Agra Clothing Tips The Taj Mahal is India’s most famous sight and tourist attraction, known around the world, and one of the New World Wonders and a UNESCO heritage site. Of course, visiting a site of this significance, you want to make the most of it. I have put together a whole bunch of top tips for your visit to the Taj Mahal. It is as magnificent as one expects it to be. The Taj Mahal is located in the city of Agra in the state of Uttar Pradesh, one of India’s most populous states with 200 million inhabitants. Visited by millions of people from India and the rest of the world, the Taj Mahal can be an incredible experience, or one that disappoints you. In this post, I will provide you with a comprehensive guide to the Taj Mahal, along with tips and tricks to visiting the Taj Mahal in Agra, India, so that you will walk away enjoying it as much as I did.
History
Built for his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, the Taj Mahal is a symbol of love and loss. The Emperor’s wife died giving birth to their 14th child and it is said by many that his hair turned grey virtually overnight after being overwhelmed with sadness and grief. Emperor Shah Jahan was heartbroken and he ordered the construction of an incredible memorial in 1632, a year following his wife’s tragic passing. It took some 20,000 workers from India and Central Asia to bring the building to completion, and although the main building was finished in just 8 years, it took more than 20 years for the entire complex to be done. Set within an elegant courtyard with a reflecting pool, the Taj features a giant dome and intricately carved white marble pietra dura with thousands of semi-precious stones. Specialists were brought in from all around the world so that the Taj Mahal could include the most extravagant and opulent materials for his construction and today, the mausoleum remains as one of the most expensive architectural creations in India.
How to Get There
Located in the Western part of the Uttar Pradesh state and bordering the state of Rajasthan, Agra can be reached from Jaipur or New Delhi by car or train. The city of Agra also has its own airport which serves visitors coming from Delhi and Varanasi via Air India. Within the city, you can get to the Taj by several means of public transport including taxi, Tempo three wheelers, auto-rickshaws or cycle rickshaws. For those who want to save money on transport or get a little bit of exercise, there really is no better way of seeing the city than on two wheels. Bicycle hire is available by the hour in various different areas of the city and it’s a great way to get to the Taj Mahal from the popular hotel areas around Fatehabad Road or Eastgate.
How to get to the Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal is easily accessible by car, bus, train or airplane. A pre-packaged trip (usually called the Golden Triangle of India’s tourism hotspots) will arrange transportation for you. Trains run regularly from Delhi and Jaipur, to Agra. It is recommended to book in advance. Agra also has regular flights to and from Delhi and other major cities in India. Traveling in the winter months can, at times, be tricky, as the thick smog can disrupt flight schedules. There are also plenty of hotels in the area, of course, and many recommend living it up and staying at one of the posh fancy hotels that have a view of the Taj. If you can't afford something like that (like me), you may consider more budget friendly options like the Retreat Hotel, where I stayed. It wasn't anything special, but the room was clean and lovely.
