Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal; the identity of Agra is the jewel of Mughal art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the worlds heritage. It is an immense mausoleum of Mumtaj, the empress of Mughal Empire, made of white marble built in Agra in 1648 by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. Taj Mahal is situated on the bank of river Yamuna in a vast Mughal garden spreads nearly 17 hectares of land in Agra city. It contains a mosque, a guest house and a covered passage with arches around the garden. Taj Mahal is considered to be the greatest architectural achievement of the Mughal period. The color combination of milky white marble structure, lush green garden, reddish pathway and blue sky is enough to fascinate visitors and to attract tourists. The uniqueness of Taj Mahal lies in some remarkable innovations carried out by the architecture such as placing of tomb at one end of the quadripartite garden rather than in the center, which added rich depth and perspective to the distant view of the monument. Its raised position is a masterstroke design as it leaves only the sky as its backdrop. Each corner of the raised platform is graced with 40 m high white minarets. The four indistinguishable faces of Taj Mahal are in perfect symmetry. The whole structure is topped off by four small domes. The cenotaph of Mumtaj lies directly below the main dome. It is an elaborate false tomb which is surrounded by an elegant marble screen inlaid with various types of semi-precious stones offsetting the symmetry of the Taj. The real tombs of Shah Jahan and Mumtaj lie in a locked room below the main chamber. It is said that Taj Mahal seems to be much more beautiful if viewed in full moon night. Viewing Taj Mahal at night is available only five days in a month, full moon night, two nights before full moon and two nights after full moon night.

 

Timings: 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset, Friday closed for visitors. For night viewers, timing is 8:30 pm to 12:30 am.
Entry Fee: Rs 50 for Indian citizen, Rs 540 for citizens of SAARC & BIMSTEC countries, Rs 1100 for foreigners, Children below 15 years have free entry. For night viewers Entry Fee: Rs 510 for Indian citizen, Rs 750 for foreigners and Rs 500 for children between 3 years to 15 years.
Help Desk for Visitors: *Free 500 ml water bottle and shoe covers should be collected, their cost are included in ticket price. Luggage should be kept beside the ticket office for free. Battery buses and golf carts are available from parking Taj Mahal.