Highlights on Agra Taj Mahal

• Address: 33-A Tajganj, Dharmapuri, Forest Colony, Agra, Uttar Pradesh PIN – 282001
• Taj Mahal Timings: Open all hours from sunrise to sunset (Fr closed)
• The Time Required: Usually, two to three hours
• Taj Mahal Ticket Price (for foreigners): However, Children below the age of 15 years can enter for free: INR 1,100 (additional INR 200 for entry to the main mausoleum)
• Best known: Stunning architecture
• How to Get to Taj Mahal: One can go for touring through roads, rails as well as air ways – On arriving at Agra, there are auto-rickshaw, taxi, tongas, etc. available to reach the site of Taj Mahal.

Agra and other neighbour cities were once considered to be the headquarters of the Mughal Dynasty – medieval Indian kingdom. These Mughals were instrumental in bringing in innovations in the culture and tradition of India and of bringing up large and immeasurable structures in the terrains of India. Every year millions of foreign as well as domestic travellers come to visit one of the Seven Wonders of the World – The Taj Mahal which is located in this historical city.    

Bulit by the Third Mughal ruler Shahjahan in the memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal the monument of love is renowned universally. This beautiful monument has a overwhelming aura of the magical, which reveals glorious traditions of the Mughal architecture. When you are crossing the marble structure and the rather simple mausoleum, one can sense the eternal passion of the emperor towards his wife. As much as this write up aims at enriching your general knowledge about the Aztec heritage, it seeks to assist you in searching for this lovely monument.

Why was the Taj Mahal built? – A very small look at the Taj Mahal timeline

Dynastic account of the Taj Mahal history has it that the third in the line of the Mughals Shah Jahan ordered construction of an architectural marvel for his queen who passed away child bearing. According to the imperial documents there was mourning and sorrow when the wife of the king died for it is believed he lost a lot of hair and they turned grey.

Government papers enlighten us to the fact that the king made Ustad Ahmad Lahauri as the architect of Taj Mahal. The living himself copied the Mughal and Indian themes and buildings and came up with a monument. This led to a structure that was opulent but one that was also elegant by definition – a fitting home, therefore, for the Queen of India.   

It was built in the year 1632 AD, one year after the death of queen whereas it took nearly twenty years to complete the whole complex of TAJ MAHAL. However five years later the Mughal emperor was to face a coup d’état with his son Aurangzeb including him in prison for life after this great accomplishment. Legend has it that the emperor, in his times of imprisonment watched this great structure from his window. 

Following his death Shah Jahan was buried beside Mumtaz Mahal and was finally to be with the woman he loved.  

The architecture of Taj Mahal

Since the answer of who built Taj Mahal has been given above we will now discuss about the construction of this wonderful structure. Taj Mahal was built in the seventeenth century which owes much to the conventional Persian mausoleum and Mughal architecture. The Taj Mahal has been attributed to have borrowed from all sort of places like the tomb of Timur at Samarkand the tomb of Humayun and many other places. This monument has an elegant but modern look and the emperor himself encouraged the use of marble with in-laid work. 

Inside the chambers of the the walls are adorned with semi-precious and precious, stones known as lapidary. The still existing Inner octagonal chamber is supported by eight pillars and has windows in each cardinal direction but at present only the southern door is in operation. Decorated with inlay work windows, and balconies, the central arches add beauty to the interior designs. Unfortunately, this place does not look very interesting due to bas-relief designs; however, there are brilliantly written calligraphy panels and even the lapis, inlay work. It important to notice that, in the curial chamber of the tomb, there are replicas of sarcophagi of the empress and the emperor. As usual, the original graves are at the lower level. 

Garden territory and all the adjacent monuments

The area around the garden and the beautiful outer ornaments are not exempted from the great fascination of Shah Jahan for symmetry. Garden area, which is one of the main interesting sights of the monument, contributes to the amazing appearance of the monument. Also known as Paradise Garden; was built in Timurid style. The interesting garden is made up of 4 zones, with jogging concrete channels with the fountains in between. Surrounded by trees and flowers, this World Wonder, the Taj Mahal, attempts mimicking the Garden of Eden.

Night tour of Taj Mahal

Accordingly, night tours of the Taj Mahal are most popular with the tourists. The monument could be seen at night on five days of the month of observation. These days are:

1.  Two nights before Full Moon

2.  The Full Moon night

3.  It is taken two days after the Full Moon night

The tickets to the event can be bought one day to the event through the website. A viewing is conducted in eight sessions, each of which takes half an hour. These sessions start from 10:30 pm until 12:30 pm only. The visitors are expected to arrive half an hour before the session time allocated to them. This means that since the tickets are limited you have to be so quick when booking the tickets. Again, the night viewing is unavailable during the holy month of Ramadhan, so best to time your visit before or after this month.

The best time to make a trip to Taj Mahal

Taking into account the Taj Mahal location and its history this place is crowded with tourists from different parts of the world during the vacation time. If you are looking forward to a nice uninterrupted look at the monument then it is better to go there in the morning or in the evening.      

Frequently asked questions

1. Where is the Taj Mahal?

Agra, India

2. Distance from Delhi

The distance between the Taj Mahal from Delhi is approximately 250kilometres (155miles) and takes approximately four hours to cover. To be selected for the trip the Taj Express Highway could be chosen.

3. Nearest airport and Railway Station

Airport: Agra Airport – domestic terminal, and the Indira Gandhi International Airport – both are available.

Railway station: Agra Fort Railway Station

4. Ticket Counter

Tickets were available at the Western and Eastern Gate of the monument. The exit is done through exit gate that is known as Southern Gate.   

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