Taj Mahal Travel Guide For An Explorer

The Taj Mahal journey will start in Delhi. Book a hotel and spend the day sightseeing in Delhi. Use MakeMyTrip and Goibibo to book your hotel tickets. Get an All India SIM too. The price will be around ($7) 500 Rupee with 1.5GB internet per day. You can book the “Ho Ho” bus to see throw Delhi which will cost ($15) 1000 Rupee but the entry fee of the sights are omitted.

Transportation

There is an early Agra train name Taj Express from Delhi. It departs from Delhi at 6:45 and fare is not more than ($3) 200rupee per chair. It will reach within 1 hour. There are also available buses from Delhi to Agra. There are many tourist Agency in Delhi who offers packages for whole day Agra tour.

But you can enjoy in peace if you choose to go by yourself. You can take an auto(transport) for 10 Rupee from the Agra cantonment railway station to Taj Mahal. It will be better if you hire the auto for the whole day, which will cost around ($30) 2000tk or less. Make sure you eat before entering the Taj  as it is not allowed to take Best Quality food inside it.

Entry Fee

Taj Mahal fare is ($15) 1050 rupee for the foreigners. There are three gates to go inside the Taj Mahal. Eastern gate is recommended as it involves a walk through the Great Gate. It is also called Darwaza-i-rauza, and the gate itself is a remarkable example of Mughal architecture in India. It offers a great first glimpse of the Taj Mahal.

History

Let’s see through what is the history behind this renowned mausoleum. 5th Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan built the Taj to resembled the after death paradise home of his love Mumtaz Mahal. Among his many other wives, he loved Mumtaz the most. She gives him fourteen children and died during the delivery of the 14th children Gauhar Ara Begum.

Shah Jahan becomes so sad that he mourns for years and folk-tale says his hair turned grey too. Shah Jahan decided to build the most magnificent marvel mausoleum world has ever seen. Architecture from around the world is gathered for its design and Turkey Ustad Ahmad (a.k.a Isa Khan) become the most credited one.

Main Architecture

The Architecture of Taj combined not only Mughal but Persian, Indian, Ottoman, Turkish art elements. 22 years, 20,000 worker and 1000 elephants were the accounts of building the finest testimony of love. The construction started in 1632 A.D and ended in 1648 A.D. The four minarets of the Taj are slightly outward so that in case of collapse they will fall outward.

World Heritage

UNESCO designated the Taj Mahal as World Heritage in the year 1983, and it is also one of the seven wonders of the world. The main mausoleum ticket fee is not included with the entry ticket fee. You need to pay additional ($3) 200 rupees if you want to see the main mausoleum. Shah Jahan is also buried in Taj Mahal beside Mumtaz tomb.

Restriction

It is strictly prohibited to take pictures or videos inside the main tomb. The main structure is 80 meters tall while the main tomb itself is 40 meters tall. The interior of the Taj Mahal is more beautiful. You also need to put a shoe cover to get inside the tomb. The Taj Mahal main attraction is its sunlight reflection on the marvel dome, which changes its colour from time to time.

Annual Visitors

It is said that the Taj changes its colour more often than a woman mood. More than 7 million people visited Taj Mahal every year. You can also capture your moments by a photographer. They usually charge ($30) 2000 rupee per 20 pictures with the digital copy. After spending, a few hours on the Taj, go to Agra Fort where Shah Jahan was imprisoned for eight years by his son.

Other Places Beside Taj Mahal

You can also see Taj from there like the way Shah Jahan used to see in his last days. Agra fort is enormous so to see it in a proper way it is better to take a guide. It will cost you not more than ($2) 100 Rupee, and the Agra Fort entry fee is ($1) 40 rupee if you have already purchased Taj ticket for the day. The regular entry fee is ($8) Rs.550.

There is also a garden on the other side of the Taj Mahal known as Mehtab Bagh. If you want to enjoy Taj Mahal from another angle, then visit this garden too. Babur around 1500s built the garden. It was recently restored as it lost its beauty by the flood in 1652 AD. Foreigner needs to pay ($3) 200 Rupee and only 15 Rupee for the locals.

What to buy in Taj Mahal?

Don’t forget to buy some Taj marvel souvenirs. There are shops where you can see how marvels are being curved like the old way. You can get some great Taj Mahal marvel souvenir at a decent price range. The gorgeous Taj Mahal is the most recognized monument in India. Two to three days is good enough for Taj Tour.

Conclusion

O! You might also see some cows wandering on the road. A budget of $300 or less will be good enough for the trip. I have included this trip on my bucket list because I like to admire beautiful things. It is one of the most preserved and beautiful wonders of the world. Whenever I saw a picture or video of this place, I don’t know why but my eyes get stick to its beauty. Definitely, there is something delightful otherwise you have to call the 7 million visitors nothing but a fool.