TAJ MAHAL IN INDIA

Taj Mahal - The Symbol of Eternal Love

There is no other monument in the world, which can match the beauty and grandeur of the Taj Mahal. Set amongst the serene ambience of a well laid out garden the massive marble structure of the Taj Mahal is awe-inspiring. It is more than 350 years since TajMahal was built, but it has not lost its romantic aura, which attracts millions of visitors towards it. It is because of this everlasting charm that the Taj Mahal can boast of being one of the most popular world heritage monuments on earth. The world is divided between those who have seen the Taj Mahal and those who have not.

Tajmahal acquires a different hue at different time of the day. One might have seen might have seen Taj 15 times but when you return back to see it 16th times, you will find it something different from the earlier visit. The Taj at noon, the Taj Mahal at sunset, under the full moon, against the setting sun, and against the rising ball of fire, each time the mausoleum acquires a different accent and tells a different story. It was a reminder of the love of a king for his queen Mumtaz Mahal who could inspire such a monument and also of the king himself who could sign his love across the horizon.

Agra - The chosen city for Taj Mahal
Agra was the chosen city of the Mughal emperors during the early years. It was here that the founder of the dynasty, Babur, laid out the first formal Persian garden on the banks of the River Yamuna. Here, Akbar, his grandson, raised the towering ramparts of the great Red Fort. Within its walls, Jehangir built rose-red palaces, courts and gardens. Shahjahan embellished it with marbled mosques, palaces and pavilions of gem-inlaid white marble. Agra is globally renown as the city of the TajMahal, a monument of love and imagination, that represents India to the world

The Taj Platform
The reign of Shahjahan from 1628 to 1658 was the golden age of Mughal architecture in India that produced a series of noble buildings. But, the most prominent and undoubtedly magnificent of all these was TajMahal built by him in the memory of his favorite wife Mumtaz Mahal.

Architecturally, Tajmahal was the greatest peace of architecture that Mughals produced, but it is a natural growth from the tomb of Humayun and to a lesser extent from certain other, prominent is the Tomb of Itmad-ud-Daulah in Agra itself. But it is far superior to any of them in the dignity of its grouping and disposition, in the masterly contrast between the central dome and the slender minarets, in the chaste refinement and painstaking craftsmanship of its details, and above all in the splendor of its materials.

The Attractions Around Taj

Agra Fort
Though Agra is more famous world over as the city of Taj, Agra Fort is another dimension to the city that attracts tourists in hordes. Built by Akbar in Red Sandstone when he was through with the consolidation of his power after accession to power in 1654, Agra Fort worked both as a military strategic point as well as the royal residence.

Fatehpur Sikri - Imperial Ghost City
The imperial city of the Mughal dynasty between 1571 and 1584, Fatehpur Sikri was built by Mughal Emperor Akbar. The architectural grandeur of this deserted city cannot be described in words and one can only experience the aura of its magnificent edifices by seeing them. Fatehpur Sikri is the most popular day excursion from Agra, the city of Tajmahal and capital of invincible Mughals for a long time.

Akbar's Tomb
Sikandra, Akbar's tomb in the former Lodi capital, is a grand affair, much under-rated in comparison to the Taj Mahal. Akbar started building his mausoleum in the true Timurid tradition, but the actual monument was completed by his son Jahangir. He pulled down most of the earlier structure and redesigned it according to his wishes and the result is more than impressive.