Taj Mahal

Taj-Mahal

Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal, the most beautiful monument of Love and Romance. 

HOHO Holidays  presents to you all the important details that you need to know before your visit to one of the seven wonders of the Modern world known as the Taj Mahal.

You will learn about Taj Mahal’s architecture, it’s history, interesting story behind the creation of this phenomenal master piece, interesting facts, how to reach there, timings, best time to visit, map & location, how to plan a One Day Tour to Taj Mahal Tour from Delhi in an easy to digest and fun way.

Go ahead and read it till the end for some bonus tips that will help you plan your trip better.

Let’s dive right in.

Introduction

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taj mahal

Taj Mahal needs no introduction. I am sure I am going to fail to describe it in words 100%.

Taj Mahal is one of the greatest works of art. It is a radiant jewel in the crown of the empress of India.

Rabindranath Tagore, the great Nobel prize winner poet of India described Taj Mahal in his words,

The Taj Mahal rises above the banks of the river like a solitary tear suspended on the cheek of time.

What is Taj Mahal?

A Monument of love. Taj Mahal is a ivory-white  mausoleum , built in the memory of Mumtaz Mahal, favourite wife of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. (will go deep in the [ps2id url=’#my-history’]history[/ps2id] of the Taj Mahal in the next section)

Beauty – an Architecture Marvel

The legendary English poet Sir Edwin Arnold, has summarized the way he sees Taj Mahal in the following words:

Not a piece of architecture, as other buildings are, but the proud passions of an emperor’s love wrought in living stones.

Architecture of Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal world-over is  renowned for its architecture. As per wikipedia, Ustad Ahmad Lahori an Iranian architect is know to be the chief of the architecture department for the project Taj Mahal bestowed to him by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. Taj Mahal is an amalgamation of various architecture styles including Mughal and Persian styles, its a building style has its origin in northern and central India under the rule of the Mughal empire from the mid-16th to the late 17th century. Learn more here. A lot went into the creation of this masterpiece, during the construction days the emperor used to have daily meetings, inspecting and discussing every aspect of the architecture with all the architect and chiefs. Mumtaz Mahal was buried here for one year before the construction ( 1630 it was). Right after one year the construction got started over her tomb 1631-1653, 22 years taken for this construction. And almost a labor of 20,000 workers worked here Non-stop, 24×7. The king wanted the very best from the renowned artists who were employed to work for this dream project. So he openly invited a labour of 20,000 workers. He in fact personally traveled the world for one year. Hindus, Muslims, Turkish, Afghanis and some roman Catholics too (Italian & French) did participate in the workmanship. This was not a slave labor, it was very highly paid labour. The chief architect of this monument (mausoleum) was Ahmed Lahori.
Ustad Isa Shirazi

The Chief Architect – Ustad Ahmad Lahori

Lahore is a place in Pakistan, but Paksitan was part of India before partition. So he was Indian Muslim who designed this structure. Taj Mahal is not just the white building, it’s a one big complex of 42 acres of the land.

Taj Mahal is a Complex.

Taj Mahal has so many things to see. Mausoleum where she was buried, a building of 243 feets high, almost 75 meters from the bottom to the top. The dome with a top pinnacle with half moon crescent symbolic to the Islamic Law. In Islam its a very holy sign, as you might have seen on the Pakistan Flag.
moon crescent

moon crescent

That is the symbol of Islam, so there is most certainly an Islamic influence on the structure. At the very top there is a lotus flower. It’s an Indian National flower and a sign of Hinduism. People do wonder why there is a Hindu symbol over an Islamic monument, as in Islam there is no such concept of lucky flower or revered flower. Because, there were Hindus also who worked here. So who worked over here let their impression on the building. There is also Italian and French influence that you will see inside. This amalgamation of different culture under one roof just shows how open the king was. He united every one and he let them work to get the best out of them. Building Taj was like bringing heaven down to earth. It is an imagination of a heaven. Why? Because we know that only heaven can be so much perfect. And we have the perfect symmetry as Taj Mahal, one and only in the world. In 16th century we can not imagine how they created this masterpiece without machines! Mosque where every Friday the local Muslims come here for prayer. The Mosque is still functioning. Every Friday for 2 hours the native Muslims come here for prayer. (That’s Why Friday Taj Mahal remains completely closed for the tourists)
mosque inside Taj Mahal Complex

Mosque inside Taj Mahal Complex

Guest House On the opposite site of the Mosque there is an identically same building, that’s a guest house. Officially, It was declared a guest house in 18th century by the English officer’s wives. That’s the era when the British cantonment took over the area. Otherwise, there was no purpose creating a guest house inside a mausoleum. You can not even imagine living near a tomb, it’s a burial. It’s a place of grief, death, mourn. Other wise the purpose of building it was just to give the entire complex a symmetry. Because Taj Mahal is the most symmetrical monument. It was inspired by the Persian architecture. Persian architecture is all about decoration and ornamentation. So it was  made symmetrical from all the four directions. Darwaza-i-Rauza Giant 105 feet grand entrance gate to access the Taj Mahal. That’s a monument on it’s own.
Darwaza-i-rauza

Darwaza-i-rauza

The beautiful garden inside the complex are designed in the Charbagh style. Char means four and bagh is garden. It’s a square pattern garden. Also known as heaven of garden. It has to be a multiple of four, that is  4, 8, 16 and so on. That’s what gives the garden a symmetry. In the Taj Mahal complex there are 16 gardens. And it’s a common pattern around any Mughal monument, always like gardens of heaven.
charbagh-garden

Charbagh Garden

Out of 22  years, 17 years were devoted to building the white building, the main mausoleum. 1631 to 1648. 5 years for rest of the complex – the mosque, guest house, beautiful garden, the entrance gate.

The River Yamuna & The Taj Mahal

Ever wondered why Taj Mahal was created on a river bank? river-yamuna-and-taj-mahal Because river was the easiest transport, 300 kilometers was a long distance at that time, even it’s a long distance today. So river Yamuna, the second holy river (Hindu Mythology) after the river Ganges. So all the goods, marbles, people transported using boats from long distance to this place for construction. Further, there is no background behind Taj Mahal. No Building, Sky scrappers, Trees that gives a 2-D image effect like an image on a blue canvas. Behind the Taj Mahal there is nothing, and only river Yamuna. Agra was the capital of India at that time. Delhi is a very new capital of India, 1911  when the British government decided to replace Calcutta with Delhi as the capital of India.
Taj Mahal Structure has it’s Origin in Humayun’s Tomb
Humayun’s Tomb – Precursor to The Taj Mahal

Humayun’s Tomb(Right)– Precursor to The Taj Mahal(Left)

Humayun’s Tomb was built by the Islamic Mughal daynasty in Delhi, built some 85 years ago before the Taj Mahal.
Humayun’s Tomb a 16th century tomb is a UNESCO world heritage site, which inspired the Taj Mahal and other Mughal buildings.
Let’s first talk about the similarities, both have large rectangular pishtaq entrances.
Both have large domes that rise above the tomb at the center.
Both have hindu inspired chhatri, and they sit on elevated platforms.
The distinguishing difference between the two is the stone used.
Taj Mahal was built using pure Indian white marble, the best marble of the world Markana Marble. It’s a high quality white marble, popular for use in sculpture and building decor, it is found in the town of Markana in Rajashthan, 300 kilometers from Agra.
Several iconic monuments were built using the same stone, like the Victoria Memorial in Kolkata.
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Victoria Memorial Kolkata

Humayun’s Tomb is made of Dholpur Red Sandstone. This stone is very much used during the Mughal Era.
Calligraphy & Decoration
Calligraphy

Qur’an are used as decorative elements

In the Taj Mahal Complex you will find Quran used as decorative elements, the Calligraphy.
Some of the passages were taken from the holy book to decorate the monument.
And, these were all mourning messages. Some selected mourning prayers from the Quran are carved on the white marble.
It is believed that every evening King used to come here and he read those chapters from right to left.
Because we know that the Islamic language are not written like English, the other way.
So here we have 14 selected chapters of mourning prayers.
The most skilled architects were used for the inlay craftsmen, calligraphers, stone carvers and masons were called from all across India and from as far as Persia and Turkey.
taj-mahal-inlay-work

Taj Mahal Inlay Work

History

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Mumtaz-Mahal---Shah-Jahan

Here comes the most interesting part, the History of Taj Mahal.  I am sure you are curious to know answers to questions like:

  1. Who built it?
  2. What is the story behind Taj Mahal?
  3. When?

Who Built It?

The 5th Mughal emperor “Shahjahan”.

Shahjahan is a title and not a name which was given to him, his real name was Prince Khurram, original name Shihāb al-Dīn Muḥammad Khurram, (born January 5, 1592, Lahore [now in Pakistan]—died January 22, 1666, Agra [now in India]),

When he ascended to the royal throne, he became the 5th Mughal emperor.

And he got a new title called “Shahjahan” meaning “Shah” means king &  “Jahan” means the world.

King of the world.

Who were Mughals?

Let’s Start from the Start.

Mughals were the descendants of the Mongols and Taimurs

Those were the mix descendant clans of the Mongolian dynasty and that was of-course the “Genghiz Khan
genghis khan

Genghis Khan

1526 the Mughals entered the India, and they  also came here for trade, because India is a country known for it’s rich resources; gold, spices, gemstones, marble, tea, indigo, natural herbs everything was available in abundance.
 
1526 they laid the foundation of the Mughal empire, the first Mughal emperor was “Babur” 
 
He was the first Mughal Emperor. Shahjahan was the fifth in the line.
Babar

Babar – The First Mughal Emperor

 
The story behind the making of Taj Mahal
 

The fifth Mughal Emperor had three wives, the first wife was from Kandhar, Afghanistan.

Second wife, this one was Mumtaz.

And, the third wife was from Kashmir, the North of India.

Imagine, this little boy at the tender age of 17 had three wives! (He was very lucky indeed to have three wives at the same time ..hehe).

By the way, this just came across while researching that the Fourth King of Bhutan Jigme Singye Wangchuk has a thing or two common with the Mughal emperor Shahjahan, he also has three wives as you may see here posing for a photo in front of Dechencholing Palace, in Thimphu, Bhutan, on April 29, 2010 with US Secretary Blake.

Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Robert Blake, the Fourth King of Bhutan Jigme Singye Wangchuk, and three of his wives pose for a photo in front of Dechencholing Palace, in Thimphu, Bhutan, on April 29, 2010

Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Robert Blake, the Fourth King of Bhutan Jigme Singye Wangchuk, and three of his wives pose for a photo in front of Dechencholing Palace, in Thimphu, Bhutan, on April 29, 2010. Source

All the three wives were Muslims, as the Mughals were Muslims.

The King was never happy with the first and the third wife. The point to be noted here is that these marriages at an early age were not out of attraction or love, but more of an administrative or political interests.

So, there were no emotions attached to these marriages.

He was never truly happy with the first and the third one, so he sent the two wives back to their places.

Why?

Not only the reason that they were not as beautiful as the second wife Mumtaz, this lady was stunning beautiful, ofcourse!

She belonged to the royal family of the Persia or Iran as we know it today. Persian girls are really famous for their natural beauty.

Just to give you a sense of the natural beauty of Persian ladies, have a look below a picture of a Persian girl ( hope you have noticed- she’s not wearing any make up)

Persian Beauty - Baba Taher Mausoleum - Hamadan - Western Iran

Persian Beauty – Baba Taher Mausoleum – Hamadan – Western Iran. Source

She attracted the king towards her beauty and also her skills actually.

She was not just a beautiful wife to the king, but also a true companion to the king, she used to help the king in the battle-fronts, war plannings, administrative decisions, governance.

She also used to take part in the public and private discussions as well.

So, she was like a great companion to the Shahjahan, more than a beautiful wife.

She was Beauty with Brain. She was very intelligent, skilled and smart lady.

It was more love and respect given to the lady by Mughal emperor Shahjahan than any lady in his life at that time.

The main reason why the King was really happy with Mumtaz only?

This lady  delivered 13 children to Shahjahan! (no pun intended).

Makes sense?

Why the king was really happy with the second wife only while he sent the other two wives back to their places.

Mumtaz was a title gifted to her, it was not her real name.

What does “Mumtaz” mean?

“Mum” means My and “Taj” means crown.

“You are My Crown. Hat’s Off! to your beauty, you are my jewel and crown”, Shahjahan’s thought behind giving her this title.

Koh-i-Noor-Diamond-in-British-Crown

The Koh-i-Noor in the front cross of Queen Mary’s Crown

Otherwise, her name was something different, her real name was “Arjumand Banu Begum“.

Arjumand Banu is a persian word, and begum is a muslim word meaning wife.

But she was never called by her name, her husband always called her “My-Crown, Mumtaz”.

An Unfortunate Incident laid the Foundation Stone to Taj Mahal

Unfortunately, when Mumtaz was delivering her 14th baby at a very young age 39 years, she died.

It was a baby girl and the baby didn’t survive either.

The both died the same time right after the delivery.

Sad!

What happened actually, she was like a baby girl 13 years when she got married to this man.

Frequent deliveries, birth delivery pains lead to complications & blood infection to her body, the body was deeply infected.

1630 she was conceiving the 14th baby, right after the delivery she passed away, unfortunately!

But, before that what happened was:

The king was thousand miles away from his wife, he was busy in a battle planning, and she wanted to call the husband back from the battle.

She called, she did. 

Her husband sat beside, and  for the last time they talked to each other.

 

The last conversation between them laid the foundation for the Taj Mahal.

For the last time she shared three promises from her husband.

She would have said, “You Promise me –

  1. That you will not marry again.
  2.  Second, You will look after our 13 children, give them equal love and respect
  3.  Darling I know you love me, I am the most loving wife, I know this. But this time I am going to die now. If you claim that I am your favourite wife. You have to prove it to show it. You have to prove it even after my death. I don’t want that after my death the world to forget my name. Do something so unique and incredible  that world will always remember my name – Mumtaz Mahal.

She actually asked for this, something that this world had never seen before.

One and only thing in this world, and no one can compare, no one can copy it in future as well.

Something out of this world, phenomenal!

That’s what she asked for.

Right after these promises she died and the baby died too.

In Islam you have to bury the body immediately within 24 hours. 

But they had no idea where to give this a permanent bury to the her body.

So she was give a temporary bury for three days.

After three days her body was transferred back and buried 15 feets underground beneath the white platform where the Taj Mahal stands and given a permanent burial.

The real name of the monument is not Taj-Mahal. We only call it the Taj Mahal because we remember her, calling Mumtaz-Mahal.

So the name is half taken from her name or title.

Taj means crown, and Mahal means palace. Crown-Palace.

But people do get confused that why it is a palace when no one live here. Because it’s a mausoleum.

Just for the decoration, for the architect style we call it the Taj Mahal.

The real name of the monument is Roza-E-Mumtaz. Roza means a tomb, thus the name means Tomb for Mumtaz.

Map

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Agra Fort :  52HC+RC Rakabganj, Agra, Uttar Pradesh

Address: Agra Fort, Rakabganj, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282003, India

Timings

Agra Fort remains open all days

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East Gate

There are two gates to enter Taj Mahal.
1) East Gate
2) West Gate
As per the latest ASI (Archaelogical Survey of India) Notice (Hindi )
Opening Time : 30 minutes before sunrise
Closing Time : 30 minutes before sunset
 
Ticket Window for Entry Ticket :
Opening Time : 60 minutes before sunrise
Closing Time : 45 minutes before sunset
 
There is a South Gate as well  – that’s meant for Exit only
Opens: 8:00 am
Close: 5:00 pm
 
Taj Musuem
Opens: 9:00 am
Close: 5:00 pm

Entry Fee

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Taj-Mahal-Entry-Fee

As per the latest reports:

Entry Fee for:

Indian: Entry Fee Rs 50 + Rs 200 Extra for Visiting Main mausoleum

International: Entry Fee Rs 1100 + Rs 200 Extra for Visiting Main mausoleum

The ticket is valid for 3 hours.

You will be charged extra if you cross the 3 hours time limit.

The Taj Mahal is also set to put a cap of a maximum of 40,000 tourists per day.

Book Online Ticket to Taj Mahal: reports

How to Reach

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This is from the perspective of reaching Taj Mahal (Agra) from Delhi.

I will save your time here. Simply read: 4 easy ways to reach Agra

Image Gallery

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Some of the best hand picked images taken by our photographers. Immerse yourself in the beauty of the phenomenal beauty of the Taj Mahal and get acquainted to the different sections of the Taj Mahal Complex.

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Video Gallery

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Best Time to Visit

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morning-Taj-Mahal

Taj Mahal is an all season destination. Every year more than 8 million tourists visit it regardless of the weather conditions.

However, if you have the option of selecting the best time to visit Taj Mahal, then this section will answer that.

There  are 2 questions:

  1. One is, what is the best time to visit Taj Mahal, as in which Month, weather or period or the year?
  2. Second is, what is the best time to visit Taj Mahal during the day?

1. Best Time to Visit Agra – Taj Mahal

November to March  is the Best Time to Visit Taj Mahal

Why?

Weather during this time is very pleasant, in the sense that that the Sun heat does not bite you.  Period.

What if you happen to travel in other months?

Nothing to worry, just follow the chart below to know what to expect.

JanuaryCold, Pleasant during the day
FebruarySame as January, Pleasant
MarchWao Weather!
AprilI Can Feel the Heat
MayWarm..warm…getting warmer
JuneWarmest (46 degrees celcius)
JulySome Relief from Heat, as Monsoon approaches
AugustTip..Tip..Rain, High Humidity
SeptemberIt’s getting better, Its Hot during the day
OctoberWeather Turning Point, Warm to Cold. But It’s still Hot during the day.
NovemberWao! Extremely Pleasant
DecemberWao! with Slight Chill! Very Pleasant

2. Best Time to Visit Taj Mahal during the day.

7 am to 9 am

Early morning is the best time to visit Taj Mahal.

Why?

Less to negligible crowd.

No long entry queues.( this I am talking with reference to the entry ticket counter for the domestic tourists, International ticket counter is always short)

Pleasant weather, No scorching sun on your head.

Taj Mahal looks the most beautiful in the morning as sun rises and it’s rays touches the white marble of Taj Mahal, that creates an altogether a surreal experience.

Remember, Taj Mahal remains closed on Friday.

Agra Taj Mahal Tour from Delhi

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taj-mahal-trip-from-delhi

Most Tourists visit Taj Mahal from Delhi.

Why?

1. Almost all of the cities in India are well connected via flights, train & road with the capital of India – New Delhi.

2. Delhi happens to be one of the top tourist destination of India, for its monuments, museums, shopping markets and food zones.  Here’s a list of the most popular places in Delhi.

So if you happen to be one of them, you can opt for the following tours :

1. Taj Mahal Tour from Delhi (Rs 999)

Who should opt for this tour?

  • if you are looking for a group tour.
  • if you want to visit Mathura & Vrindavan along with Taj Mahal & Agra Fort at Agra. Read my travel story to know what to expect from the tour.
  • if you only have a day to spare

Timings : 6 am – 10 pm

Departure days: All days except Friday

2. 2 Days Delhi Agra Tour Package (Rs 1199)

Who should opt for this tour?

  • If you are looking for sightseeing tour of Delhi,
  • You have two days to spare.
  • You want to save some bucks.

This tour includes a one day Hop On Hop Off Tour of Delhi & one day tour of Taj Mahal by Volvo bus.

Timings: 7:30 am – 6:15 pm ( Hop On Hop Off Delhi Tour)

6:00 am – 10:00 pm ( Agra tour )

Departure days: Delhi – All days except Monday

Agra – All days except Friday.

Tips & FAQ

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Book the ticket online from the ASI website. Read the step by step guide to book the entry ticket online.

Hire approved guides & photographers who show their identity cards only.

Tobacco products, liquor, eatables (Toffees), head phones, knives, wire, mobile charger, electric goods (except camera), Tripods.

Yes, You can take photos also. No charges applicable.

But, No photography is allowed inside main mausoleum.

Yes, You can take photos also. No charges applicable.

But, No photography is allowed inside main mausoleum.

Photo ID like Passport, Driving license, Aadhaar Card.

Better avoid it, as it will unnecessarily increase the security check time.

Better avoid it, as it will unnecessarily increase the security check time.

Avoid touching & scratching the walls & surfaces of the monument as these are heritage sites and need special care.

Still camera is allowed after checking. However video camera is not allowed.

There is no dress code as such. Wear what you like.

Absolutely. It will be very crowded on weekends, especially during the travel season ( Nov – Mar). However, during off season July – Aug. You may find it relatively less crowded. So if you have choice go to Taj Mahal on weekdays. (Mon-Thu)

There are many shops in and around Taj Mahal. No matter from where you buy – bargain hard!

If you are single traveler (female) go for a group tour. HOHO Holidays operate One Day Taj Mahal Tour from Delhi ( All days except Friday). Visit for more details, Call/Whatsapp +918800799293

Why not! In fact many do visit Agra this way – that’s called Golden Triangle .

3 Nights and 4 Days is the minimum you need to do all three places. We recommend to go for a 4 Nights 5 Days to allow you see places at your own pace, without rushing. Specially if you are traveling with children and senior citizen.

No. There is no provision to book Taj at Night entry tickets online at the time of writing this. If you want to book one – you need to contact a local travel agent with your photo ids copy.

 

Yes. However, that does not mean you can not stay longer. You simply have to pay for the extra hours you stay while exiting through the gates. Read more here.

Yes, there are. You will find all the info here.

Book a Taj Mahal Tour

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Read the Tripadvisor & Google Reviews from real customers. We wish you a memorable Taj Mahal Tour !

– The HOHO Holidays Team

Know More

About the Author: Surojit Ghosh

At HOHO Holidays we simply like to bring to you the very best of North Indian Holiday destinations. If you ask me, my all time favorite travel destinations are Agra, Shimla, Manali, Nainital & Delhi. My Travel Mantra is “I travel because, there is so much to see and so little time!”

View all posts by Surojit Ghosh

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