- Introduction
- History of Taj Mahal Agra.
- Location of Taj Mahal Agra
- How to reach Taj Mahal Agra?
- How did I reach Agra?
- Hotels near Taj Mahal Agra
- Where did I stay?
- Best time to visit the Taj Mahal Agra
- Timings to Visit Taj Mahal Agra
- Entry Ticket Fee for Taj Mahal Agra
- Is a Camera allowed in the Taj Mahal?
- What is not allowed in the Taj Mahal?
- Is tour guide necessary and what will be the price?
- How was my experience?
- Conclusion:
Introduction
Taj Mahal, Agra one of the seven wonders in the world is a classic tale of the declaration of love by an Indian Mughal Emperor Shahjahan for his beloved wife, Mumtaz. This artistic marvelous masterpiece was built by Shahjahan after the death of his wife during childbirth, as a token of love in her memory.
In the first part of my blog on Agra, I will focus only on the Taj Mahal. I have designed this blog in FAQ format to make things easily understandable for you.
History of Taj Mahal Agra.
Taj Mahal is located in the center of Agra city and it can be accessed by four gates. The construction of the Taj Mahal was started in 1631 and completed in 1653.
It was built by Shahjahan the, the 5th Mughal Emperor of the Mughal Dynasty.
It took 22 years and 32 crore Indian rupees (at that time) to complete this wonderful symmetrical structure.
Taj Mahal was declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1983.
Location of Taj Mahal Agra
Taj Mahal is nestled in the Agra city of Uttar Pradesh state in Northern India. Taj Mahal, Agra is situated on the famous golden triangle of India.
Taj Mahal complex consists of an ornamented gateway, symmetrical arranged 16 lush green gardens, a beautiful water system, and a mosque.
Yamuna river passes through the backside of the Taj Mahal.
How to reach Taj Mahal Agra?
Taj Mahal Agra is well connected with all the three means of transportation & you can easily reach here by choosing any one of these means:
By road: Agra city is well connected by road and it is at the distance of only 230 km from Delhi, the National capital of India. Bus service/ taxi/ cab service is easily available from Delhi and Bus is the cheapest way to reach Agra. It will take only 4 hours to reach here. You can book your bus tickets through the Redbus app/website.
By Air: The nearest airport is Indra Gandhi National Airport, New Delhi which is around 240 Km away from Agra. There is no airport in Agra City. You can book your tickets through Makemytrip.com or IXIGO app which I personally use.
By Railways: Agra is well connected with Trains. A number of trains pass through Agra fort railway station and Agra Cantt station. You can easily book a train from Delhi to Agra and it will take only 4 to 5 hours to reach here. Railways are the cheapest way to reach Agra. For more information and booking the train, you can visit the official website of IRCTC or download the app IXIGO.
How did I reach Agra?
Taj Mahal is situated at a distance of only 400 km from Patiala, my hometown. I started my journey from Ambala Cantt station of Haryana state because there was no direct train available from Patiala City as per my schedule.
It took me around 8 hours to reach Agra from Ambala. I spent two days and one night in Agra to visit the famous tourist spots.
Hotels near Taj Mahal Agra
The best place to stay in Agra is to book your hotel near one of the gates of the Taj Mahal Agra entrance. So that you can access it by walking in the morning or late evening time. All types of hotels are available here starting from 2-star to 5-star category. You can book your stay according to your budget.
Booking.comWhere did I stay?
I booked my hotel near the West Gate of the Taj Mahal. The name of my hotel was “Hotel Sidhartha”. It is situated just near the entrance of the west gate of Taj Mahal and the Entrance gate is hardly a two-minute walk from the hotel.
The hotel was wonderful and within budget. I booked this hotel through the booking.com app and it costs me only 1300 INR for one night.
The staff was cooperative and friendly. Their service was quick.
The room condition was very good and the washrooms were clean. There was also the availability of air conditioning and warm water in the washroom.
The food was also tasty and hygienic. Actually, there is a restaurant in this hotel where you can enjoy any type of food however this hotel is totally vegetarian.
I would like to rate this hotel 9 out of 10 on the basis of location and 8 out of 10 in other facilities.
Best time to visit the Taj Mahal Agra
I would suggest you plan your visit either in the month of November or in the Month of February as the weather will be pleasant during this time period. Otherwise, you can plan your visit from in any month from October to March.
If you will visit in the off-season then there will be a scorching heat that will make you tired and the journey would not be pleasant. The weather remains hot for the rest of the months and in the peak winter months (December and January) fog will be there.
The best time of the day to visit the Taj Mahal Agra is in the early morning i.e at the time of Sunrise as the Taj Mahal looks like a blooming flower when the morning rays of the sun fall and turn it into a reddish colour.
Moreover, by visiting at this time, you can avoid the crowd and can take beautiful pictures of the Taj Mahal Agra. Sunset is also a good time to visit the Taj Mahal, Agra.
The crowd starts growing after 10:00 am and it is at its peak in afternoons.
Usually, it takes only 2 to 3 hours to completely explore the Taj Mahal.
Timings to Visit Taj Mahal Agra
The timings of the Taj Mahal Agra are from 6:00 am to 6:30 pm. Once entered you can remain here from one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset.
It remains closed on Friday only.
Taj Mahal looks fabulous in the full moonlight. If you are interested to visit the Taj Mahal in full moonlight then you will have to book tickets separately for this night’s show which is costlier and timings are from 8:30 pm to 12:00 am.
Taj Mahal is allowed to open for 5 nights only in a month, one on full moonlight and 2 nights before and after full moonlight.
Entry Ticket Fee for Taj Mahal Agra
It will cost you only 50 INR per person if you are Indian or
540 INR if you belong to n SAARC/BIMSTEC nations.
The price for foreigners/NRI is 1100 INR.
For visiting the main mausoleum of the Taj Mahal, one has to buy an additional ticket costing INR 200 along with the regular ticket.
You can easily book tickets in advance online for Taj Mahal by visiting this official link: https://asi.payumoney.com/#/
Click here to see more pictures of the Taj Mahal, Agra:
Is a Camera allowed in the Taj Mahal?
The camera is allowed inside the Taj Mahal. But you can’t take any eatable items with you. To do videography, you have to pay 25 INR.
What is not allowed in the Taj Mahal?
There are certain items that are not allowed inside the Taj Mahal including food, headphones, backpack, cigarettes, lighter, matchstick box, and tripods.
There is no entry fee for children below 15 years (both Indian & Foreigner).
Only online ticketing is available, no manual tickets are there at present.
Ticket windows and cloakrooms are available at both the Gates of the Taj Mahal.
Is tour guide necessary and what will be the price?
If you want to know about the historical and architectural details of the Taj Mahal Agra then you can book a tour guide for this. They will charge you around 300 to 400 INR.
At first, they will ask for the 700 INR but you can negotiate with them for the best price.
The guide will help you take the best pictures inside the Taj Mahal and can also take your photographs. He will also tell you about the best sites from where you can click the best memorable shots.
Moreover, you can skip the long entrance queue as you can enter through the VIP entrance with the help of your local tour guide. So, I would recommend you hire a tour guide for a complete exploration of the Taj Mahal Agra.
How was my experience?
As I reached in the morning, so I made a visit to the Taj Mahal in the afternoon around 1’o clock. It was fully crowded at that time. As I was not able to click beautiful pictures on this day so I made another visit on the 2nd day from 6:00 am to 9 am. During this time period, I was able to capture some beautiful shots of the Taj Mahal during Sunrise. There was very less crowd at this time.
Conclusion:
Taj Mahal is the wonderful architecture of the world which is totally hand-made. The height of the Main Taj Mahal building is 243 Feet and it looks huge as compared to in pictures. One must visit this place once in his/her lifetime.
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