The
Taj Mahal or Crown Palace has become a symbol of India and all that is beautiful and wonderful in this great country.
Taj Mahal was build about four hundred years ago by a Muslim emperor in the memory of his third wife, who died during the birth of his fourteenth child.
Taj has become a symbol of love for lovers all around the globe.
Taj Mahal is simply a tomb of
Mumtaj Mahal and her grave lies in the basement of the building. Even Emperor Shah Jehan’s grave, on his death was added beside his beloved wife. A replica of both the graves is above on the ground floor of the building. So there are two sets of graves that are the centre of the focus of the entire building.
Taj is a poem in white marbles studded with gems and precious stones; it continues to enthrall millions of tourists from all over the world. The material to build the
Taj came from all over India and nearby countries of Asia. About one thousand elephants were deployed to transport the materials. While milky-white transparent looking marble had come from Rajasthan in India, for inlaying work jade, crystal, turquoise, cornelian, Lapis lazuli, sapphire came from other countries. The building took about twenty years to complete by a labor force of around twenty thousand people.
During India’s first war of Independence in 1857 British soldiers and officer looted the many inlayed precious stones and defaced the building. Later on some restoration work was again done by the British in 1908. Of course some of the precious stones have gone missing, but most of the building and the beautiful inlay work is still in great shape. And even today you can come to India and can see this wonder.
The best time to visit the
Taj Mahal for overseas tourists is from October to March. It is winter time in India and weather is pleasant. The best gateway is New Delhi. There are so many places to visit and see in India but if you are coming just to visit the
Taj Mahal one full day is sufficient.
From New Delhi, early in the morning, there are few good trains to take you to Agra and bring you back again in the evening. I do not see any necessity for you to fly from New Delhi to Agra, unless you have lots of money to blow. In the train itself tourist guide will come offering you bus tickets to take you around in Agra. Book with them, the buses will take care of you for the entire day and you will feel safe among a crowd full of families. Agra has many more surprises for you to see, but you will get enough time to see the
Taj in the coolness of the evening. You can take the same train on its return trip to New Delhi and fly back home. It would not cost you as much as you had thought. India is very reasonable and friendly. You are welcome my friend.
