Why to visit Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal, a famous structure and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of the most appreciated Mughal masterpieces in the entire world and is nothing less than poetry created in marble.
The Taj Mahal, unquestionably one of Agra's most well-liked sights, is a structure famed not just in India but also across the world. It was constructed by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan for his late wife Mumtaz and serves as a symbol of the emperor's intense love and sadness at her death.
History of Taj Mahal:
- The emperor's grief over Mumtaz's passing is claimed to have caused his hair to almost instantly turn grey.
- The Taj's construction started the following year, but the entire complex was not finished until 1653, despite the fact that the main structure is supposed to have taken eight years to construct.
- Shortly after completing it, Shah Jahan was deposed by his son Aurangzeb and imprisoned in the Agra Fort, where he would spend the remainder of his days only being able to look out at his creation through a window.
- Shah Jahan was buried here alongside his beloved Mumtaz after passing away in 1666.
Architecture at Taj Mahal:
- The Taj Mahal, a well acclaimed work of art, mixes Islamic, Persian, and Indian architectural elements.
- The 42-acre monument is surrounded on three sides by crenellated walls and on the fourth side by the Yamuna.
- Four minarets can be seen at each of the Taj Mahal's four corners of an elevated square base.
- The entrance to the symmetrical structure that houses the crypts is formed like an arch and is beneath a huge dome and finial.
Interesting Facts about Taj Mahal:
- To move building supplies for the Taj, a thousand elephants were employed.
- The jade and crystal came from China, the carnelian from Arabia, the lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, the turquoise from Tibet, the jasper from Punjab, the beautiful white marble from Makrana in Rajasthan, and the sapphire from Sri Lanka.
- About 28 different types of precious and semi-precious stones can be found in the marble's renowned inlay work.
Entrance Fee and Timings at Taj Mahal:
- For visitors from India, the entrance fee to the Taj Mahal is INR 45. It costs INR 535 to enter the Taj Mahal for residents of SAARC and BIMSTEC nations.
- Additionally, the Taj Mahal entry ticket costs INR 1050 if you are a foreign national. Children under the age of 15 do not have to pay an entrance fee, either for domestic or foreign visitors.
- Timings : 30 minutes prior to dawn and 30 minutes following sunset.Friday is a holiday.Only practising Muslims are allowed entrance to Taj Mahal on Fridays so they can attend the afternoon prayers.