Introduction
The Mughal emperor Shah Jahan constructed a massive white marble monument in Agra between 1631 and 1648, in commemoration of his beloved wife. This world-famous mausoleum is on the right bank of the Yamuna River, in the Agra district. As far as Indo-Islamic architecture is concerned, we regard The Taj Mahal as the pinnacle of all architectural accomplishments. Ustad-Ahmad Lahori primarily designed this historical monument. If you want to enter, you will need Taj Mahal tickets.
Story of the Taj Mahal
People consider Taj Mahal the symbol of love, which was made by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died while giving birth to their 14th child. Mumtaz Mahal compelled the emperor to make four promises while she was still alive: first, that he would construct the Taj; the second promise was that he would get remarried; the third one, that he would treat their children with kindness; and the last one, that he would pay a visit to her tomb on the anniversary of her passing. Then he built this wonderful white marble memorial to show his intense love, where the mausoleum of his wife is situated. Besides, The Taj pays homage to a woman of exotic beauty and serves as a memorial to a love story that captivates us even as we read these pages. Truly an ever-lasting romance!
Recognitions
- They designated the Taj Mahal a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.
- It is one of the seven wonders of the world, which was recognized in 2007.
When to visit Taj
The best time to visit the Taj Mahal is from October to March, when the weather allows you to fully immerse yourself in a dream visit. March, October, and November are the best time for photography when the weather is cool.
Friday is the day when this mausoleum is closed. Besides, you can avoid Saturday too if you don’t like gatherings. But Monday is the best day to visit Taj.
Getting there
The Taj Mahal situated is in Agra, which is a three-hour car drive from Delhi. From Delhi, you can go there by train and bus as well. You should reach Agra the day before your Taj Mahal tour. Because you will have to go earlier to enjoy these monuments perfectly.
Taj Mahal ticket
Before entering the gate, buy tickets. The pricing of tickets is:
- For Indians: INR 50
- Foreigners (SAARC): INR 550
- Other Nationals: INR 1100
NB: 1 USD = 80 INR
Construction Cost of Taj Mahal
The Indian archaeologists believe around 32 million INR was spent to build this white monument. Now, the price of this mausoleum is more the 1 billion USD (70 billion INR).
Interesting facts about the Taj Mahal
- It took 20 years and 20000 workers to build this white mausoleum.
- It is said that over 1000 elephants were used to transport the materials of the Taj Mahal.
- More than 40 types of precious stones were used in this monument, including- pearls, diamonds, sapphires, and many others.
Controversies
As famous a place gets, controversies arise with it, and the Taj Mahal is no different. There are rumors that Shah Jahan occupied the land without paying anything. But this was proved wrong when a historian posted some legal documents on twitter regarding the royal orders from Shah Jahan to the land’s owner. Shah Jahan gave four havelis to the landowner in exchange for the land. Read More
There is another claim from Hindu extremists that, Taj Mahal was a Hindu temple named Tejon Mahalaya. This claim has also been denied by the government, and the Archaeological survey of India. Archaeology Department of India confirmed Taj Mahal as a tomb and not a temple.
There is another controversy, and it is the most popular one. Many believe that Shah Jahan chopped off the hands of workers who took part in building the Taj Mahal so that they could never build something like the Taj again. But there is no historical evidence to justify the claim as they built an imperial city in Shahjahanabad, Delhi shortly after building the Taj Mahal. It would have been impossible for him to find artisan replacements after chopping this many workers’ hand.
Famous quotes about the Taj Mahal
- The Taj Mahal rises above the banks of the river like a solitary tear suspended on the cheek of time. –Rabindranath Tagore.
- If I had never done anything else in India, I would have written my name here, and the letters would have been a living joy. –Lord Curzon
- Let the splendor of the diamond, pearl, and ruby vanish like the magic shimmer of the rainbow. Only let this one teardrop, the Taj Mahal, glisten spotlessly bright on the check of time-Rabindranath Tagore.
NB: Please throw waste in the bin wherever you go and help keeping the environment clean.
