Taj Mahal is the most visited monument in India so i wanted to decipher this magnificent mughal architecture from a unique perspective through my eyes.I wanted to witness this marvel during the best part of the day which magnifies the already beautiful monument more beautiful. Certainly sunrise is the best part of the day to showcase the beauty of Tajmahal when the premises are devoid of regular tourist and that the best time when the golden light of sun kissing this majestic Taj more charming.So after reaching Agra i booked a hotel which is nearest to the Taj vicinity so that i could reach it during the sunrise with ease.Here i come with my first travel trip to Tajmahal. The gates of Tajmahal will normally open after the sunrise preferably around 6:ooam during summers and 6:45am during winters.So be the 1st in queue so that you can enter before other regular tourists.Instead of spending the precious sunrise hours roaming near the garden do move into the vicinity of Tajmahal mosque which are present on both sides of the Tajmahal. From here one can witness the rays of sun piercing through the big arch of mosque with Taj in the backdrop.Indeed an unusual perspective of mighty Taj. So you are all alone to soak in the warmth of sun along with this gorgeous view of Taj. Check out the below images taken during the early hours and guess what Taj will be devoid of the tourist.
Photographers Tip : Avoid bringing tripod and hefty camera bags with lot of lenses as the security check personnel might object the entry and ask you to deposit those in luggage counter.This will take away some 30 mins of your precious time. Be wise by taking camera body along with minimal lens in small bag preferably some small backpack
Taj Mausoleum :
Once you have spend ample amount of time seeing Tajmahal from the mosque, one can move closer to Taj to have the close look at the of tomb of Shahjahan residing peacefully beside his beloved queen Mumtaz Mahal.The masterpiece idea of building Tajmahal was commissioned by Shahajahan to house the tomb of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The grandeur of the architecture of Taj can only be felt when we go on the podium where Taj is built.The Taj Mahal represents the finest and most sophisticated example of Mughal architecture with large white marble structure standing on a square plinth and consists of a symmetrical building topped by a large dome identical from four sides.Few images of Tajmahal close to the square plinth are shown below
Tajmahal Gardens:
Now that we have covered the tajmahal to the core,its time we moved towards the gardens of Taj. One of the highlights of tajmahal is its symmetrical garden which starts from the main gateway and ends near the squared base of the mausoleum.This garden which beautifies Taj is of Persian Timurid style.Since number four is considered as holiest number in Islam,equal importance has been given to this number and Garden of Taj Mahal are based on four or its multiples.The entire garden is divided into four parts, with two marble canals studded with fountains crossing in the center. In each quarter portion, there are 16 flowerbeds that have been divided by stone-paved raised pathways. It is said that even each of the flowerbed was planted with 400 plants.The symmetry with which the whole garden has been organized and laid out, can be clearly seen and experienced once we go to top of the mausoleum.This indeed makes this spot ideal for snapping photos.Now that government of India has put restriction of 3 hours one can spend inside the premises of Tajmahal from 2018,one can complete the above mentioned places within the stipulated time of 3 hours.
Local Cuisine :
Since the hold of Mughals in the city of Agra has been for long years they left undeniable imprints on Agra’s cuisine as well,so the real taste of authentic Mughlai cuisine can be found in Agra.As one might be pretty tired after going thorough the premises of Tajmahal,it might be ideal time to have some local cuisines for breakfast/lunch. Taj Ganj area has a number of eateries catering to budget travelers for both vegetarians and non-vegeterians.Bedhai,kachori,bhalla are the most common mouth-watering breakfast found in each and every corner of Agra.One can find several India's famous meat dishes prepared in Agra.You can tickle your taste buds with authentic taste of Kababs, which are pieces of meat marinated in spices and run over a coal tandoor.Few other dishes include tandoori chicken, seekh and boti kabab and tandoori fish.Some of the other famous eatables at Agra are its local sweets like petha and gazak, and saltish snack called dalmoth.Believe me the moment you step in Agra you will find petha literally everywhere.One can find different flavors of petha such as plain (white), Kesar(saffron),with nuts,pineapple, strawberry, mango and in variety of shapes. Once you have satisfied your tummy with the awesome local cuisines its time to head back to the hotel and take rest for a while as it will be scorching hot during the afternoon hours.
Boat Ride Along Yamuna River :
This is one of the least known spots in agra to enjoy the beauty of taj mahal along the yamuna river with sun setting against the backdrop of mighty taj. Though yamuna river is polluted to the core but a boat ride is a life time experience to watch out for.Once has to reach dashehara ghat to take a boat ride which will be towards the tajmahal eastern gate.Local villager rows the boat for about 10-15 mins along the yamuna river at the minimal cost of Rs 100 per person.Ideally i would recommend to take the ride during evening time as sun will be setting behind the taj making the scenes very pleasant to watch with cool breeze flowing around.Take a note that there will be only one boat and the ride depends upon the climatic conditions.Try avoiding the ride during the rainy season as its difficult to control the boat.
Tip : Don't hurry for the ride but wait till the sun is about to set down. Thats when the magical clouds and colors of sunset come into picture making the ride even more memorable.
Below are few of the images taken during the evening hours from dashehara ghat.
Once the daylight falls you can walk through the taj east gate road which is at walkable distance from dashehara ghat.One can do some shopping if they are interested in designed cutlery and home decorative stuffs.Street is filled with many restaurant to have the dinner.After finishing the dinner have a nice tajmahal dreams at your hotel:)
Mehtab Bagh :
Mehtab Bagh is another place in agra and most ideal place to witness tajmahal from a distant location.It lies to the north of Tajmahal on the opposite side of yamuna river.Over the course of time the floods and the local villagers have damaged the park to such an extent that it was left with the remains of ruined leftovers.Frequent floods have deposited the alluvial silt during early 90's.After it was taken over by ASI, they undertook restoration work to bring back its divine grandeur by planting more trees.According to the reports Shahjahan wanted to built a black tajmahal for himself in the vicinity of Mehtab bagh before he was taken as prisoner by Aurangzeb.
The best time to visit mehtab park is during early morning hours or during the sunset times.It about half an hour ride from tajmahal. The entry will be allowed from 6:30am onwards.There is a barbed wire at the edge of mehtab bagh and is under constant vigilance by security guards.If lucky one can spot deers running on the shores of yamuna river towards mehtab bagh.The place will be devoid of tourists during morning hours so you can find solace seeing the golden rays of sun kissing this magnificent architecture.I wanted to witness it both during the sunrise and sunset.Few images i had shot from mehtab bagh can be seen below
That pretty much sums up my journey in visiting the most gorgeous architecture of India.Hope you liked my perspective of this magnificent beauty through my eyes.Please let me know if the information you have read through as helpfull in planning your trip to Tajmahal.
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