The
Mughal kings were not only powerful but had a great sense of refinement and
aesthetics too. The Taj, an iconic structure in the city of Agra (Uttar
Pradesh), is a worthy testimony to the fact. Visitors from all across the
globe arrive here to soak up the spectacular scenery at the Taj, especially
during sunrises and on moonlit nights. As a matter of fact, the grand
edifice boasts a distinctive charm at different hours of the day. The wild
passion of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and his love, in its purest form,
for his wife Mumtaz Mahal is evident in every corner of this splendid
mausoleum.
Glimpses From The Past
History records that Shah Jahan's wife Mumtaz Mahal was the most beautiful
and the most faithful of all the emperor's queens. Mumtaz was married to
Shah Jahan in 1612, and in the years that followed bore 14 children in all.
Since the time they got married, Mumtaz used to accompany the emperor almost
everywhere he travelled, even during the military campaigns. She stood by
him both in good and troubled times. And the emperor too had the queen
closest to his heart.
Shah Jahan was greatly affected and full of remorse when at Burhanpur in
1630, the wonderful queen of his left him desolate while giving birth to
their last child. Moments before the queen's departure to the hereafter,
emperor Shah Jahan promised her that he would erect the most wonderful
building on earth to set an example of their eternal love to the whole
world.
And
true to his word, Shah Jahan applied all his wealth and might to come up
with an edifice that was to be named the Taj Mahal meaning the 'Crown
Palace'. It was the effort of twenty thousands skilled labourers,
calligraphers and craftsmen and a genius like Ustad Ahmad Lahori that led to
the completion of this monument in all its splendour.
Architectural Attractions
Expert artisans from places like Persia, the Ottoman Empire and Europe were
called in as soon as the work began in 1631. The planing of the design is
accredited to Ustad Ahmad Lahori, an Indian architect of Persian ancestry.
The southwest bank of river Yamuna caught the emperor's eye and he chose the
place for this wonderful piece of work. The Taj complex can be divided into
the Darwaaza or the main gateway, the Bageecha or the garden, the masjid or
the mosque, the Naqqar Khana or the rest house and the rauza or the
mausoleum that remains inside the Taj.
The exclusive Mughal style of architecture has assimilated in itself
various elements of the Persian, the Central Asian and the Islamic
architecture. The magnificent dome in the middle has four 40-metre-tall
minarets on each of the four corners. The Quranic verses inscribed around
the archways and even the tomb and the minarets have an illusionary effect
on the beholder, keeping an excellent uniformity. Last but in no way the
least, the pietra dura artwork on the walls is worth gazing at.
Reaching There
You can take a bus, hire a taxi or an auto-rickshaw to get to the Taj Mahal
from anywhere in the city of Agra. The city's Kheria Airport has both
Government and private airlines operating to the key destinations of the
country. There are regular flights to Agra from places like Delhi, Khajuraho
and Varanasi. It is just 40 minutes air journey to reach Agra from Delhi.
The Agra Cantonment Station has regular express trains from Delhi. An
excellent highway connects Agra with the capital city of Delhi (204 km).
Agra Fort Bus Stand and the Idgah Bus Stand are the chief bus stations of
the city.
Best
Golden Traingle Tour (7D) 
