agra Taj Mahal of Introduction,History,Timings,Ticketing and Top 10 Interesting Taj Mahal Facts

Introduction of agra taj mahal
Taj Mahal in Agra is synonymous with India. The eternal beauty of the monument lies in its location, architecture and the feeling that went behind its construction. For times immemorial the Taj will stand as a symbol of eternal love. The Taj Mahal in India is a must visit for everyone at least once in a lifetime.The Taj Mahal finds its place amongst the 7 wonders of the World. It is definitely one of the most photographed and written monuments of the World. The majestic Taj Mahal attracts tourists from far and away. The architectural magnificence and aesthetic beauty of the Taj Mahal ensures that people return to see to time and again.
The great Mughal Emperor Shahjahan (1592-1666) got the Taj Mahal built over a period of 22 years. Besides the Taj Mahal he was the man behind other popular monuments Red Fort and Jama Masjid of Delhi. He brought about modifications in the Agra Fort too.
The architectural wonder of the Taj Mahal is a monument of love, purity and beauty that Shah Jahan had built in the loving memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. Thus, the Taj Mahal is essentially the mausoleum of the mughal Empress Mumtaz Mahal.
The Taj Mahal complex has a main gateway, an elaborate garden, a mosque and a prayer house besides the mausoleum. The extensive use of the marble and precious stones on the Taj Mahal make it a wonderful wonder.
Taj is the salute to the Indian womanhood that till date inspires people to love. In fact the beauty of Taj Mahal has inspired people, poets and painters. No words or pictures can do justice to the loveliness of the Taj. One has to see it to believe it and experience it to enjoy it.
Besides the Taj Mahal, Agra boasts of a number of tourist attractions such as Agra Fort, Sikandra, and Itmad-ud Daulah Tomb. Then there are various excursion options also possible from Agra including those to Fatehpur Sikri, Mathura and Vrindavan.
The best time to visit the Taj Mahal in Agra is in the winter months from October to March. The summer and the monsoon months are best avoided.
There are a number of luxury hotels in Agra that offer views of the Taj Mahal from their rooms. The best of facilities and the most efficient of services may be enjoyed at the luxury hotels around Taj Mahal.
Agra, the city of Taj is easily accessible through air, rail and road. Delhi the capital city of India acts as the main gateway to Agra. There are regular flights to Agra. Express trains from Delhi take you to Agra in less than two hours.

agra Taj Mahal of History

On the bank of River Yamsua, the third Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan immortalized his love for his beloved queen Mumtaj Mahal by constructing this marble wonder as a tribute to her, when she died during the birth of their fourteenth child. There is a controversy on the name of the chief architect of Taj but there are many sources, which propose the name of the Indian architect of Persian origin known as Ustad Ahmad Lahori for the credit. Its construction began in 1630 and master builders, architects, skilled masons and sculptors were imported from all over the world including Persia and Europe to contribute to the beauty of Taj. Twelve years of hard labor of about 20,000 laborers and millions of rupees went into its making. 
There are five main elements of the Taj complex - the main gateway or 'Darwazah', the garden with its ingenious waterways or 'Bageecha', the mosque or 'Maszid', the rest house or 'Naqqar Khana' and the main tomb building or 'Rauza'. The actual graves are kept inside while the cenotaphs are placed just above them to be viewed by the general public. The beautiful marble inlay work known as 'Pietra Dura' and the well-planned gardens of Taj with their water channels and lotus pools are some of the most impressive things to see here.

agra Taj Mahal of Timings

Timings:

Every Day, (except Friday), Sunrise to Sunset

Night, 8:30 PM to 12:30 AM (On Full moon night, two days before and two days after)

Day Fee:

Rs 750 (Foreigners)

Rs 510 (Citizens of SAARC and BIMSTEC Countries)
Rs 20 (Indian)
Entry Free for children below 15 years of age

Night Fee: 

Rs 750 (Adult, Foreign)

Rs 510 (Adult, Indian)
Rs 500 (Child 3-15 Years, Indian & Foreign)
Entry free for child below 3 years of age

The timings of visiting the Taj Mahal are set by the Archeological Survey of India. The Taj is opened all days of the week except for Fridays, when it is opened in the afternoon only for those who have to attend prayers at the Taj Mosque. The timings are from sunrise to sunset. Tickets are available throughout the day from the western and eastern gate, and at the southern gate tickets are available from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The tourists can spend any number of hours inside the Taj complex from sunrise to sunset.

Night viewing at the Taj Mahal, from 8:30 PM to 12:30 AM, is allowed only on five nights in a month: one, on the full moon night, two days before it and two days after it, except for Fridays. However, night viewing is limited to maximum 400 people per night, divided into eight batches of 50 each and each batch is allowed to visit for a maximum duration of 30 minutes. The tickets for night viewing have to be booked one day (24 hours) in advance from the booking counter located in the office of the Archeological Survey of India, Agra Circle, 22 The Mall, Agra, Uttar Pradesh in between 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

Top 10 Interesting Taj Mahal Facts

1. One of the most interesting Taj Mahal facts  is that the building will appear to be a different color depending on what time of day it is, and whether or not there is a moon at night.

2. The Taj Mahal is one of the most popular Agra tourist attractions, and the building was started in 1631 by Shah Jahan.

3. No Golden Triangle tours in India would be complete without a visit to the Taj Mahal. This building is recognized by people all around the world, even those who have never been to India.

4. Taj Mahal facts which are fascinating include the fact that all of the artisans and skilled workers had their hands removed when the building was finally finished. This was to ensure no other structure could compare to the magnificent Taj Mahal.

5. The construction of the Taj Mahal took twenty two years to complete, and required more than twenty two thousand workers who were brought in from all over. There were more than one thousand elephants that were used just to haul the materials needed.

6. Interesting Taj Mahal facts include the symmetry of the structure, which is perfect except for the interior tombs. Tradition dictated that the tomb for the male must be larger than the one for the female.

7. There are many Agra tourist places, and a popular one is the black marble base. This base was intended as a mirror image of the Taj Mahal, except for black marble being used in place of white, but the structure was never completed.

8. The Taj Mahal has been designated as one of the new Seven Wonders of the World, and it draws people from everywhere on the globe.

9. One of the really fascinating Taj Mahal facts has to do with the exterior pillars. These were placed at an outward tilt, so if an earthquake occurred the fall of the pillars could be controlled.

10. One of the less common known Taj Mahal facts is that many jewels and semi precious gems were used to decorate the structure. Over the years and through a number of wars and pillages these jewels were removed, but you can still see where they were.

Ticketing

ENTRY FEE FOR VARIOUS MONUMENTS IN AGRA Monuments For Indian Tourist For Foreign Tourist A.S.I. A.D.A. Total A.S.I. A.D.A. Total Rs. Rs. Rs. Rs. Rs. Rs. Taj Mahal 10 10 20 250 500 750 Taj Museum, Taj Mahal 5 Nil 5 5 Nil 5 Agra Fort 10 10 20 250 50 300 Fatehpur Sikri 10 10 20 250 10 260 Akbar's Tomb Sikandra 5 5 10 100 10 110 Mariyam Tomb, Sikandra 5 Nil 5 100 Nil 100 Ram Bagh 5 Nil 5 100 Nil 100 Itmad-ud-Daula 5 5 10 100 10 110 Mehtab Bag 5 Nil 5 100 Nil 100

Note-

Tourists are supposed to buy both the ASI and ADA tickets to visit the various monuments in Agra.

For All the monuments ASI Charges Indian fee from the nnationals of SAARC and BIMSTEC countries while no such provision has been made ADA tickets.

No entry fee for children below the age of 15 years (both Indian and Foreigner).

Taj Mahal is closed on every Friday.

Agra Development Authority (A.D.A.) does not levy any toll tax on Friday at any monument.

Ticket window & cloak room for Taj Eastern Gate are available at Shilpgram and Cloak room for Taj Western Gate is available at Taj Shopping Complex.

Agra Fort

UNESCO World Heritage site located in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is about 2.5 km northwest of its more famous sister monument, the Taj Mahal. The fort can be more accurately described as a walled city. After the First Battle of Panipat, in 1526 Mughals captured the fort and a vast treasure - which included a diamond later known as the Koh-i-Noor diamond - was seized.Babur stayed in the fort in the palace of Ibrahim and built a baoli (step well) in it. The emperor Humayun was crowned here in 1530. He was defeated in Bilgram in 1540. Sher Shah and his descendants held the fort for fifteen years. In 1555, Humanyun recaptured it for some time when the Hindu king Hem Chandra Vikramaditya defeated his army and captured the fort. Akbar defeated the Hindu King Hemu chanda finally at the Second Battle of Panipat in 1556.

Agra Fort was originally a brick fort, held by the hindu sikarwar Rajputs. It was mentioned for the first time in 1080 AD when a Ghaznavide force captured it. Sikandar Lodi (1488–1517) was the first Sultan of Delhi who shifted to Agra and lived in the fort. He governed the country from here and Agra assumed the importance of the second capital. He died in the fort at 1517 and his son, Ibrahim Lodi, held it for nine years until he was defeated and killed at Panipat in 1526. Several palaces, wells and a mosque were built by him in the fort during his period.

The 94-acre (380,000 m²) fort has a semicircular plan, its chord lies parallel to the river and its walls are seventy feet high. Double ramparts have massive circular bastions at intervals, with battlements, embrasures, machicolations and string courses. Four gates were provided on its four sides, one Khizri gate opening on to the river. It was built circa 1568 both to enhance security and as the king's formal gate, and includes features related to both.

 It is embellished with inlay work in white marble, proof to the richness and power of the Great Mughals. A wooden drawbridge was used to cross the moat and reach the gate from the mainland; inside, an inner gateway called Hathi Pol ("Elephant Gate") - guarded by two life-sized stone elephants with their riders - added another layer of security. 

The site is very important in terms of architectural history. Abul Fazal recorded that five hundred buildings in the beautiful designs ofBengal and Gujarat were built in the fort. Some of them were demolished by Shahjahan to make way for his white marble palaces. Most of the others were destroyed by the British between 1803 and 1862 for raising barracks. Hardly thirty Mughal buildings have survived on the south-eastern side, facing the river. Of these, the Delhi Gate and Akbar Gate and one palace - "Bengali Mahal" - are representativeAkbari buildings.