note that the Taj Mahal is closed every Friday

The Taj Mahal is an immense mausoleum of white marble, built between
1631 and 1648 by order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of
his favourite wife. Taj Mahal means Crown Palace ; one of the wife's
names was Mumtaz Mahal, Ornament of the Palace . The Taj is one of the
most well preserved and architecturally beautiful tombs in the world,
one of the masterpieces of Indian Muslim architecture, and one of the
great sites of the world's heritage.
The Taj Mahal has a life of its own that leaps out of marble, provided
you understand that it is a monument of love. The Indian poet
Rabindranath Tagore called it a teardrop on the cheek of eternity ,
while the English poet, Sir Edwin Arnold, said it was Not a piece of
architecture, as other buildings are, but the proud passions of an
emperor's love wrought in living stones. It is a celebration of woman
built in marble and that is the way to appreciate it.
Although it is one of the most photographed edifices in the world and
instantly recognisable, actually seeing it is awe-inspiring. Not
everything is in the photos. The grounds of the complex include
several other beautiful buildings, reflecting pools, and extensive
ornamental gardens withflowering trees and bushes, and a small gift
shop. The Taj framed by trees and reflected in a pool is amazing.
Close up,large parts of the building are covered with inlaid
stonework.
There is an apocryphal tale that Shah Jahan planned to build an
exactcopy out of black marble on the opposite side of the river. His
plans were foiled by his son, who murdered three elder brothers and
overthrew his father to acquire the throne. Shah Jahan is now buried
alongside hiswife in the Taj Mahal.
If you are taking a camera, beware that because the Taj is white your
camera may underexpose your photos. If it is a film camera you will
not find out until it is too late. Overexposure by 1 or 2 stops is
recommended.
The Taj is open from 6:00 AM to 7:30 PM every day except Friday .
Entry costs₹250 (plus levy of ₹500) for foreigners and ₹20 for
Indians. Get there as early as possible to beat the crowds (but note
thatthe gates won't open until at 6AM at the earliest - often a few
minutes later, so don't bother getting there at 5AM), and plan to
visit the Taj at least two different times during the day (dusk and
dawn are best) in order to experience the full effect of changing
sunlight on the amazing building. It is also utterly stunning under a
full moon. You can also get very good views from Mehtab Bagh (see
Gardens section below).
To buy tickets, you can go to the South gate, but this gate is 1 km
far awayof the entrance and the counter opens at 8:00 AM.At the West
and East gates, the counters open at 6:00 AM. These gates also have
smaller queues in peak times as the big tour buses drop groups off at
the South gate. Alongside the ticket counter, you can also purchase a
self-guided audio tour (allows two toa device) for ₹100 in English and
foreign languages and ₹60 for Indian languages.
The Taj is located pretty much in the middle of town. Expect a line to
getinto the grounds. There are three gates. The western gate is the
main gate where most tourists enter. A large number of people turn up
on weekends and public holidays and entry through the western gate may
take hours. Thesouthern and eastern gates are much less busy and
should be tried on such days.
There are night viewing sessions on the nights of a full moon and the
two days before and after (so five days in total). Exceptions are
Fridays (the Muslim sabbath) andthe month of Ramadan. Tickets must be
purchased 24 hours in advance, starting at 10am, but do not always
sell out, so it can be worth looking into it when you arrive even if
well after 10am. Tickets only allow viewing from the red sandstone
plaza at the south end of the complex, and only for a 1/2 hour window.
Make sure to wear mosquito repellent.
It is a good idea to bring a flashlight, because the interior of the
Taj Mahal is quite dark (even during the day) and to fully appreciate
the details of the gem inlays, you need a good light.
Taj Mahal can also be seen during Night 2 days before and 2 days after
full moon in all 5 days including full moon, the booking has to be
made 24 hours in advance fromArcheological Society of India office
situated at 22, Mall Road, Agra. Ticket fare is Rs. 500 for Indian
Nationals and Rs. 750 for Non Indians. The viewing hours for night
viewing is from 8:30 pm to 9:00 pm and 9:00 pm to 9:30 pm. A visitor
has to reach 30 mins prior to viewing hours for security check at Taj
Mahal Ticketing counter on East Gate of Taj Mahal or he may loose his/
her chance. The Night View isnot worth spending as the visitors are
kept quite far from Taj Mahal nearly 200 Mts away and there in no
light so it could hardly be seen during night hours at viewing hours.
Cameras also do not give images with near zero flux can easily be
avoided for night viewing.

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

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