Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal is located on the right bank of the Yamuna River in a vast Mughal garden that encompasses nearly 17 hectares, in the Agra District in Uttar Pradesh. It was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal with construction starting in 1632 AD and completed in 1648 AD, with the mosque, the guest house and the main gateway on the south, the outer courtyard and its cloisters were added subsequently and completed in 1653 AD. The existence of several historical and Quaranic inscriptions in Arabic script have facilitated setting the chronology of Taj Mahal. For its construction, masons, stone-cutters, inlayers, carvers, painters, calligraphers, dome builders and other artisans were requisitioned from the whole of the empire and also from the Central Asia and Iran.Ustad-Ahmad Lahori was the main architect of the Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal is what many in the world visualize when the think of India. This sublime structure erected on wishes of Shah Jehan, in commemoration of his beloved wife Mumtaj Mahal is the greatest and most awe inspiring monuments of love. Build entirely of marble, Taj Mahal was famously referred to as 'a teardrop on the cheek of time' by the Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.

The rigor of a perfect elevation of astonishing graphic purity is disguised and almost contradicted by the scintillation of a fairy-like decor where the white marble, the main building material, brings out and scintillates the floral arabesques, the decorative bands, and the calligraphic inscriptions which are incrusted in polychromatic pietra dura in the construction of Taj Mahal. It definitely rates high among top destinations in world to visit before you die.

Built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan to commemorate her beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, Taj Mahal is the benchmark monument of the Agra city. It is voted as one of the Seven Modern Wonders of the World. It took 22 years and 20000 workers to complete this awe-inspiring landmark which commemorates love of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan for his beloved wife.

Standing on the bank of Yamuna and overlooking the Agra Red Fort, Taj mahal was built in memory of Mumtaj Mahal in 1637. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Taj Mahal is the magnum opus of the fusion of Saracen, Islamic and Indian architecture.Centre of this monument is the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal. The tomb is flanked by the four minarets. The main chamber has the false sarcophagi of Mumtaj Mahal and Shah Jehan, whereas the original graves are in the basement of the tomb.

The interiors of the tomb as well as the sarcophagi is exquisitely carved in Persian tradition of architecture and are a joy to behold. The interiors is also adorned with jewels and paintings which add to the remarkable architectural pattern. Taj Mahal is nestled admist the 300 meters of lush Mughal Garden. A marble water tank in the center of the garden offers a stunning reflection of the mausoleum.