Out of Delhi-Taj Mahal, Delhi

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I think most people know about this place and have seen tons of pictures of it. But when you see it for the first time in real life, it still takes your breathe away for its shear beauty and proportions. I actually saw it for the first time from the rooftop of my hotel and whilst I sat eating my lunch, I just couldn't take my eyes of it!

Ok, the story goes like this. The Taj Mahal was constructed between 1631 and 1654 and its construction is said to have been done by a workforce of 22,000 that contained among others laborers, Naqqashi laborers, painters, stonecutters, garden-layers, gardeners, embroidery artists and masons. The Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned its construction as a mausoleum for Arjumand Begum, who was re-christened Mumtaz after her marriage to him. It is said that Shah Jahan was very much pained by the death of his favourite wife when she died giving birth to their 14th child. He constructed this mausoleum so that its pleasant site would give him solace. The tombs of both Mumtaz and Shah Jahan lie in the tomb chamber on a raised platform surrounded by marble lattice screens.

Open: 6am-7pm. Admission: Rs750 for foreigners.

Agra, once the capital of the Mughal Empire during the 16th and early 18th centuries, is Kms 230 from New Delhi by road.
Taj Mahal means "Crown Palace" and is in fact the most well preserved and architecturally beautiful tomb in the world.
Taj Mahal stands on the bank of River Yamuna, which otherwise serves as a wide moat defending the Great Red Fort of Agra, the center of the Mughal emperors until they moved their capital to Delhi in 1637. It was built by the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan in 1631 in memory of his second wife, Mumtaz Mahal, a Muslim Persian princess.
The colours change at different hours of the day and during different seasons. Like a jewel, the Taj sparkles in moonlight when the semi-precious stones inlaid into the white marble on the main mausoleum catch the glow of the moon. The Taj is pinkish in the morning, milky white in the evening and golden when the moon shines. These changes, they say, depict the different moods of woman.
Open : 6 days a week (Closed on Friday's), Sunrise to Sunset.
Entrance Fee Rs 750

2 to 3.5h hours train from Delhi.
Try to arrive before the sunrise if you wish to take this photograph without to many tourists on it.
Anything else i'd add would spoil the magic of this place ... Look at it and enjoy .. or book your plane ticket to india right now !

Take a trip to Agra and see the Taj Mahal. You take the train from Delhi, and in Agra there are lots of accomodations of different price classes. While here you may as well see the fort! Agra is supposedly (?) famous for its marble, unfortunately, when you are travelling, the last thing you want in your bags is probably stones...so at least I did't get any!
For more pics, go to my Taj Mahal travelogue!

One of the eight wonders of the world, The Taj Mahal is the most beautiful monument built by the Mughals, the Muslim rulers of India. Built entirely of white marble, its stunning architectural beauty is beyond adequate description, particularly at dawn and sunset.

The Taj Mahal was built by Muslim Emperor Shah Jahan (died 1666) in the memory of his wife and queen Mumtaz Mahal at Agra, India. It is an 'elegy in marble' or some say an expression of a 'dream.' Taj Mahal (meaning Crown Palace) is a Mausoleum that houses the grave of queen Mumtaz Mahal in the lower chamber. Later, the grave of Shah Jahan was added.

The Taj Mahal was constructed over a period of twenty-two years, employing twenty thousand workers. It was completed in 1648 at a cost of 32 Million Rupees. The construction documents show that its master architect was Ustad ‘Isa, the renowned Islamic architect of his time. Expert craftsmen from Delhi, Qannauj, Lahore, and Multan were employed in the construction of the Taj Mahal.

The Taj stands on a raised, square platform (186 x 186 feet) with its four corners truncated, forming an unequal octagon. The architectural design uses the interlocking arabesque concept, in which each element stands on its own and perfectly integrates with the main structure. It uses the principles of self-replicating geometry and a symmetry of architectural elements.

The mausoleum is a part of a vast complex comprising of a main gateway, an elaborate garden, a mosque (to the left), a guest house (to the right), and several other palatial buildings. The Taj is at the farthest end of this complex, with the river Jamuna behind it. The large garden contains four reflecting pools dividing it at the center. Each of these four sections is further subdivided into four sections and then each into yet another four sections. Like the Taj, the garden elements each stand on their own while also constituting the whole.

Taj Mahal is a must see, of course. Even though it is situated at some distance from Delhi, it's easy to take a train, bus or organised tour to see the great monument of love.
We went on a bus tour, thought that we would be among tourists from other countries, but found out that we were the only ones among 50 indians...

The Taj Mahal in Agra is undoubtedly the zenith of Mughal architecture and one of the world's most marvellous buildings.

At its most alluring in the relative quiet of early morning, it is shrouded in mists and bathed with a soft red glow. As its vast marble surfaces fall into shadow or reflect the sun, its colour changes, from soft grey and yellow to pearly cream and dazzling white; it's well worth visiting at different times.

This play of light is an important decorative device, symbolically implying the presence of Allah, who is never represented in anthropomorphic form.

Legend has it that Shah Jahan decided to construct another Taj Mahal in black marble on the other side of the river Yamuna and to connect the two by a bridge. This structure was intended to be his own tomb.

PHOTO : TAJAL MAHAL FROM THE FRONT VIEW.


Taj Mahal is located at AGRA.Not far away from New Delhi. If you are from South by train, inbetween Agra and Old Delhi station...drop there, get a local Bajaj or taxi to the Taj Mahal.