The Taj Mahal is one of the finest remnants of Mughal architecture. It isn’t difficult to get to the Taj Mahal (Agra, Uttar Pradesh) which is barely some 200km from Delhi. Tourist buses and private taxis run along the highway to getting you to this fine piece of Mughal art built by Shah Jahan in the 17th century in memory of his favorite wife Mumtaz Mahal.

Architectural Grace
Inspired by Persian, Islamic, Turkish and Indian architectural styles this monument is visited by more than 2 million tourists from all over the world. The Mahal occupies a neat arrangement of gardens, water work and buildings which lie peacefully around a pompously stretched 22.44 hectares of land.

“Symbol of Love”
Built on the banks of the Yamuna River, the Taj Mahal is a sophisticated innovation which employed years of effort, craftsmen and animals to make it come true. Standing proud and flawless, this beautiful monument is referred as the“symbol of love”.

History of the Taj Mahal
History suggest that emperor Shah Jahan was overthrown by his son Aurangzeb, who kept his father imprisoned in the Agra Fort which is a few distance away from the Taj Mahal. The emperor spent the last few years in this fort. It’s a unifying experience to view the Taj Mahal from the Agra Fort.

Taj Mahal was built with a regular supply of marbles from the Makrana town of Rajasthan. It is reported that about thousands of donkeys and elephants were used to supply the marble from Makrana to Agra. Journalists suggest that Makrana marble is one of the toughest marbles amongst other major marble producers of the world.

Today, the annual production of Makrana marble is 1.20 lakh tones per year which accounts for a revenue of 36 crore. The Makrana marble was also used to build the Victoria Memorial in Kolkata and the Dilwara Jain Temple in Rajasthan.

The Peacefully Lying Tomb
The tomb is the most attractive feature to the monument where the graves of both Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan lie. The tomb lies on a square platform built around an “iwan” or three-walled surrounding with an arched fourth and open side. Above this structure is a dome which is considered to be the “Taj” or the “Crown”.

The most fascinating thing about the dome is that it is almost as big as the monument itself. Its circumference is about 35 meters while its height is 7 meters. The main dome is flanked by smaller domes called the “chattris” on all corners through which natural light enters the interior. So you can see the elegance with which the monument has been built keeping in mind every detail.

Taj Mahal Timings
The Taj Mahal tells an inspiring tale of love and determination which no hail or storm has been able to destroy. Tourists flock outside the Taj Mahal as early as 6am to see the Taj Mahal in the backdrop of the sunrise. The Monument is open to visitors from 6am to 7 pm. The entry costs for foreign tourists are about 970 rupees while for Indians it is 110 rupees to see the monument at sunrise and sunset. Customary prayers are offered in the mosque located by the side of the Taj Mahal on Friday’s.

There isn’t a scarcity of hotels in Agra ranging from 3 to 5 star hotels. There are also special tour packages to Agra. Approach reliable travel agencies to guide you through a comfortable and gripping trip to the Taj Mahal.