The Taj Mahal of Agra is one of the Seven Wonders of the World, for reasons more than just looking magnificent. The Taj Mahal more often meaning Crown of the Palace is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the south bank of the Yamuna river vast Mughal garden that encompasses nearly 17 hectares, in the Indian city of Agra.
It was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan to house the tomb of his cherished wife, Mumtaz Mahal.After an expenditure of approximately 32 million rupees, (Today that amount would be close to 1,062,834,098 USD) and 22 years to built what we see today.
Designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983, it remains one of the world’s most celebrated structures and a stunning symbol of India’s rich history. it has been chosen as the Seven Wonders of the World.
Changing mood of the Taj Mahal-
The Taj is pinkish in the morning, milky white in the evening and golden in the moon shines.The architect behind all the magic was Ahmed Lahauri. He put more than 20,000 people into building the Taj, including labourers, stonecutters, painters, embroidery artists, calligraphers, and many others. But, how were the stones and materials required for the construction of the mausoleum transported? Well, elephants were employed to do the task, and amazingly, there were more than 1,000 of the majestic creatures employed.
The interior chamber of the Taj Mahal reaches far beyond traditional decorative elements. The inlay work is not pietra dura, but a lapidary of precious and semiprecious gemstones.Taj Mahal has been structured combining various architecture styles like Indian, Persian, Islamic and Turkish.
The green Taj Garden-
The complex is set around a large 300-metre (980 ft) square charbagh or Mughal garden. The garden uses raised pathways that divide each of the four quarters of the garden into 16 sunken parterres or flowerbeds.
It is the most beautiful building made by the white marble. It is like a heaven of dream. It is designed in attractive way and adorned with royal beauty. It is one of the amazing Nature’s beauties on the earth.
There are graves of both, king and queen in a dark chamber under the dome. There are some rhymes written of Quran on the walls using multicoloured pieces of glass. It has four minarets situated at its all four corners in very attractive manner.
the timings of visiting the Taj Mahal-
The timings of visiting the Taj Mahal are set by the Archaeological Survey of India. The timings are from sunrise to sunset. Tickets are available throughout the day from the western and eastern gate, and at the southern gate tickets are available from 8:00 AM to 5:00 Pm.
Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays for general viewing and is opened on Friday afternoon only for those who have to attend prayers at the Taj Mosque.
Night viewing at the Taj Mahal-
Night viewing at the Taj Mahal, from 8:30 PM to 12:30 AM, is allowed only on five nights in a month one, on the full moon night, two days before it and two days after it, except for Fridays.
So come and experience the beauty of Taj mahal.