About Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal standing proudly on the bank of the river Yamuna in Agra, is India's noble tribute to the grace of Indian womanhood. Built by Shahjehan, the 5th emperor of Mughal empire in the memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, Taj Mahal is the largest and the most expensive mausoleum built by any man on earth.
The "symbol of eternal love", Taj at Agra is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular marvel of the world. Renowned for its architectural magnificence and aesthetic beauty, it considered among man's proudest creations and is constantly included in the list of the world's topmost wonders. As a tomb, it has no equivalent upon earth, for mortal remains have never been housed so opulently.
The Architecture
The Taj, huge itself, is not an isolated building but it is a part of a massive complex containing a main gateway, an elaborately laid garden, a mosque and a prayer house, outer enclosures and enclosing walls.
Construction of the Taj Mahal began in 1631 and was completed in 22 years. Twenty thousand people were commissioned to work on it. The materials were brought in from all over India and central Asia and it took a fleet of 1000 elephants to transport it to the site.
The dome is made of pure white marble, but the tomb is set against the plain across the river and it is this background that formulates the magic of colours that, through their reflection, change the view of the Taj at different time of the day. The hue change at different hours of the day and during different seasons. Taj Mahal is best viewed in a moonlight night. Like a jewel, the Taj sparkles in moonlight when the semi-precious stones studded into the white marble on the main mausoleum receives the glow of the moon. The Taj is pinkish in the morning, milky white in the evening and golden when the moon shines. Just a awesome spectacle to view.
Tourist Information
Visiting Hours : Open from sunrise to 19 hours. The monument is closed on Mondays.
Entry Fee : Entry fee for those above 12 years. Entry Fee for Foreign Nationals : 750 Rs., Entry Fee For Indian
Tourists : 20 Rs. Free entry on Fridays.
Best Viewed At : Moonlight Night
Other Attractions Near the Taj
Agra Fort
Built by three great Mughal emperors, Agra Fort is a massive structure housing several must see attractions.
Itmad-ud-Daulah's Tomb
This was built by Noorjehan in the memory of her father Mirza Ghiyas Beg. This a beautiful structure with amazing carvings and inlay work.
Sikandara
Situated at a distance of 10 km from Agra, This tomb of Akbar is a perfect blend of Hindu, Christian, Islamic, Buddhist, Jain motifs.
Getting There
Air : Taj Mahal is located at Agra, which is easily accessible from all the parts of India by air.
Rail : One can easily reach Agra by rail routes.
Road : Agra has well connected road networks, which are linked to all the major destinations of Uttar Pradesh and nearby state.
Accommodation
Accommodation is certainly not a problem here. We provide the best of the accommodation facilities just suited for you. The accommodation here ranges from luxury, deluxe to budget type. You can pick the one which best suites your interest and budget.
Longer you stay at Taj, the more you'll pay
Taj Mahal gets a minimum 15,000 visitors every day and the maximum ever recorded was almost 55,000 on December 29, 2009. Worried that such mammoth footfalls would put a huge strain on the world heritage site, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is switching to a `stay more, pay more' concept to dissuade visitors from staying for too long.
At present, an Indian visitor can stay inside Taj from sunrise to sunset for Rs 10. "We are going to introduce bar-coded magnetic strip tickets that will be printed at Nashik's Government Security Press (where currency notes are printed). A certain maximum number of hours' stay (most probably two to four) would be allowed for the basic entry fee of Rs 20 (for Indians) and Rs 750 for foreign visitors. Staying beyond that would mean a very high charge and we are working on that figure," said a top ASI official.
The magnetic ticket would register the visitor's entry time at the Taj. While exiting, the duration of the person's stay would be checked and he or she would then have to pay the extra fee for staying beyond the maximum permissible time of the basic price.
According to ASI, Taj gets 12-14,000 visitors daily. "The minimum visitors are close to 15,000 as this figure is just for tickets sold. Children below 15 don't have to buy tickets and so those visitors are not counted. We saw a new record of 40,000 tickets being sold on December 29, 2009, and adding children the number of visitors that day was about 55,000," said the official.
In fact, now the ASI is getting a scientific study to find the carrying capacity of Taj Mahal. This will be done along with another study to find the number of hours that should be allowed in base ticket prices.
UP administration levies a steep fee on Taj tickets in the form of Agra Development Authority charge on fee that's Rs 500 over the ASI ticket of Rs 250 for foreigners. "But in return, successive state governments have done precious little in terms of keeping surroundings of Taj, including its access points, clean. So we want to at least keep the precincts of Taj clean. At present, scores of photographers and guides buy the Rs 20 ticket and spend the day at Taj Mahal's main entry door inside the complex," said sources.
Now, they will be stationed at the visitor centre at Taj. A visitor wishing to engage them would have to buy entry ticket for them. And if they stay longer than allowed, the visitor will have to pay for their extra stay too.
