When you first reach Agra, you may think it’s a crowded city with nothing particularly noteworthy. In fact, unless you remember that this city is home to the world’s most famous monument, everything around it seems very ordinary.
Many people have been attracted by the Taj Mahal’s beauty and atmosphere after seeing it in films, magazines, or books. As a result of this, it automatically becomes one of your top choices for places to visit in India, even if you’re not planning on visiting there right away.
In the words of an elegant poet, the Taj Mahal is like a teardrop on eternity’s face. Every year, more than twice as many people as live in Agra go to see the Taj Mahal. The Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan constructed the most magnificent tomb to commemorate his devotion to his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. This marble building should be on your bucket list if for no other reason than to see it.
Here are listed top reasons why you should visit Tajmahal at least one time in your lifetime
The Romance Factor for a couple
The Taj Mahal was constructed by Shah Jahan in memory of his second wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth in 1631 and left behind a large family. The Emperor’s love for his wife drove all of the work, time, and quality into the construction of this magnificent monument. With this in mind, as you stand in front of the Taj Mahal, you begin to feel a feeling similar to the Emperor’s passionate love.
This monument attracts a lot of visitors, particularly lovers, honeymooners, and couples looking for a romantic vacation. The best time to see the Taj Mahal’s exceptional beauty is at night.
Taj Mahal’s interior
The emperor’s and his wife’s real cenotaphs are buried below in a burial chamber. The ones at the very top are dummies to protect the body from being damaged by the attackers. During an earlier invasion of Agra, the attackers destroyed and burned the remains of Akbar’s Tomb (the tomb of Shah Jahan’s grandfather). In Islamic culture, it’s considered a disgrace. So as not to be disgraced, fake cenotaphs were placed and the real ones are kept in a secure room that is not open to the public.
The Mumtaz Mahal cenotaph is at the hall’s center, and everything else in the hall is symmetrical.
The dome’s ceiling is adorned with a bronze light. The lamp, it’s claimed, has silver and gold inlaid within it. Taj Mahal received it as a gift from Lord Curzon. Lord Curzon was in response to several of the Taj Mahal’s repairs. Lord Curzon reportedly couldn’t see the wall embellishments since the Taj Mahal was poorly illuminated when he arrived. He requested his craftsmen to make a light in the style of an antique Egyptian lamp from the Sultan Baibars I Mosque in Alexandria. This light was a two-year project.
Islamic law forbids the depiction of humans or animals in religious art on any building. As a result, there are carvings of wine, flowers, leaves, and other things all over the place.
Estimated Cost to Build Taj Mahal
You may be surprised to know that the monument is expected to cost 32 million rupees to construct. If converted to today’s money, this would be worth $827 million. According to legend, a thousand elephants were used in the building process, and every single component was brought from all over the globe.
Photography
In terms of photography, the Taj Mahal is a photographer’s dream. Photography is one of the main reasons to visit Tajmahal
Inside the facility, you are not permitted to produce professional-quality films. Prior permission is required from the Archaeological Survey of India office in Agra, which is situated at 22, Mall Road. It should be OK if you’re recording a video for a blog.Â
The most popular view of the Taj Mahal is the main entrance from outside
If you want to get a good picture of the monument at sunrise, go to the guesthouse on the east side. From this angle, the Taj Mahal will seem golden.
Visit Mehtab Bagh garden on the opposite side of the Taj Mahal to capture the symmetry of the area.
If you want to capture the intricate details of the monument’s exterior, go to the mosque on the west side of the structure and click Taj Mahal from there.
Visitors may visit the Taj Mahal complex five nights out of the month, according to the lunar cycle. There are three nights before and three nights following the full moon. It’s a beautiful moment to be alive right now.
Material of Taj Mahal
The city, which is littered with marble structures and palaces, has a lot to do with why this monument is considered a global wonder. The marble used in the construction of the building was imported from Rajasthan, where it was quarried. They have a symmetrical mosque and guesthouse structures within. The beautiful mosaic pattern is the place’s unique selling point.
The building was decorated with semi-precious stones and unique jewels that were sent in from all around the globe. Parchin Kari is the name given to the technique of decorating mosaics with semi-precious stones. Shah Jahan allegedly had an extensive understanding of gemstones, both precious and semi-precious.
The Southern Gate or the main gateway
 at the entrance, your first view will be of the main gates, which dominates your peripheral vision. It’s known as the ‘gate of the mausoleum’ or Darwaza-i-Rauza, and it’s a significant part of the monument. The South Gate is also the Taj Mahal’s primary entrance, as the name implies.
The red sandstone-covered bricks that make up the gateway. The gateway is framed by Arabic calligraphy that contains Quranic quotations inviting visitors to enter the Paradise Gardens. The quotes are etched in black stone onto white marble.
