Exploring Taj

Mahal
A Comprehensive Travel Guide

HISTORY OF TAJ MAHAL

The Taj Mahal of Agra is one of the Seven Wonders of

the World, for reasons more than just looking
magnificent. It's the history of Taj Mahal that adds a
soul to its magnificence: a soul that is filled with love,
loss, remorse, and love again. Because if it was not for
love, the world would have been robbed of a fine
example upon which people base their relationships. An
example of how deeply a man loved his wife, that even
after she remained but a memory, he made sure that
this memory would never fade away. This man was the
Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, who was head-over-heels

in love with Mumtaz Mahal, his dear wife. She was a

Muslim Persian princess (her name Arjumand Banu
Begum before marriage) and he was the son of the
Mughal Emperor Jehangir and grandson of Akbar the
Great. It was at the age of 14 that he met Mumtaz and
fell in love with her. Five years later in the year 1612,
they got married.
Mumtaz Mahal, an inseparable companion of Shah
Jahan, died in 1631, while giving birth to their 14th
child. It was in the memory of his beloved wife that
Shah Jahan built a magnificent monument as a tribute
to her, which we today know as the "Taj Mahal". The
construction of Taj Mahal started in the year 1631.
Masons, stonecutters, inlayers, carvers, painters,
calligraphers, dome-builders and other artisans were
requisitioned from the whole of the empire and also
from Central Asia and Iran, and it took approximately
22 years to build what we see today. An epitome of
love, it made use of the services of 22,000 laborers and
1,000 elephants. The monument was built entirely out
of white marble, which was brought in from all over
India and central Asia. After an expenditure of
approximately 32 million rupees, Taj Mahal was finally
completed in the year 1653.
It was soon after the completion of Taj Mahal that Shah
Jahan was deposed by his own son Aurangzeb and was
put under house arrest at nearby Agra Fort. Shah Jahan,
himself also, lies entombed in this mausoleum along
with his wife. Moving further down the history, it was at
the end of the 19th century that British Viceroy Lord
Curzon ordered a sweeping restoration project, which

was completed in 1908, as a measure to restore what

was lost during the Indian rebellion of 1857: Taj being
blemished by British soldiers and government officials
who also deprived the monument of its immaculate
beauty by chiseling out precious stones and lapis lazuli
from its walls. Also, the British style lawns that we see
today adding on to the beauty of Taj were remodeled
around the same time. Despite prevailing controversies,
past and present threats from Indo-Pak war and environmental
pollution, this epitome of love continuous to shine and attract
people
from
all
over
the
world.
Reference:
http://www.tajmahal.org.uk/history.html

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 theres 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 semiprecious 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.
Reference:
http://www.tajmahal.org.uk/taj-mahalfacts.html

HOW TO PLAN TAJ MAHAL TRIP

A trip to the Taj is like a dream come true, especially for

anyone who is visiting for the first time. The most
recognized monument in the world, an ode to love
reminiscent of the Mughal era, a structure so beautiful,
it has consistently made it to the list of the Seven

Wonders of the World, The TajMahal very clearly needs

no introduction.
Drawing nearly seven million visitors each year, its not
just the structure but the story behind it that creates a
timeless appeal and attraction that no one can stay
untouched from. Creating a travel itinerary for the Taj
will depend upon the kind of trip that one is planning.
If traveling into Agra just for the visit and not staying,
then the larger focus will be on how to get to the
destination. As opposed to this, if one is staying in Agra
and lets assume- looking for an Agra luxury hotel, then
that element has to be considered too.

Either way, heres a quick lowdown.

Getting to Agra from Delhi, one can drive in by road as
the distance is about 200kms from Delhi. Other option
includes train and is also preferred by a number of
people.

Talking about accommodation, a 5 star hotel in Agra is

a good option given youll get top-notch facilities and
this is even more advisable when traveling in the
summer months. The heat can get unbearable but its
nothing that an Agra luxury hotel cannot tackle as most
are equipped to deal with the consequences.
The hours of opening are between 6:00am to 7:00pm
and these apply all days except Fridays. For those who
want an ultra romantic experience, there is also
moonlight viewing between 8:30 pm and 12:30am but
this only happens two before and after each full moon.
Fee is about Rs 750 all up for foreign nationals and Rs
20 for Indians.
Once there, things to look out for are as below:
Avoid carrying big bags and on most days only one
mobile phone and one camera per person is
allowed.
When accessing the complex, there are three
entrances called the West, South and East gates.
The best and the easiest entry point is the east
gate and if you have a driver dropping you,
Shilagram parking is where you should be getting
off. This is where you buy tickets. If you are staying
at a 5 star hotel in Agra, check with the concierge
desk as they sell tickets too. This will help you
avoid the long queue.
The earlier you get there the better. This is
particularly to avoid crowds.

 Once inside, the complex is very easy to navigate.

Its open and approachable with lawns and
waterways.
You do have the option of choosing a guide but this
depends upon the kind of experience you want. A
guide can sometimes be a distraction with his/her
incessant talking and if you are looking for a
quieter feel, one option is to take a hand held
audio guide from the ticket counter instead.
Once in, most people wrap up in about three hours but
that is a personal choice. You can spend as much time
as you like up to closing hours. Passing through the big
gate leads to the chaos being left behind and a kind of
serenity engulfing the atmosphere. This for some is the
magic of the Taj that they take back with them.