Taj Mahal

Someone rightly said, see the Taj and die and the Taj certainly surpasses this thought. Described as the most spectacular monuments ever built for love, Taj Mahal is the Agra fascination and greatest pride of India. One of the legendary Indian poet -Rabindranath Tagore described its beauty as "a teardrop on the face of eternity'. It was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as a memorial for his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died after giving birth to their 14th child in 1631. Around 20,000 workers devoted day and night to construct this magnificent monument.

Taj Mahal proved to be the costliest tomb ever build on this earth. Specialists were brought in from Europe and other Asian counties to produce the exquisite marble screens and pietra dura made with the thousands of semi precious stones. It is said that Shah Jahan also wanted to built a black Taj Mahal as a tomb for himself on the opposite side if the river Yamuna. Locals guides are found saying that he want to portray his negative image, when his own son Aurangzeb threw his son into the jail, but sadly he could not afford his grandiose plans.

The Taj is the monument of love, so its each and every detail has been conceptualized with at most care and meaning. The architects and builders made it a point not to confront the viewer with the mind boggling all at once. So they made the entry through a dazzling arched gateway inscribed with verses from Koran. The credit of designing this spectacular mausoleum goes to the architect Ustad Isa Khan Effendi from Iran. The best marble were transported from Makrana in Rajasthan, and the precious stones came from Afghanistan, Persia and Central Asia.

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Things to do and see

Tourists can kill time strolling the nature park (opened from 9 am to 6;30 pm), chasing the beautiful butterflies and spotting the various species of the birds, with the Taj hovering in the background.

The impressive invitation awaits the tourists as soon as they enter the Taj area. Although the pollution free motor cars are also available, but how can some one miss the rare opportunity of taking the enticing tonga ride on the tour to Taj Mahal. The biggest pleasure of taking a tonga ride is that that, it does not emit pollution like the other means of transport. You will find large number of tonga riders, you can choose from any one to take for the sightseeing tour. The tonga buggies are quite comfortable and are well decorated, giving you the feel of the royal era.

Although the camera and videos are permitted, but you cannot take the picture of the of the tombs inside the mausoleum. Some area are totally restricted for taking photographs. You can take your own camera or you can also hire the photographer,who can pick your picture from the right angle. The very idea of being photographed with your spouse before this marvelous monument can mesmerize you.

Taj Mohotsav is the ten day non stop carnival, that falls in the month of February every year. It is organised at Shilpgram near to the Taj Mahal. The major highlights of the mohotsav are rich art and craft work, traditional music and dance, as well as authentic Indian cuisine presented from different region of the country. It provides artisans the opportunity to portray their talent and display their exquisite work of art. The festival also includes other handcrafts items such as silk of Banares, handmade carpets of Badohi, woodcarvings of Saharanpur, chikan work of Lucknow, and blue pottery.