The Taj Mahal, the pride of India

The Greatest Wonder of the world, the Taj Mahal, India:

Love is the most valuable and overwhelming feeling a human can experience. 

People have chosen different ways to manifest this sublime feeling. Some have chosen to write poetry some to sing songs and verses. Emperor Shajahan chose to build a monument. 

Not exactly a monument but a tomb. A tomb for his beloved wife Noorjahan. So that He can remember her always. But such is the splendor of this magnificent white marble monument that even after 350 years, Agra is known throughout the world through this eternal work of man’s ability.

Agra might have gone into history as any other North Indian city without this white miracle. Even with modern construction equipments this architectural wonder will be impossible to dream. 

The sad part of the story may be that the emperor cut the hands of the a sculptor who made this tomb. He didn’t want any one built anything near to this tomb. We may feel this to be cruel, but Shahjahan was just a bit selfish.

A History records Shajahan as the most extravagant emperor of the Mughal Dynasty. He was over thrown by his son Aurngazeb and was jailed. 

The only thing the deposed emperor asked was to put him somewhere from where he could see the Taj. He was put in the Red fort across river Jamuna 

It would have been a great relief to emperor to see Taj mahal on the other bank of Jamuna. It’s said that view of the moonlit Taj Mahal on full moon day is a direct vision of paradise.

People may fall in love and do may things for it. But it needs emperor to built a Taj . Some may disagree and say it needs a shahjahan to built the Taj and a Noorjahan to be his wife. What ever history says Agra and India will always have a place in it as long Taj remains the attraction.

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		Come, walk along the pathway beside the reflecting pool with fountains upto the mausoleum crafted in soft & pure marble and jewelled with semi precious stones, where in the serenity of paradise rests the Queen in peace with her King. Come to unfold the pages from the past to churn the charm out of its mystique and enrich your imagination about this marvel of an epic in stone, The Taj. The grace of perfection of proportions and grandeur of geometrical patterns of well appointed gardens enhancing the poise of the whole complex together add magnificence to the delicacy of this mance of love, dedication and purity, ‘The Taj’ Come take a dip into the saga of ‘The Taj’, culled out from no fiction but facts and unfurl a saga, which is set out of nothing but pure love! Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder! Probably for Taj Mahal, the axiom is just the other way round.The Taj is the beauty personified! The Taj displays its different moods through its varied shades.  The Taj has as many shades as any kind of beauty can ever have! The Taj is pinkish in the morning, milky white in the evening, golden when the moon shines and the intermediary variants during different hours of the day and during different seasons in a year. Picturesque descriptions by the historians contemporary to the period of its making, the facts revealed by the scholars & archaeologists of today and the panoramic montage of the reasons behind its making are sketched with every step you would walk towards the mausoleum the next time you visit The Taj! A look this time at the Taj will keep you indulged with thoughts superimposing your sight and would make you feel the presence of Shah Jahan, the Maker and Mumtaz Mahal, the Reason, as though walking along with you. Whence its breathtaking splendour makes you wonder breathlessly and you tend to pause for a while but to continue staring at ‘The Taj’, you would sense them standing beside you! If one has a heart that beats and that beat throbs to seek, the purity of love in galore! Surely one deserves a visit to ‘The Taj’, as much as ‘The Taj’ deserves your visit once, and more! Come to ‘The Taj’ with blissful pride! Bring the saga come alive!! Come; fall in love, every time!!!

INFORMATION FOR TOURISTS VISTING TAJ MAHAL Water bottle is allowed inside the monument. Shoe covers, Half Litre water bottle and Tourist Guide Map of Agra, Battery Bus & Golf Cart Service are provided free of cost with the foreigner’s entry ticket for the Taj. Wheel Chair for Disabled People & First Aid are available at ASI Office at Taj Mahal Ph. No : 0562 - 2330498. Do's • Tourist are adviced to use South Entry gate in case of long queues on East and West gate. Which is 250 mtrs. from East & West Gate. • Tourists must co-operate in keeping the monument neat & clean by using dustbins. • Tourists are advised to hire approved guides & photographers who exhibit their identity cards. • Taj Museum inside Taj Mahal Complex opens from 10.00 AM to 5.00 PM, entry free. • No Polluting vehicles are allowed within 500 mts. Radius of Taj Mahal. Parking Facility is available at Shilpgram for Eastern Gate & at Amrood-Ka -Teela for Western Gate. Don’ts • Eating and smoking is strictly prohibited inside Taj Mahal. Arms, ammunitions, fire, smoking items, tobacco products, liquor, eatables (Toffees), head phones, knives, wire, mobile charger, electric goods (except camera), Tripods are also prohibited. • Mobile phones are to be kept switched off. • Please avoid carrying big bags and books inside the monument, this may increase your security check time. • Photography is prohibited inside the main mausoleum. • Avoid touching & scratching the walls & surfaces of the monument as these are heritage sites and need special care. • Visitors are requested not to make noise inside. • Above mentioned list of prohibited items along with mobile phones are  banned for night viewing of the Taj Mahal. Video camera, extra batteries are prohibited though still camera is permitted after the security check.

How to reach :

Taj Mahal, the embodiment of love and romance is accessible from many places by air, rail and road. People come to there even on foot. It lies 204 km south of Delhi, the capital city of the nation. 

The fastest way to reach Agra is by air. Indian Airlines and other private services operates flights from different cities to Agra.

There is a good network of train and buTherevices from Agra to various cities of India. After reaching the city you have to depend on some sort of local transport to reach the destination.

Air: Domestic Airport is available at Agra, which is connected to Delhi. Information regarding the connecting flights may be obtained from the Airport on the following phone number -+91-562--2400569 and from the following tourist offices:- Govt. of India Tourism Office 191, Mall Road, Agra Ph- + 91-562-2226368 Office of U.P. Tourism 64, Taj Road, Agra. Ph- +91-562-2226431 Rail: Timing at Agra of Trains Agra is well connected to all major cities of India. Some of the important trains are : For Updates : https://irctc.co.in/ For Mannual Enquiry : 139 Road: Agra is well connected to major cities in the country and is situated on the Golden Triangle of the Tourist Circuit (Delhi-Agra-Jaipur). It is connected to Delhi and Varanasi By NH-2, to Jaipur by NH-11 and Gwalior By NH-3. The major road distances are : Bharatpur-57 km, Delhi-204 km , Gwaior- 119 km, Jaipur- 232 km, Kanpur- 296 km , Khajuraho-400 km , Lucknow-369 km , Mathura- 56 km, Varanasi- 605 km.

Visiting Time The building is open from 06.00am to 7.00 pm weekdays except for Fridays.  The complex is open for night viewing on the day of the full moon and two days before and after, excluding Fridays and period of ‘Ramadan’ for security reasons only a little things will be allowed to carry inside the building. Photo Gallery: Entry Fee S.No. Tourist Type Amount(Rs.) 1. Foreign tourist 750/- 2. Citizens of SAARC and BIMSTEC Countries 510/- 3. Domestic/Indian 20/-