Joe Stainback, age 13, of Burlington, N.C., for his question:

What is the meaning of the words Taj Mahal?

Taj Mahal was the name of a beautiful woman of India who died in the year 1631. She was the favorite wife of Shah Jehan, a mogul emperor who was permitted to have many wives. We do not know her original name, but to her husband and his court at Agra she was known as Mumtaz Mahal, meaning pride of the palace, or Taj Mahal, meaning crown of the palace.

Her shrine of delicate white marble is a crown of Eastern architecture and one of the greatest prides of world architecture. Its arches and lacy walls, its columns and rounded domes were designed by Mohammedan Persians. The colorful murals of inlaid gems on its walls, floors and ceilings were designed and carried out by Hindus. The exquisite tomb and shrine of Taj Mahal stands at Agra, only a short ride from the teeming city of Delhi.