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The Taj Mahal is one of the seven wonders of the World and one of India’s top tourist sites. The Taj Mahal is situated at Agra in Utter Pradesh state, India.

The Taj at Agra is a World UNESCO Heritage Site and the ultimate sign of expression of Love on earth. Taj Mahal was built by the Great Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan, around 450 years back in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Taj Mahal is considered the best of Mughal Architecture and is a white marble mausoleum on the banks of the holy river, Yamuna. The tomb is the main attraction of the Taj. Tajmahal is a UNESCO world heritage site.

Taj Mahal, Agra, India – Photo By – George T. George

There is a beautiful garden in Charbagh style in front of the Taj. Charbagh is a quadrilateral garden based on the four gardens of Paradise, as described in the Quran.

Ustad Ahmad Lahori, a Persian architect, is believed to be the chief architect of the Taj Mahal. It is said that Shah Jahan chopped off his hands to avoid him designing another monument like this!

Emperor Shah Jahan was dethroned, stripped of his regalia, and imprisoned by his third son, Emperor Aurangzeb (reigned from 1658 till his death in 1707), after a long-drawn power struggle, including battles between himself and three of his brothers. Shah Jahan had to be confined to the walls of Agra Fort on the banks of the holy river, Yamuna (close to the Taj Mahal). Shah Jahan spent the rest of his lifetime at the Agra Fort, another UNESCO Heritage site overlooking the Taj!

Seeing the Taj Mahal on a full moon day is a splendid sight, which you will cherish for a long time and can never be expressed in words.

You can take photographs at the front side entrance near the garden so that the snap looks like you are touching the top of the tomb! Some people take the snaps on your camera for a small charge, like Rs 30 or so. Some professionals take snaps for a small amount, like Rs 300-400 or so for 2 or 3 snaps, and get the physical photos delivered to you in 20 minutes or so. They will tell you the landmark and ask you to wait there.  These rates may vary from person to person and client to client. Please check the rates before going in for the photo shoot.

Taj Mahal was recommended for ‘New Seven Wonders of the World’ in 2000 as part of a Millennium Project and was declared a winner in 2007.

Are you interested in a virtual tour of the Taj Mahal? Taj Mahal Tour is part of Golden Triangle Tour Packages in India.  Are you interested in the Golden Triangle India tour package covering Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur? Please check with your travel agent for details on Golden Triangle Tour package prices.

Taj Mahal Timings & Fee

Taj opens at 6 a.m. and closes at 7 p.m., except on Fridays. Taj is closed on Fridays. Muslims can pray here on Fridays at the Taj Mosque from 12 noon to 2 p.m.

Taj is open on nights during the full moon day and two preceding and subsequent nights. Thus, it is open for five nights a month for tourists. Taj is closed at night during the month of Ramadan.

Indians must buy entry tickets costing Rs. 40/- and foreigners need to pay Rs. 1000/-. Those who book online tickets for the Taj Mahal will get a discount of Rs.5/- per Indian ticket & Rs. 50/- per Foreigner ticket.

From January 2018 onwards, there is a proposal to limit the number of Indian tourists to 40,000 per day. Once this number (40K per day) is crossed, Indian tourists must pay Rs. 1000/- as entry fee to visit Taj. On Deepavali and some other festival days, the number of Indian tourists exceeds this number. It is reported that 1.5 lack Indians visited the Taj on a Deepavali day.

How Do I Go to the Taj Mahal, Agra?

Agra, in the Utter Pradesh state of India, is well connected by roads, trains, and flights to the rest of India. It is around 2-hour drive from Delhi, India. Many national highways pass through Agra. Delhi-Agra Yamuna Expressway is the best one, connecting Agra with India’s Capital, New Delhi. Traveling by this route typically takes around two hours.

NH 2 also connects these two cities but takes more time than the other paid expressway mentioned earlier. NH 91 connects Aligarh with Agra. NH 11 connects Agra with Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan state. NH 3 connects Agra to Mumbai, the commercial capital of India. NH 2 connects Agra with Lucknow, the capital of Utter Pradesh state.

Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi is the closest major international airport to the Taj Mahal at Agra.

Agra Cantonment railway station is the nearest major station to the Taj Mahal, which connects Agra with Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, etc. Agra Fort railway station is another railway station near to Taj Mahal, which connects Agra with East Indian Cities like Kolkata (Calcutta) and other cities of Central India.

Hotels Near Agra Taj

There are many hotels in Agra catering to the needs of tourists.

Conclusion

The Taj Mahal Tour is part of the Golden Triangle Tour Package in India. Are you interested in the Golden Triangle India tour package covering Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur? Please let me know your comments.

#TajMahal #UNESCO #HeritageSites