Taj Mahal

About Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal is **a love story written in white marble** — one of the most personal and extravagant monuments ever raised by one human being for another. When Arjumand Banu Begum, better known as Mumtaz Mahal, died in 1631 during the birth of her fourteenth child, the Mughal Emperor **Shah Jahan was said to have been so overwhelmed with grief that his hair turned white within months**. What followed was a **22-year building project that consumed much of the empire's treasury and the labour of over 20,000 craftsmen, architects, and workers** drawn from Persia, central Asia, and across India. The chief architect is believed to have been Ustad Ahmad Lahauri. The white Makrana marble used for the exterior was transported 300 kilometres from Rajasthan; semi-precious stones inlaid in the surface — **carnelian, lapis lazuli, malachite, jade — were sourced from as far as Tibet, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka**. The Taj Mahal sits within a formal Mughal garden — the charbagh — divided into four quarters by water channels that reflect the mausoleum's facade. Its proportions are so carefully calculated that **the building appears the same size from multiple vantage points within the complex**. The white marble surface responds dramatically to light: **the building appears pinkish at dawn, brilliant white at midday, and golden under moonlight** — an effect so deliberate that Shah Jahan is said to have observed it at different hours. UNESCO inscribed it as a World Heritage Site in 1983, and it was named **one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007**. It draws more than eight million visitors a year. The Taj Mahal is in Agra, in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, approximately 200 kilometres south of New Delhi. The best time to visit is **between October and March**, when temperatures are cool and skies often clear. **Sunrise visits — arriving at opening time — offer the most beautiful light and the smallest crowds**. Friday is the one day each week when the monument is closed to visitors. Agra itself contains two other outstanding Mughal monuments: **Agra Fort, a massive red sandstone citadel where Shah Jahan was imprisoned by his own son** in his final years, and the abandoned imperial city of Fatehpur Sikri, 40 kilometres west.

Highlights

• ✦ White marble mausoleum built 1632–1653 by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan
• ✦ Symmetrical gardens and reflecting pool
• ✦ One of the New Seven Wonders of the World

Practical info

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to enter the Taj Mahal?

Foreign visitors pay around ₹1,300, which includes a small bottle of water and shoe covers, while Indian nationals pay a much lower domestic rate of about ₹50. An extra ticket is needed to enter the mausoleum itself, on top of the main gate ticket, and cash or card payment options vary by counter.

Why is the Taj Mahal closed on Fridays?

It closes to tourists on Fridays because the mosque within the complex is used for congregational prayers, and only worshippers are admitted that day. Plan your Agra trip around this closure if a Friday falls in your itinerary.

Is it worth watching sunrise at the Taj Mahal?

Yes, most repeat visitors say it's the best option: the light turns the white marble soft pink and gold, temperatures are far cooler, and the crowds are noticeably thinner than midday. Gates open around sunrise, so arriving 30 minutes early secures a good spot near the reflecting pools.

How do you get from Delhi to the Taj Mahal without flying?

The Gatimaan Express covers Delhi to Agra in about 1 hour 40 minutes, making it easily doable as a day trip by train, though an overnight stay lets you catch both sunrise and sunset. Regular express trains take 2 to 3 hours and cost less than the Gatimaan.

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