The Taj

taj mahal- place of the crown

One of the seven wonders of the world, in the heart of the city of Agra is the majestic Taj Mahal, spreading eons of charm, undwindling delight and reminiscent of pure love and dedication.

The white colour of the monument perhaps ensembles love in its purest form and its view in charming full moon nights is a ride through fairyland changing colours from the pearly pink at dawn and opalescent by moonlight. It was dedicated by mughal emperor Shahjahan in the memory of his loving wife Mumtaz, whose grave lie inside the monument. The grave lies a level below the main chamber, which contains the cenotaphs of shahjahan and mumtaz.

The taj mahal built entirely with white translucent marble and surrounded by four rounded pillars or minarets is situated in the river banks of river Yamuna. It took 22 years and 20000 workers to re-furbish this monument under the principal architecture ship of Ustad Isa, whose one of his fingers were chopped so that he cannot re-create a masterpiece again, like the taj.

Masons, craftsmen, sculptors, and calligraphers were brought from Persia, the Ottoman Empire, and Europe to work on this masterpiece. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.

There is a small water body in front of the taj, the source of which is the river yamuna. It is surrounded by beautiful pine trees and a magnificent garden. The taj stands on a raised, square platform with its four corners truncated, forming an unequal octagon. It has a dome in the centre of it.

The entire mausoleum is decorated with the design of flowers and calligraphy using precious gems and stones such as agate, jasper, jade, crystal, turquoise, sapphire and carnelian, gives a captivating charm to its beauty. The interior of the building is dimly lit through pierced marble lattices and contains a beautiful display of carved marble.

The taj mahal has been invaded many times and has lost quite some shine due to this. It is believed that the cenotaph of mumtaz was covered by a blanket of embedded pearls in it, which is no longer there, as also many other precious items and jewels inside and outside of the monument.

In the words of poet Rabindranath Tagore ‘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 cheek of time...’

Inspired by dedication and shaped to perfection, the Taj Mahal immortalizes love and the splendor of an era.


NB: There seems to be a little controversy under whom this building was originally built with historical records  not giving any conclusive evidence relating to the same and diverse opinions coming out relating to the structure of the building. It is widely believed this structure was built somewhere in the 11th century with Shah Jahan re-designing it in the memory of Mumtaz.

Travellers Info:

To visit Tajmahal, you need to go to Agra in Uttar Pradesh. You can also visit directly from Delhi which is about 200 kms from Agra and takes around 5 hours.

By Air: The fastest way of reaching Taj Mahal, Agra is by air. Agra, has its own airport with major airlines operating flights to Agra on a daily basis. Or you can come to Delhi which is well connected from anywhere in India and the world and then take another flight to Agra by a domestic airline or hire a Cab/ Jeep to Agra or travel by train.

By Rail: There is a good network of trains connecting Agra with the rest of the country. Apart from the main railway station of Agra Cantonment, there are other two stations also, that of Raja-ki-Mundi and Agra Fort. For a bit more of luxurious train journey, from Delhi you can board the Palace on Wheels, Shatabdi, Rajdhani, and Taj Express.

By Road: There are regular bus services from Agra to a number of important cities. The main bus stand of Idgah has a number of buses running for Delhi, Jaipur, Mathura, Fatehpur-Sikri, etc.

Local Transportation: You can easily get taxi, tempo, auto-rickshaw in the city that will take you to the Taj. Prepaid taxis are also available if you want to visit the various places near the city. For the adventurous kind, there are bicycles that can be hired on hourly basis from different parts of the city. Since diesel and petrol vehicle are not permitted in the vicinity of Taj Mahal area, you can find battery-operated buses, horse-driven tongas, rickshaws and other pollution-free vehicles there.  

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