The Taj Mahal of Agra is one of the Seven Wonders of the
World, for reasons more than just looking magnificent. It's the history of Taj
Mahal that adds a soul to its magnificence: a soul that is filled with love,
loss, remorse, and love again. Because if it was not for love, the world would
have been robbed of a fine example upon which people base their relationships.
An example of how deeply a man loved his wife, that even after she remained but
a memory, he made sure that this memory would never fade away. This man was the
Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, who was head-over-heels in love with Mumtaz Mahal,
his dear wife. She was a Muslim Persian princess (her name Arjumand Banu Begum
before marriage) and he was the son of the Mughal Emperor Jehangir and grandson
of Akbar the Great. It was at the age of 14 that he met Mumtaz and fell in love
with her. Five years later in the year 1612, they got married.
Mumtaz Mahal, an inseparable companion of Shah Jahan, died
in 1631, while giving birth to their 14th child. It was in the memory of his
beloved wife that Shah Jahan built a magnificent monument as a tribute to her,
which we today know as the "Taj Mahal". The construction of Taj Mahal
started in the year 1631. Masons, stonecutters, inlayers, carvers, painters,
calligraphers, dome-builders and other artisans were requisitioned from the
whole of the empire and also from Central Asia and Iran, and it took
approximately 22 years to build what we see today. An epitome of love, it made
use of the services of 22,000 laborers and 1,000 elephants. The monument was
built entirely out of white marble, which was brought in from all over India
and central Asia. After an expenditure of approximately 32 million rupees, Taj
Mahal was finally completed in the year 1653.
It was soon after the completion of Taj Mahal that Shah
Jahan was deposed by his own son Aurangzeb and was put under house arrest at
nearby Agra Fort. Shah Jahan, himself also, lies entombed in this mausoleum
along with his wife. Moving further down the history, it was at the end of the
19th century that British Viceroy Lord Curzon ordered a sweeping restoration
project, which was completed in 1908, as a measure to restore what was lost
during the Indian rebellion of 1857: Taj being blemished by British soldiers
and government officials who also deprived the monument of its immaculate
beauty by chiseling out precious stones and lapis lazuli from its walls. Also,
the British style lawns that we see today adding on to the beauty of Taj were
remodeled around the same time. Despite prevailing controversies, past and
present threats from Indo-Pak war and environmental pollution, this epitome of
love continuous to shine and attract people from all over the world.
The Taj Mahal, an embodiment of love and romance, is located in the city of Agra
that lies approximately 204 km to the south of Delhi. A UNESCO World
Heritage Site and one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the monument
attracts hordes of domestic and international tourists from all over the
world, all year round. Such is the magnetic appeal and charismatic
essence of the monument that visitors can never have enough of it ever
and would want to visit it time and again. In case you have made up your
mind to be enthralled by the excellence of this architectural
brilliance, and are planning a trip to explore the beauty of this
splendid monument, then the very first question that would come to your
mind in how to reach the Taj Mahal. We have devoted this section on
discussing various ways of traveling to the Taj Mahal in India.
By Air
The fastest way of reaching Taj Mahal, Agra is by air. The city of Taj, Agra, has its own airport that is around 7 km from the city center. Indian Airlines operates flights to Agra on a daily basis.
By Rail
There is a good network of trains connecting Agra with the rest of the country. Apart from the main railway station of Agra Cantonment, there are other two stations also, that of Raja-ki-Mandi and Agra Fort. The main trains connecting Agra with Delhi are Palace on Wheels, Shatabdi, Rajdhani, and Taj Express.
By Road
There are regular bus services from Agra to a number of important cities. The main bus stand of Idgah has a number of buses running for Delhi, Jaipur, Mathura, Fatehpur-Sikri, etc.
Local Transportation
After reaching the city also, you need some sort of local transport to reach Taj Mahal. You can easily get taxi, tempo, auto-rickshaw and cycle rickshaw in the city that will take you to your destination. Prepaid taxis are also available if you want to visit the various places near the city. For the adventurous kind, there are bicycles that can be hired on hourly basis from different parts of the city. Since diesel and petrol vehicle are not permitted in the vicinity of Taj Mahal area, you can find battery-operated buses, horse-driven tongas, rickshaws and other pollution-free vehicles there.
How to Reach Taj Mahal
By Air
The fastest way of reaching Taj Mahal, Agra is by air. The city of Taj, Agra, has its own airport that is around 7 km from the city center. Indian Airlines operates flights to Agra on a daily basis.
By Rail
There is a good network of trains connecting Agra with the rest of the country. Apart from the main railway station of Agra Cantonment, there are other two stations also, that of Raja-ki-Mandi and Agra Fort. The main trains connecting Agra with Delhi are Palace on Wheels, Shatabdi, Rajdhani, and Taj Express.
By Road
There are regular bus services from Agra to a number of important cities. The main bus stand of Idgah has a number of buses running for Delhi, Jaipur, Mathura, Fatehpur-Sikri, etc.
Local Transportation
After reaching the city also, you need some sort of local transport to reach Taj Mahal. You can easily get taxi, tempo, auto-rickshaw and cycle rickshaw in the city that will take you to your destination. Prepaid taxis are also available if you want to visit the various places near the city. For the adventurous kind, there are bicycles that can be hired on hourly basis from different parts of the city. Since diesel and petrol vehicle are not permitted in the vicinity of Taj Mahal area, you can find battery-operated buses, horse-driven tongas, rickshaws and other pollution-free vehicles there.
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