight Garden" on the other side of the Yamuna. This garden is a mirror image, and shows that the Taj did indeed sit at the centre of the garden. This provides a different interpretation that the Yamuna itself was incorporated into the garden's design, and was meant to be seen as one of the rivers of Paradise.
The layout of the garden, and its architectural features such as its fountains, brick and marble walkways, geometric brick-lined flowerbeds, are similar to Shalimar's, and this suggests that the same engineer, Ali Mardan, may have designed the garden.
Early accounts of the garden describe its profusion of vegetation, including roses, daffodils, and fruit trees in abundance. As the Mughal Empire declined, the tending of the garden declined as well. When the British took over management of the Taj Mahal, they altered the landscaping to resemble more the formal lawns of London.
The Taj Mahal complex is bounded by a crenulated red sandstone wall on three sides, with no wall on the river side. Outside the wall are several additional mausoleums, including those of many of Shah Jahan's other wives, and a larger tomb for Mumtaz's favourite servant. These structures, composed primarily of red sandstone, are typical of smaller Mughal tombs of the era.
Water for the Taj Mahal was provided through a complex infrastructure. Water was drawn from the river by purs, a series of rope and bucket mechanisms that were animal-powered. The water flowed into a large storage tank, where, by thirteen additional purs, it was raised to large distribution tank above the ground level Taj Mahal.
From this distribution tank, water passed into three subsidiary tanks, from which it was piped to the complex. An earthenware pipe 25cm in diameter lies about 1.5 m below the surface, in line with the main walkway. This filled the main pools of the complex. Additional copper pipes supplied the fountains in the north-south canal. Subsidiary channels were dug to irrigate the entire garden.
The fountain pipes were not connected directly to the feed pipes. Instead, a copper pot was provided under each fountain pipe: water filled the pots allowing equal pressure in each fountain summary of the facts of the Taj Mahal India.
The Taj Platform The reign of Shahjahan from 1628 to 1658 was the golden age of Mughal architecture in India that produced a series of noble buildings. But, the most prominent and undoubtedly magnificent of all these was Taj Mahal built by him in the memory of his favorite wife Mumtaz Mahal. There are very few buildings in the world with which so many of legends and literature has been produced and so many architects to take credit of the design of this symbol of love.
Architecturally, Taj was the greatest peace of architecture that Mughals produced, but it is a natural growth from the tomb of Humayun and to a lesser extent from certain other, prominent is the Tomb of Itmad-ud-Daulah in Agra itself. But it is far superior to any of them in the dignity of its grouping and disposition, in the masterly contrast between the central dome and the slender minarets, in the chaste refinement and painstaking craftsmanship of its details, and above all in the splendor of its materials. The design of Taj is more Persian and less Indian than any building we have encountered, but it is again difficult to find any thing of Taj's stature in Persia (Iran).
Broadly, the Taj complex can be divided in Four distinct parts to understand its design and architecture. These are:
Befitting the most beautiful symbol of love, the Taj, is the gateway to this great monument. Taj Mahal looks like a miniature on the landscape from a distance, but appears to grow as you start to approach it. But, the minute you would enter the open square before the main entrance, you will be surprised to find the Taj Mahal disappear from your sight. Actually, the Taj is hidden by a massive red sandstone gateway within this square.
The massive Taj Gateway was completed in the year 1648 and stands 30 m high. The gateway is topped by small cupolas or chhatris. From a distance the Taj Mahal looks like a miniature on the landscape, which appears to grow as you approach it.However, as you enter the open square before the main entrance to the Taj Mahal, you will be surprised to find the Taj disappear from your sight. From within this square the Taj is hidden by a massive red sandstone gateway. Symbolic of the divide between the material and the spiritual, the gateway is decorated in calligraphy with verses from holy Koran. The original door of the gateway was made out of the solid silver and there are letters inscribed on it from top to bottom. All the letters appear to be of same size to the naked eyes. Actually, the engravers enlarged and stretched the lettering as their distance from the ground increased, creating an illusion of uniformity to the naked eyes.
The actual function of this magnificent gateway was to prevent people from getting any glimpse of the tomb inside until they are right in the doorway itself. The tomb is visible from here only and the view stuns the eyes as one walks forward. The dwarfing images of people moving around the tomb 70 m high are excellent and the best that you can get.
The massive Taj Gateway was completed in the year 1648 and stands 30 m high. The gateway is topped by small cupolas or chhatris. From a distance the Taj Mahal looks like a miniature on the landscape, which appears to grow as you approach it.However, as you enter the open square before the main entrance to the Taj Mahal, you will be surprised to find the Taj disappear from your sight. From within this square the Taj is hidden by a massive red sandstone gateway. Symbolic of the divide between the material and the spiritual, the gateway is decorated in calligraphy with verses from holy Koran. The original door of the gateway was made out of the solid silver and there are letters inscribed on it from top to bottom. All the letters appear to be of same size to the naked eyes. Actually, the engravers enlarged and stretched the lettering as their distance from the ground increased, creating an illusion of uniformity to the naked eyes.
The actual function of this magnificent gateway was to prevent people from getting any glimpse of the tomb inside until they are right in the doorway itself. The tomb is visible from here only and the view stuns the eyes as one walks forward. The dwarfing images of people moving around the tomb 70 m high are excellent and the best that you can get.
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Befitting the most beautiful symbol of love, the Taj, is the gateway to this great monument. Taj Mahal looks like a miniature on the landscape from a distance, but appears to grow as you start to approach it. But, the minute you would enter the open square before the main entrance, you will be surprised to find the Taj Mahal disappear from your sight. Actually, the Taj is hidden by a massive red sandstone gateway within this square.The Actual Grave | |
 Taj Mahal is placed on a high plinth that can be approached from a central path within the garden. Height of the plinth is 6.7 m and the total area covered by it is around 95 sq m. There is a double staircase facing the entrance to the tomb and they are only way to reach to the top of the plinth. You are needed to remove your shoes here, though you can have your shocks on, as the white marble gets very hot. You can have the best views of the surroundings from this pedestal including the lush green char bagh in the front and the riverfront at the backside. And the feeling of closeness to towering structure of Taj from this place is unmatched.Four minarets each having a height of 41.6 m and capped by a small cupola flank the four corners of the plinth. Minarets do not have the decorative motive here, but they also provide balance to the tomb. Minarets used in this way first appeared in India with Akbar's tomb at Sikandra. Latter they were used at the tomb of Itmad-ud-Daulah and further refined here. The minarets were placed in such a way that even in the case of a mishap, they do not fall over the main structure. There is another important aspect of the minarets, which signifies its spiritual important. There is a letter written on each of the minaret, which when put together spell the word ar-rahman or all merciful - one of the many names of Allah. Taj Tomb from Outside | |
| The main tomb is square in shape and beveled at corners. Length of each side of the Taj is 56.6 m with a large central arch flanked by two pointed arches. Smaller domes rise at each corner while in the center is the main dome. The main dome of the Taj Mahal is a double dome actually and marks the continuation with first Mughal experiment with the concept of double dome at Humayun's Tomb in Delhi 90 years earlier. Main purpose of creating double dome was to enhance height of the structure and was Central Asian in origin. The main dome resembles to a huge pearl. This was done purposefully following a saying of the prophet that describes the throne of God as a dome of pearl supported by four pillars. Calligraphy has been used to carve the verses of holy Koran, beautifully carved panels in bas-relief, and superb inlay work is all there to enhance the exterior beauty of the tomb. Inside the Tomb  From inside the mausoleum is comprised of a lofty central chamber, a crypt or maqbara immediately below this, four octagonal corner rooms originally intended to house the graves of other family members. But Aurangzeb, son of Shahjahan failed to honor this wish. The Central Chamber houses the replica tombs while the actual ones are being in the crypt. It was a tradition in the Mughal era to have a private as well as public tomb. Originally, the public tomb was surrounded by a jewel encrusted silver screen. Later, Aurangzeb removed the original screen and replaced it with an octagonal screen of marble and inlaid precious stones. The screen cost him Rs 50, 000 at that time, but the result is a stupendous piece of workmanship. Each screen or jali has been carved out of a single block of marble and all these blocks have been inlaid. If you put flash of light on these flowers, you can see how luminescent the marble and intricacy of inlay work is. There are as many as 64 pieces making up petals of some flowers, which achieve a 3D effect.There is a Cairene lamp above the toms whose flame is supposed to never go out. This lamp was given by Lord Curzon (1899-1905), Governor General of India to replace the original lamp, which was stolen by mighty jats in the 18th century. The tomb of Mumtaz Mahal with the 'female slate', rests immediately beneath the dome. The tomb lines up centrally with the main entrance. The tomb of Shahjahan is larger and in the side, it is marked by a 'male' pen-box, the sign of a cultured and noble person. The tomb of Shahjahan was not intended to be there but Aurangzeb squeezed it beside the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal breaking the symmetry of otherwise flawless complex. Semi-precious stones are exquisitely inlaid in both the tombs. There is a fantastic acoustic design of the building with domed ceiling being designed to echo chants from the holy Koran and musicians melodies.   The Taj Mahal India - Threat to the FutureThe Taj Mahal India has been the object of looters of many varieties for more than 100 years. The British, along with the Jats, a caste of northern India, looted the Taj of the lavish carpets, jewels, silver doors and tapestries that once bedecked it. In 1830, Lord William Bentinck, governor of India in the 1830s, planned to demolish the Taj Mahal and auction off the marble. The story goes that the demolition crew were ready to begin work but were only stopped because Bentinck was unable to make the scheme financially viable. There is no evidence for this story, which may have arisen as the result of Bentinck’s penny-pinching attitudes. However, the Archaeological Survey of India, still believe and argue that a sale by the British East India Company was planned under Lord Bentinck, which failed as no satisfactory buyers could be found. By the mid-19th century, the Taj had become a colonial "pleasure resort," with Englishmen and women dancing on the terrace, and the mosque and its jawab rented out to honeymooners. In 1857 during the time of the Indian rebellion the Taj Mahal was further defaced. The British soldiers and government officials chiselled out precious stones and lapis lazuli from its walls. Picnickers came armed with hammers and chisel to extract fragments of agate and carnelian from the flowers By the close of the century parts of the Taj Mahal had fallen badly into disrepair. The British viceroy Lord Curzon ordered a massive restoration project, completed in 1908. He also commissioned the large lamp in the interior chamber, which he had modelled on one hanging in a Cairo mosque, after the local craftsmen failed to provide an acceptable design. He repaired the buildings, restored the gardens, and got the canals working again. However the garden was remodelled with the more English looking lawns visible today. By the 20th century better care was being taken of the Taj Mahal. In 1942 the government erected a scaffolding over it, in anticipation of an air attack by the German Luftwaffe and later by the Japanese Air Force. During the India-Pakistan wars of 1965 and 1971 the government erected scaffoldings again and the monument was covered in a tarpaulin, to mislead would-be bomber pilots. Its most recent threats comes from environmental pollution on the banks of the Yamuna River including acid rain which occurs due to the Mathura oil refinery As Agra grew, little effort was made to protect the Taj from the the ravages of pollution, which began to discolor the white marble. In the late 1990's, as the monument's future began to seem deeply imperilled, the Supreme Court ordered the shifting of some industries farther away. Today, only electric-powered vehicles (or bicycle rickshaws) are allowed near the Taj, and under a public-private partnership between the government and the Taj Group of hotels, a major conservation effort is under way. Moving slowly, thanks to unwieldy bureaucracy, but steadily, a group of global experts has spent more than two years researching and documenting the monument. Soon the real work on the ground will begin. First the visitor facilities will be improved, and security made less obtrusive. Then questions of how to improve the visitor flow through the site will be addressed. There is a plan to restore the gardens to their original state, but it may be decided to preserve the lawns that were installed by Lord Curzon. In 1983 the Taj Mahal was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today it is a major tourist destination. A persistent conservation effort seems essential, given the continuing threats to the monument. A scandal erupted after the State Government allowed construction to start in 2002 on a Taj Heritage Corridor, which included a shopping mall between the Taj and Agra Fort, without first securing the permission of the central government. The project was scrapped with fear that it could severely damage the Taj, and its ambience, The state's former chief minister, Mayawati, was at the centre of the scandal.. Recently the Taj Mahal was claimed to be Sunni Wakf property, on the grounds that it is the grave of a woman whose husband, Emperor Shah Jahan was a Sunni. The Indian government has dismissed claims by the Muslim trust to administer the property, saying their claims are baseless and the Taj Mahal India is a national property. | |
“Subsisting on fruits and milk, chant Shri Rama’s holy name for six months. Tulsidas says that by following this formula all auspiciousness and every perfection will arrive in the palm of your hand.” (Dohavali, 5)
Yoga’s popularity today shouldn’t be that difficult to understand. After all, who wouldn’t want to improve their health? If we are sick and constantly diseased, how can we enjoy any aspect of life, spiritual or otherwise? Yet the true Vedic scholars, those whose eyes have been anointed with the salve of transcendental love, or premanjana, understand that any ability or peaceful condition that doesn’t lead to a proper shift in consciousness is not very worthwhile. Even the body, which is given highest precedence as far as maintenance goes for the individual, is destined for destruction. Only the animal species and those human beings who have not yet reached their full potential for intelligence think that everything finishes at the time of death. Due to this ignorance, the immediate satisfaction of the body and its prolonged health achieved through great endeavor are seen as the paramount responsibilities, interests which supersede all others.
Mystic yoga, though seemingly a combination of karma and jnana, is actually more similar to karma. To understand the similarities, let’s take the example of a marathon runner. Karma in the spiritual sense typically involves work aimed at pleasing a divine figure or set of godly authorities in charge of distributing results. Karma in the absence of spiritual life is wholly dedicated to satisfying the senses through specific work. Training for a marathon is a unique practice because it actually seeks sense gratification through the formation of a skill; hence the similarity to mystic yoga. One who trains to run a marathon must go through so many austerities. Diet must be altered, drinking and smoking should ideally be cut out, and intense practice must be performed. Running a marathon is no joke after all, so if you want to complete all 26.2 miles in one stretch in a decent time, you have to be very physically fit.
If yoga performed through such great endeavor can lead the person to thinking that they have become God, how can we honestly say that any tangible benefit is derived from the practice? Taking oneself to be God is the most glaring indication of insanity. This is the point raised by the devotees, those who transcend karma, jnana and yoga and take only to bhakti, or divine love. The key to happiness and eternality of pure emotion is a properly situated consciousness, where the mind is always tied to the interests of the most powerful divine lover, the supreme object of pleasure. In the Vedic tradition, this entity, who is known as God around the world, is described by thousands of names such as Krishna and Rama. God is certainly the most attractive individual, and He can also bring about the greatest transcendental pleasure to His devotees. Hence the names Rama and Krishna are completely bona fide and non-sectarian. Every single person is open to worshiping the Supreme Lord as Rama or Krishna, though the general tendency for the ignorant is to remain far away from the Lord’s direct presence, not even taking to explicit worship.
Depending on the specific tradition followed, either Lord Krishna is taken as the original form of Godhead or Lord Vishnu is, with Krishna and Rama considered His incarnations. In either case, since all the personal expansions of the original Supreme Lord are extremely potent and non-different in their ability to provide salvation and eternal pleasure, the devotee’s viewpoint in this regard is not that important. Indeed, the topmost devotees of Shri Krishna are those who don’t even look at Him as being God. They simply think of Krishna as their best friend, their most intimate life partner whose interests always remain paramount.
Tulsidas is especially fond of chanting Rama’s name, as the name of the Lord automatically invokes memories of His forms, pastimes and qualities. As mentioned in the Bhagavad-gita by Lord Krishna Himself, to practice yoga properly one must find a secluded place and a comfortable sitting area where no insects or other distractions will be present. There must be complete celibacy and strict adherence to meditation while remaining seated in an erect posture. Food and drink also play an important role, as the acquisition of various siddhis requires austerity in food intake. The secret behind the effectiveness of meditational yoga is the reduction of the influence of the senses. In the conditioned state, the senses play an integral role in shaping behavior; therefore one who is interested in advancing spiritually and making full use of the massive potential for meaningful activity found within the soul must control their senses. Of all aspects of the material body, the urges of the tongue and genitals are the most difficult to control. Hence they form the main focus of austerity in spiritual practice, especially in meditational yoga. There must be complete celibacy for a bona fide yogi, and the urges of the tongue must be controlled as well.
On the other hand, one who regularly chants Rama’s name is in direct connection with the Supreme Lord, even if they are averse to the practice in the beginning stages. The holy name is the most potent incarnation of this age; hence it forms the bedrock of the 
Those who were initially reluctant to take to chanting but then subsequently took it up can elaborate further on the beautiful feeling of being enraptured by the sweet sound of the holy name. Six months is quite a long time, so anyone who chants God’s name in such a regulated manner will certainly shift their consciousness. A siddhi, or perfection, is a great ability, so in this regard those who are able to always keep the activities, names and forms of the Supreme Lord at the forefront of the mind can be considered the greatest yogis. Shri 