Taj Mahal of India - "the epitome of love", "a monument of immeasurable beauty". The beauty of this magnificent monument of taj mahal  is such that it is beyond the scope of words. The thoughts that come into the mind while watching the Taj Mahal of Agra is not just its phenomenal beauty, but the immense love which was the reason behind its construction. Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan got this monument constructed in the memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, with whom he fell in love at the first sight. Ironically, the very first sight of the Taj Mahal, the epitome of love and romance, also leaves visitors mesmerized and perpetually enthralled.

Taj Mahal Location

City: Agra, on the banks of river Yamuna
State: Uttar Pradesh
Distance from Delhi: 204 Km (approx)

It's the city of Agra that has received the honor of having one of Seven Wonders of the World, the Taj Mahal: an abode for eternal Love, in its courtyard. Located in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, Agra has been one powerful city since the medieval times. The city finds mention in the epic Mahabharata and later gained recognition as the capital of Mughal Empire from 1526 to 1658 under the emperors Akbar, Jahangir, and Shah Jahan. At that time, the city of Agra was also known as Akbarabad. Till date, it remains a major tourist destination, courtesy three of the most famous Mughal era buildings like Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri, and most notably the terrific Taj Mahal, all three of which stand as the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The Taj Mahal in particular, built by Shah Jahan in the memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, is one of the most recognizable buildings in the world and is visited by millions of tourists annually.

Taj Mahal, India

Location:	On the banks of river Yamuna in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India
Year of Construction:	1631- 1653
Built By:	Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan
Spread Over:	42 acres
Significance:	One of the Seven Wonders of the World

Standing majestically on the banks of River Yamuna, the Taj Mahal is synonymous to love and romance. It is believed that the name "Taj Mahal" was derived from the name of Shah Jahan's wife, Mumtaz Mahal and means "Crown Palace". The purity of the white marble, the exquisite ornamentation, precious gemstones used and its picturesque location, all make a visit to the Taj Mahal gain a place amongst the most sought-after tours in the world. However, until you know the love story behind the construction of the Taj Mahal, the beauty of the same would not enliven in your heart and mind and instead would come up as just another beautiful building/monument. It is the love behind this outstanding monument that has given a life to this monument. Come and explore the visceral charisma that it emanates!

Best Time to Visit Taj Mahal

Best Time to Visit: October to March 

Just as there's no such thing as "a bad time to live", there's no such thing as "bad time to visit" one of the most scintillating and marvelous wonders of the world, the Taj Mahal. Whatever be the time of the year, the Taj Mahal will not stop with its mission to spread its charm and glory and will continue to be as luminescent as ever. But as a visit in the months of summers requires a high threshold to bear the heat, the period between the comparatively cooler months i.e. October to March is generally considered a best time to visit the Taj Mahal. Having said that, know that the radiance of the Taj Mahal is simply dazzling, and changes with every passing hour, reflecting a different aura in different seasons. Also, the visual beauty of the Taj Mahal is at its peak during sunrise, sunset, and under the full moon night.

Taj Mahal at Sunrise

Watching the sun rise up from under the sea of sky is a sight to behold, and what better way to experience it than to watch it take its place up there while you stand on the premises of one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It's a moment of delight when the beauty of the sunrise and the Taj Mahal culminate together to make for some awe-inspiring images of the Taj, being transformed from soft grey and pink to a soft red glow.

Taj Mahal at Sunset

After shining its glory all through the day, when the sun climbs down the stairway of heavens and gets ready to say adios to the world, it plays its final trick in the book by lending Taj Mahal a different appearance with the shades of fiery yellow being transformed into soft exotic orange and finally to pearl white again, until the full moon prepares itself to accompany the Taj all through the night while dazzling the world with its quiet heavenly elegance.

Taj Mahal under Full Moon Night

By the night when the full moon is high up in the sky, the beauty that Taj Mahal breathes out is beyond the scope of words. A silver glow that takes over Taj Mahal is so mesmerizing that most of the things you'll see after that will feel ordinary at best. This fabulous interplay of colors all through the day, and then night, symbolically implies the presence of God, who is never represented in the anthropomorphic form.

The best time to arrive would be just before the sunrise or sunset. Night viewing is allowed on the full moon night, two days before it and two days after it. Tickets for the same need to be booked one day in advance.

Taj Mahal Attractions

The city of Agra, being the capital of Mughal Empire for a long time, had witnessed construction of numerous buildings on an elaborate scale. In fact, apart from the Taj Mahal, Agra boasts of a number of monuments and places to visit that are quite magnificent in their own right and are worth visiting. So, if you are planning to visit Agra the next time you are holidaying, don't forget to spare a couple of days, for the city has a lot more to offer than the splendid Taj. Include these places in your itinerary and immerse yourself completely in the epical Mughal era gone by. Given below is further information on the popular attractions near Taj Mahal at Agra.

Tourist Places Near Taj Mahal

Agra Fort

One of the famous tourist places near Taj Mahal, India, is the Agra Fort. Situated near Taj Mahal, it was constructed by the Emperor Akbar in the year 1565. However, numerous additions were carried on in this fort, till the time of Shah Jahan. A beautiful example of Mughal architecture made up of entirely of red sandstone, it is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Akbar's Tomb, Sikandra

The tomb of Akbar, situated at Sikandra, is the last resting place of the Mughal Emperor, Akbar the Great and is only 13 km from the Agra Fort. The architectural style of this tomb is quite different from almost all the other tombs of the Mughals. This pyramidal tomb was completed by Akbar's son Jahangir in the year 1613 and has the 99 names of Allah inscribed on it.

Fatehpur Sikri

The deserted city of Fatehpur Sikri is situated near Agra. Constructed by Mughal Emperor Akbar, it was completed in the year 1584. Located 35 Km from Agra, it is one-of-its-kind city and is counted amongst the most majestic cities of the Mughal Empire. It's also one of three UNESCO World Heritage Sites situated in Agra, other two being Taj Mahal and Agra Fort.

Itmad-ud-Daulah Tomb

Noor Jahan, the wife of Jahangir, got the Itmad-ud-Daulah's tomb constructed in between 1622 and 1628 AD. It was constructed in the memory of her father Ghiyas-ud-Din Beg. Located on the left bank of river Yamuna, the tomb is an opulent structure and is considered to be an antecedent of the Taj Mahal because of its intricate carvings and inlay work. 

Mankameshwar Temple

About 2.5 km from Taj Mahal and less than 1 km away from Agra Fort is located one of the four ancient temples dedicated to Lord Shiva that stand on each corner of the Agra city. It is surrounded by the markets of the Mughal era gone by.

Ram Bagh

Build by Babur in 1528, Ram Bagh is the oldest Mughal garden in India. Located on the banks of river Yamuna, less than 3 km away from Taj Mahal, it was designed so that the wind from the river coupled with greenery would help maintain cool during the peak summer days. The original name of this garden was Aram Bagh or the Garden of Relaxation.

Swami Bagh Samadhi

Swami Bagh Samadhi, the construction of which started more than a century ago in 1904, continues till date. It is often touted as the next Taj Mahal, as a colorful combination of marbles and carvings in stone that are believed to be not seen anywhere in India. The monument holds the ashes of Huzur Swamiji Maharaj or Sri Shiv Dayal Singh Seth.

Vrindavan

The holy city of Vrindavan, situated near Agra, is one of the most revered pilgrimages in India of the Hindus. The city is very closely associated with Lord Krishna and is said to house as many as 4,000 temples, dedicated to Him.

Other Attractions

Other popular nearby attractions include Jama Masjid, built for Shah Jahan's daughter; Guru ka Tal, a holy place of worship for Sikhs; Chini Ka Rauza, dedicated to Prime Minister of Shah Jahan; Mariam's Tomb, wife of Mughal Emperor Akbar the Great; Mehtab Bagh, a moonlit garden; and Keetham Lake.

Fast Facts

Year of Construction: 1631

Completed In: 1653

Time Taken: 22 years

Built By: Shah Jahan

Dedicated to: Mumtaz Mahal (Arjumand Bano Begum), the wife of Shah Jahan

Location: Agra (Uttar Pradesh), India

Building Type: Islamic tomb

Architecture: Mughal (Combination of Persian, Islamic and Indian architecture style)

Architect: Ustad Ahmad Lahauri

Cost of Construction: 32 crore rupees

Number of workers: 20,000

Highlights: One of the Seven Wonders of the World; A UNESCO World Heritage Site

Timings: Sunrise to Sunset (Friday closed)

Fee: Rs 750 (Foreign Tourists)

Rs 510 (Citizens of SAARC & BIMSTEC Countries)

Rs 20 (Domestic Indian Tourists)

No Entry Fee for children below 15 years of age (Domestic or Foreigner)

Interesting Facts Of Taj Mahal

• Before his accession to the throne, Shah Jahan was popularly known as Prince Khurram.
• Shah Jahan fell in love with the beautiful Arjumand Bano Begum and married her, making her his third wife.
• Arjumand Bano Begum was christened by Shah Jahan as Mumtaz Mahal, meaning the “Chosen One Of The Palace” or “Jewel of the Palace”.
• Shah Jahan lost Mumtaz Mahal, when she died giving birth to their 14h child.
• For the transportation of the construction materials, more than 1,000 elephants were employed.
• As many as 28 different varieties of semi-precious and precious stones were used to adorn the Taj with exquisite inlay work.
• Depending on what time of the day it is and whether or not there’s moon at night, Taj Mahal appears to be of different color every time. Some even believe that this changing pattern of colors depict different moods of a woman.
• Passages from Quran have been used as decorative elements throughout the complex.
• On the sides of the actual tomb of Mumtaz Mahal, 99 names of Allah can be found as calligraphic inscriptions.
• Taj Mahal was built in stages, with the plinth and the tomb taking up roughly 15 years. Building of minarets, mosque, jawab, and gateway took additional 5 years to be completed.
• Different types of marbles used in construction of Taj Mahal were brought over from many different regions & countries: Rajasthan, Punjab, China, Tibet, Afghanistan, Srilanka, & Arabia.
• Many precious stones and Lapis Lazuli (a semi-precious stone) were ripped off from its walls by the Britishers during the Indian rebellion of 1857.
• Taj Mahal attracts 2-4 million visitors annually with over 200,000 from overseas.

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