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| Taj Mahal(From the Top) |
Location: On the banks of river Yamuna in Agra.
Year of Construction: 1631-1653
Built By: Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan
Built By: Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan
Spread Over: 42 acres
Significance: One of the Seven Wonders of the World
The Taj Mahal is the epitome of Mughal art and one of the most famous buildings in the world. Yet there have been few serious studies of it and no full analysis of its architecture and meaning. Ebba Koch, an important scholar, has been permitted to take measurements of the complex and has been working on the palaces and gardens of Shah Jahan for thirty years and on the Taj Mahal itself—the tomb of the emperor's wife, Mumtaz Mahal—for a decade.
The tomb is the representation of the house of the queen in Paradise, and its setting was based on the palace gardens of the great nobles that lined both sides of the river at Agra India. You will explore the entire complex of the Taj Mahal with an explanation of each building and an account of the mausoleum's urban setting, its design and construction, its symbolic meaning, and its history up to the present day.Taj mahal was built in 22 years (1631-1653) with the orders of Shah Jahan and it was dedicated to Mumtaz Mahal (Arjumand Bano Begum), the wife of Shah. 20.000 workers labored and 32 crore rupees were spent during the construction of the monument and it was built according to Islamic architecture. It is one of the Unesco world heritage site.
Facts About Taj Mahal:
Any person, visiting or planning to visit the Taj Mahal, is interested to know more about the Taj Mahal. There are many queries and questions about the Taj Mahal- who built the Taj, why was it built, when can I visit…in fact, there is no end to such queries. This section on the "Taj Mahal facts" is intended to provide you a quick knowledge about this great monument of love. Read on to get some quick information about Taj Mahal and Agra…
Year of Construction: 1631
Completed In: 1653
Time Taken: 22 years
Built By: Shah Jahan
Dedicated to: Mumtaz Mahal (Arjumand Bano Begum), the wife of Shah Jahan
Location: Agra (Uttar Pradesh)
Building Type: Islamic tomb
Architecture: Islamic
Cost of Construction: 32 crore rupees
Number of workers: 20,000
Highlights: One of the Seven Wonders of the World
A UNESCO World Heritage site
Timings: 6:00 am to 7:30 pm (Friday closed)
Fee: Rs 970 (Foreigners)
Rs 20 (Indians, during daytime)
Rs 110 (Indians, during sunrise and sunset).
In the following lines, we have mentioned some more Taj Mahal trivia:
Before his accession to the throne, Shah Jahan was popularly known as Prince Khurram.
Shah Jahan fell in love with the beautiful Arjumand Bano Begum and married her, making her his third wife.
Arjumand Bano Begum christened by Shah Jahan as Mumtaz Mahal, meaning the "chosen one".
Shah Jahan lost Mumtaz Mahal when she got giving birth to their 14h child.
It is believed that in her last breath Mumtaz secured a promise from Shah Jahan that he would construct the most beautiful monument in the her memory.
For the transportation of the construction materials, more than 1,000 elephants were made use of.
As many as 28 different varieties of semi-precious and precious stones were used to adorn the Taj with exquisite inlay work.
Before his accession to the throne, Shah Jahan was popularly known as Prince Khurram.
Shah Jahan fell in love with the beautiful Arjumand Bano Begum and married her, making her his third wife.
Arjumand Bano Begum christened by Shah Jahan as Mumtaz Mahal, meaning the "chosen one".
Shah Jahan lost Mumtaz Mahal when she got giving birth to their 14h child.
It is believed that in her last breath Mumtaz secured a promise from Shah Jahan that he would construct the most beautiful monument in the her memory.
For the transportation of the construction materials, more than 1,000 elephants were made use of.
As many as 28 different varieties of semi-precious and precious stones were used to adorn the Taj with exquisite inlay work.
How to Reach Taj Mahal :
BY AIR
Indian Airlines (Domestic Airline in India) runs daily flights from Delhi to Agra. Kheria Airport (Airport of Agra) is about 6 km from the Agra city centre and is easily accessible by taxis and auto-rickshaws at nominal rates.
BY RAIL / TRAIN
Agra is well connected by excellent train services to Delhi such as The Shatabdi Express (2 hrs), Taj Express (2.5 hrs), Intercity Express (3 hrs).
Railway Stations:
Agra Cantt Rly Stn
Raja-ki-Mundi Rly Stn
Agra Fort Rly Stn
BY ROAD
Express bus services (a/c and non-a/c) are available from Delhi, Jaipur, Lucknow, Gwalior, and Jhansi. For those driving to Agra, the distances are:
Mathura (Pilgrimage Destination) - 58 kms.
Bharatpur (Bird Sanctury) - 60 kms.
Gwalior (Historical Destination) - 118 kms
Delhi (Capital City of India) - 203 kms
Jaipur (Cultural & Historical Destination) - 236 kms.
Khajuraho (Historical Destination) - 393 km
BY AIR
Indian Airlines (Domestic Airline in India) runs daily flights from Delhi to Agra. Kheria Airport (Airport of Agra) is about 6 km from the Agra city centre and is easily accessible by taxis and auto-rickshaws at nominal rates.
BY RAIL / TRAIN
Agra is well connected by excellent train services to Delhi such as The Shatabdi Express (2 hrs), Taj Express (2.5 hrs), Intercity Express (3 hrs).
Railway Stations:
Agra Cantt Rly Stn
Raja-ki-Mundi Rly Stn
Agra Fort Rly Stn
BY ROAD
Express bus services (a/c and non-a/c) are available from Delhi, Jaipur, Lucknow, Gwalior, and Jhansi. For those driving to Agra, the distances are:
Mathura (Pilgrimage Destination) - 58 kms.
Bharatpur (Bird Sanctury) - 60 kms.
Gwalior (Historical Destination) - 118 kms
Delhi (Capital City of India) - 203 kms
Jaipur (Cultural & Historical Destination) - 236 kms.
Khajuraho (Historical Destination) - 393 km
