A trip to India is incomplete without a visit to the Taj Mahal situated in Agra, Uttar Pradesh. As narrated by honorable Rabindra Nath Tagore, “a teardrop on the face on eternity”, Taj Mahal is unquestionably a crown of Mughal Architecture. Taj Mahal is one of the Seven Wonders of the World and one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites Words can never do justice to the beauty of the Taj Mahal. One has to visit the beautiful white marble mausoleum to adore its incredibility. Our Taj Mahal guide will help you luxuriate in the allurement of the Taj Mahal better.
History
Believed to be a symbol of eternal love, the Taj Mahal was built by the fifth Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan to enshrine the body of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal location was decided to be 200 kilometers away from Delhi. The perfection with which it is built is jaw-dropping. It took 22 years and 20,000 workers from all over Asia to be built completely.
Mumtaz Mahal left the world while giving birth to her fourteenth child. The emperor was shattered by her death and that time he set out to build an exceptionally beautiful structure in her memory. The white marble was used to build the Taj Mahal was specially brought from a small place in Rajasthan. When the emperor died in the year 1666, his body was also enshrined alongside his wife in the tomb.
Ideal Time to go to Taj Mahal
The perfect time to visit the Taj Mahal is from October to March as it is the winter season in India. In summers, it becomes unbearably hot.
Taj Mahal tour takes you to the site of the significant charm of the country. Taj Mahal gradually changes its color according to the light of the day. It appears to be miraculously different at the break of dawn as well as during full moon night. Visiting there around sunrise is worth the effort and helps to avoid huge crowds.
There is a special arrangement for the visitors who wish to see the Taj Mahal on a full moon night. Night viewing is permitted for five days in a month which are the full moon night, two days before and after the full moon respectively. Tickets for night viewing can be availed from the office of Archaeological Survey of India, Agra from 10 A.M to 6 P.M.
Visiting Hours
The tourists are allowed to enter the Taj Mahal premises from 6 A.M till 7 P.M. The night-viewing of the Taj Mahal is permitted from 8.30 P.M to 12.30 A.M. During the holy month of Ramadan, the facility of night view remains closed.
Taj Mahal is closed on every Friday and only accessible to Muslims for afternoon prayer.
Entry Fees to be paid at Taj Mahal
If you are an Indian Visitor, then you have to pay Rs. 50 per person as an entry charge. However, if you are a foreign tourist then the entry ticket costs you Rs. 1,100 per person. If one is paying digitally, then they are also offered some discounts on the ticket price.
The entry ticket of foreigners includes a water bottle, a detailed tourist map of Agra city, shoe covers and golf cart or bus services to the entry gate of the Taj Mahal.
The price of night-view tickets is Rs. 510 for Indians and Rs. 750 for foreigners for a half-an-hour visit.