Perhaps no other historical monument has evoked as much awareness and admiration from tourists and travellers alike, as the magnificent Taj Mahal - fondly called by people as the ultimate requiem of love, from a great Mughal Emperor to his beloved.
So overwhelming is the exquisite beauty and presence of this marble mausoleum that centuries later today, even the very land where it has been located - Agra - has been immortalised as the City of the Taj. Yet, it doesn’t take much for the roving eye to discover that there's more to Agra than just the fabled Taj Mahal. The city is a virtual gateway to a world of discovery… a freeze-frame from a resplendant era that's long since gone by. In the great epic 'Mahabharat' the region of Agra is described as 'Agraban' (an integral part of the Brij Bhumi or the land of Lord Krishna). The latter part of Indian history outlines the origins of Agra to 1475 A.D., when the reign of Raja Badal Singh.

However, Agra came into limelight during the rule of Afghan King Sikandar Lodhi - who had made it the capital of his empire.
Later in 1526 A.D., the Mughal Emperor Babar took upon himself the task for rendering Agra, a unique character and beauty of its own. The visionary that he was and a great patron of the arts, Emperor Babar brought in a change in the culture and life-style among the people of Agra, which then brought forth some of the finest craftsmen, artists, statesmen, warriors and nobility, this part of India had ever withnessed. The golden age of Agra's history, thus began to set in.

The next few hundred years of Agra witnessed the rise of the pomp and pageantry of three great Mughal monarchs - Emperor Akbar, Jehangir and ShahJahan - all of whom lavished on this fabled city, their love and riches immeasurable to transform the land into one of the great centers of art, culture, learning and commerce.

Much of the city's impressive past lives in evidence even today, in the hunting presence inside the monuments, the majesty of the buildings, the exquisite arts and crafts and not to forget, the lure of an exceptional cuisine… all, cherished as priceless legacies of a nostalgic past. The older city of Agra has impressively retained much of its resplendent history… captivating every visitor with fond memories to take back home. Today, luxury and modern convenience also exist adjacent to tradition - luxury hotels, shopping malls and plazas, wide avenues and a superb choice of venues for recreation, business, sports, pleasure, education and the arts.

How to get there :

Air
Agra is well-connected to cities like Delhi, Khajuraho, Varanasi etc. Kheria airport is 6 km from Agra.
Indian Airlines, Hotel Clarks Shiraz, 54, Taj Road, Tel : (0562) 360948. 
Rail
Agra is connected to the major cities of India. Agra Cantt. Railway Station, Enquiries, Tel : 131. Reservation Tel : (0562)364244, 364611. Agra Fort Railway Station, Enquiries, Tel : 132. Reservation, Tel : (0562)364136. Raja-ki-Mandi Railway Station, Enquiries, Tel : 133. Tundla Railway Station, Enquiries, Tel : (0562)22631.
Road
Agra is well-connected to the following cities by road : Mathura, Delhi, Chandigarh, Kanpur, Lucknow, Varanasi, Jhansi, Chitrakoot, etc. Agra's distance by road, from the main cities is as follows : Delhi 203 km, Khajuraho 393 km, Gwalior 118 km, Jaipur 237 km, Calcutta 1287 km, Varanasi 657 km, Mussoorie 417 km, Mumbai 1204 km.

UPSRTC Bus Stand, Idgah, Enquiries, Tel : (0562)33124, 367543 UPSRTC Bus Stand, Opp. Power House, Enquiries, Tel : (0562)364557. RSRTC, Sheetal Tourist Home, Near Idgah Bus Stand, Tel : (0562)369420

Local Transport
City Bus Service : UPSRTC operates city buses to and from the main archaeological sites.
Taxis : Air Conditioned/non air-conditioned taxis are available, without meter, at the railway stations, airport, hotels and Partap Pura.
Other transport : Un-metered auto-rickshaws, tongas and cycle rickshaws are available, rates of which are negotiable

A Glorious Heritage

Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal. Sheer poetry in marble. Majesty and magnificence, unrivalled. The Taj Mahal, the one and only one of its kind across the world. The monumental labour of love of a great ruler for his beloved queen. The ultimate realisation of Emperor Shahjahan's dream. One of the wonders of the world. From 1631 A.D., it took 22 years in the making. An estimated 20,000 people worked to complete the enchanting mausoleum, on the banks of the Yamuna. For a breathtaking beautiful view of the Taj Mahal, see it by moonlight.

Open : 6 days a week (Closed on Fridays), Sunrise - 7.30 p.m.
Entry fee

- from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 7pm - Rs. 100/-

- From 8 am to 4 pm - Rs. 10.50/- Ph : (0562)2360898

History

The construction of this marble masterpiece is credited to the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan who erected this mausoleum in memory of his beloved wife, Arjumand Bano Begum, popularly known as Mumtaz Mahal, who died in AH 1040 (AD 1630). Her last wish to her husband was "to build a tomb in her memory such as the world had never seen before". Thus emperor Shah Jahan set about building this fairytale like marvel. The construction of Taj Mahal was started in AD 1632 and completed at the end of 1648 AD. For seventeen years, twenty thousand workmen are said to be employed on it daily, for their accommodation a small town, named after the deceased empress-'Mumtazabad, now known as Taj Ganj, was built adjacent to it. Amanat Khan Shirazi was the calligrapher of Taj Mahal, his name occurs at the end of an inscription on one of the gates of the Taj. Poet Ghyasuddin had designed the verses on the tombstone, while Ismail Khan Afridi of Turkey was the dome maker. Muhammad Hanif was the superintendent of Masons. The designer of Taj Mahal was Ustad Ahmad Lahauri. The material was brought in from all over India and central Asia and it took a fleet of 1000 elephants to transport it to the site. The central dome is 187 feet high at the centre. Red sandstone was brought from Fatehpur Sikri, Jasper from Punjab, Jade and Crystal from China, Turquoise from Tibet, Lapis Lazuli and Sapphire from Sri Lanka, Coal and Cornelian from Arabia and diamonds from Panna. In all 28 kind of rare, semi precious and precious stones were used for inlay work in the Taj Mahal. The chief building material, the white marble was brought from the quarries of Makrana, in distt. Nagaur, Rajasthan.

Entrance
In main gate of Taj faces the Southern gate. The gateway is 151 feet by 117 feet and rises to a height of 100 feet. Tourists can enter the main compound by a small gate at the side of the main gate.

Main Gate
This main gate of red sandstone and measures 30 mt. In height. It is inscribed with verses from the Koran in Arabic. The small domed pavilions on top are in Hindu style and signify regality. A striking feature of the gateway is that the lettering appears to be of the same size. The engravers have skillfully enlarged and lengthened the letters which create an illusion of uniformity.
Well laid out gardens measuring 300 X 300 mt. In the form of a Charbagh are spread on either side of the pavement.
In the centre is a platform from where tourists can capture the Taj on film.

Taj Museum
To the left of the above mentioned platform is the Taj Museum. Original drawings available here show the precision with which the architect had planned this monument. He even anticipated that it would be completed in 22 years. Drawings of the interiors show the position of the graves in such precision that the foot of the graves faces the viewer from any angle.

The Mosque and the Jawab
To the left of the Taj is a mosque made of red sandstone. It is common in Islam to build a mosque next to a tomb, as it sanctifies the area and provides for a place for worship. This mosque is still used for Friday prayers.
An identical mosque is also built to the right of the Taj and is known as the Jawab (answer). Prayers are not held here as it faces west i.e. away from Mecca, the holy city of the Muslims. It was built to maintain symmetry.

The exterior
The Taj itself stands in a raised platform. The four minarets at each corner of the plinth provide a perfect balance to the tomb. The minarets measure 41.6 m high and each has a deliberate slant outwards so that in an unlikely event of an earthquake, they would not fall on the tomb but away from it. The bulbous dome of the Taj Mahal rests on an extraordinarily high drum and rises to a total height of 44.41 mt. From the base of the drum to the apex to the finial. The central dome, irrespective of the angles of the view. There is only one point of access to the plinth and tomb, a double staircase facing the entrance. One has to remove shoes over or can put on the shoe covers which are provided at a nominal cost by the staff stationed here for this purpose.

Interior of the Taj
The interior of the mausoleum comprises a lofty central chamber, a crypt immediately below this and four octagonal corner rooms originally intended to house the graves of other royal family members.
In the centre are the cenotaphs of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. Shah Jahan's cenotaph is to the left and is higher than that of his beloved which rests immediately below the dome. The cenotaph of Mumtaz Mahal stands in the centre of the marble screen, it has inscribed on it in persian with texts from the Koran. The cenotaph has the single epitaph inscribed on it - "Marqad Munavvar Arjumand Ban Begum Mukhatib bah Mumtaz Mahal Tanifiyat ferr sanh 1040 Hijri" (Here lies Arjumand Bano Begum called Mumtaz Mahal who died in 1040 AH or 1630 AD).
The cenotaph of Shah Jahan is inscribed in Persian - "Marqad Mutahar Aali Hazrat Firdaus Ashiyani Sahib-qiran Saani Saani Shah Jahan Badshah taab surah sanh 1076 Hijri" (The sacred sepulchre of his most exalted Majesty, dweller of Paradise, the second lord of constellations, the king Shah Jahan, may his mausoleum ever flourish, 1076 AH (1666 AD). Above the tombs is a Cairene lamp, the flame of which is supposed to never burn out. Marble screen of trelliswork surrounds the graves. Both tombs are exquisitely inlaid with semi precious stones. The acoustics of the building are superb with the domed ceiling being designed to echo chants from Koran and musician's melodies. It is suggested that one walk around the outside of the tomb, before retrieving your shoes, to appreciate it from all sides.

Excursions

Sur Sarovar (Keetham Lake) 23 km.
A scenic lake, located within the Surdas Reserved Forest. The Sur Sarovar is a tranquil spot, ideal for a relaxed outing. A wide variety of fish and water-birds add to the lake's natural charm and beauty.

Fatehpur Sikri (39 km.)
An epic in red sandstone. A city of yesteryears, today lost in the mists of time. Fatehpur Sikri was built by the Mughal Emperor Akbar during 1564 A.D. A sonless Akbar had gone to Sikri to seek blessings of a muslim saint Sheikh Salim Chishti. When his son was finally born, he in gratitude, constructed his capital city and named it Fatehpur Sikri. Later, due to shortage of water and unrest in north-west, Akbar had to abandon this city. The beautiful marble tomb of Sheikh Salim Chisti attracts thousands who seek blessings of the revered saint. Other renowned places are Diwan-I-Am, diwan-I-Khaas, Buland Darwaza, Panch Mahal, Jodha Bai's Palace and Birbal Bhavan. Open: Sunrise to sunset. Entry fee Rs. 0.50.

Mathura-Vrindavan (56 km.)
Just an hour's drive from Agra, on the banks of the Yamuna, is situated this birthplace of Lord Krishna. The entire land is dotted with magnificent temples, each dedicated to various aspects of his life. The twin cities of Mathura and Vrindavan, where he was born and where he grew up, still resound to the sound of his laughter, antics and his magical flute.
Some of the more famous temples are : Govind Dev Temple, Rangaji Temple, Dwarikadhish Temple, Bankey Bihari Temple and the ISKCON Temple. Gokul, Barsana and Goverdhan are the other townships associated with the legend of Lord Krishna. Gokul is the hideout where Lord Krishna was secretly brought up - away from the eyes of His maternal uncle, Kansa. His consort Radha belonged to Barsana, where the unique Holi festival 'Latthamar Holi is celebrated with great gusto. At Goverdhan, Krishna raised a mighty mountain on His little finger to protect the locals from the wrath of rain-god Indra.

Firozabad (44 km.)
An industrial city famous for its glassware such as bangles and chandeliers.

Aligarh (83 km.)
Aligarh is famous for its Muslim University, founded by Sir Syad Ahmad Khan in the 19th century, and also for its locks.

Note: source : Uttar Pradesh Tourism