Agra, the beautiful city is situated on the banks of holy river Yamuna. Agra is the third largest city in the state of Utter Pradesh in India and a prominent tourist destination in the country. Millions of tourists visit Agra from all across the world every year to see the beauty of majestic Taj Mahal and other historical monument lying every where in the city. Agra is primarily witness of Mughal architectural excellence and their love for structural designs. Agra is also a prime center of rich cultural heritage and art in India. No trip to India can be considered as complete without visiting to Agra.

Agra hosts the most beautiful wonder of the world the great Taj Mahal. This is a mausoleum of the King Shah Jahan’s beloved wife Mumtaj Mahal. The construction of Taj Mahal was begun in 1630 and took 23 years to complete in the year 1653. Made up of white marble, Taj Mahal Agra changes its shades through out the day with the sun light. Taj Mahal in Agra is a symbol of a man’s ever lasting love for his wife. Now after three centuries since its construction, Taj Mahal has been seen by millions of people from all across the globe and it is still the most attractive monument in the world.

Apart from Taj Mahal, Agra has two other world heritage sites one of them is Red Fort and other is Fatehpur Sikri. The Red Fort Agra is also located on the other side of the river Yamuna and the top of the Fort presents a beautiful view of Taj Mahal. The Red Fort was constructed by the great Mughal King Akbar between 1565 and 1574 but most of the beautification work was done by his son Shah Jahan. Today a major part of the Fort is occupied by the armed forces and is closed for public. Etmad-Ud-Daulah and Sikandra are other two important sites to be visited in Agra.

The culture of Agra can be seen at its best in Agra’s festivals. If you are visiting Agra in the month of February then you must see the grand festival of Taj Mahotsav. This ten day long festival is being organized by Tourism Department every year at Shilpgram near to Taj Mahal. You will see the real culture of Agra in this festival along with exhibitions of art and craft.

A three-day festival celebrating the 356th urs (death anniversary) of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan will be held here from June 28.On the occasion, world’s longest chadar will be offered at Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan’s mausoleum here, at the annual Urs festival.

A large number of visitors are expected to visit the Taj Mahal to see the graves of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal during the annual three-day festival.

Entry to Taj Mahal will also be free for these three days. “Sandal will be offered on day one, followed by Kul-Kuran-Khania and a kawwali music festival on 29th.

On the last day, in a special Pankha Sharif ceremony where the chadar will be taken from my house to the southern gate and later will be dedicated at Shah Jahan’s mausoleum,” Tahir Uddin, president of Khuddam-e-Roja committe.

Hundreds of tourists were forced to vacate Taj Mahal on Saturday as ministers from over 30 least developed countries (LDCs) of Africa and Asia Pacific region were coming to the monument for a visit.

The tourists were annoyed when their tour to the Taj came to an abrupt end. Being a weekend and because of the ongoing Taj Mahotsav, there was a huge rush at the historic monument.
Authorities, however, said they had to do so in view of the security of the visiting VVIP contingent. Agra district magistrate Ajay Chauhan said, “We generally try to accommodate tourists along with visiting VVIPs.

The Taj Mahal attracts between 2 million and 4 million visitors annually, including more than 200,000 from overseas. A dual- pricing system is in place, with a significantly lower entrance fee for Indian citizens than for foreigners. Most tourists visit in the cooler months of October, November and February. Polluting traffic is not allowed near the complex and tourists must either walk from parking lots or catch an electric bus. The Khawasspuras (northern courtyards) are currently being restored for use as a new visitor center.

The small town to the south of the Taj, known as Taj Ganji or Mumtazabad, was originally constructed with caravanserais, bazaars and markets to serve the needs of visitors and workmen.

The grounds are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays, except for Friday when the complex is open for prayers at the mosque between 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. The complex is open for night viewing on the day of the full moon and two days before and after, excluding Fridays and the month of Ramadan. For security reasons only five items—water in transparent bottles, small video cameras, still cameras, mobile phones and small ladies’ purses—are allowed inside the Taj Mahal.

Taj Mahal Agra sparkles like a Jewel during full moonlit nights when the precious inlaid stone work of marbles on the dome catch the rays of the moon. And in the early mornings, it looks pinkish with sun rays kissing it. Taj Mahal Tour during evening hours is quite popular as it looks amazingly lovely in milky light of moon.

An underground vault of Taj Mahal contains the bodies of Shah Jahan and his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The story of these two lovers is an example of true and divine love. It took around 22 years to complete this enchanting building and about 20000 workers to make stand this masterpiece.

Tourists from all over the world never forget to make Taj Mahal Tour. The beauty and charm is not by UNESCO World Heritage and it has earmarked it as one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

When on Taj Mahal Tour India, you can make a tour to other lovely attractions in Agra as well. Agra Fort, Akbar’s Mausoleum, Jahangiri Mahal, Itmad-Ud-Daulah’s Tomb, Anguri Bagh, Chini Ka Rauza, Jodha’s Bai Palace etc. are some of the great attractions of the Agra city.

Agra and Taj Mahal in particular have started attracting tourists once again. Cold wave in Agra had affected tourist arrivals at popular attractions including Taj Mahal in the city.

Cold Wave is North India was the big reason for tourism dip in Agra. Temperature in the city went down to the chilling level of 1 degree which turned away tourists. However is past couple of days weather conditions are improving and so does the tourist arrivals.

Yesterday witnessed heavy tourist rush at Taj Mahal after several days. Little sunshine drawn hundreds of tourists to Taj Mahal. And its not just Taj Mahal but other attractions in city also witnessed more tourists.

Did you know there is a second Taj Mahal in India?
Nawab Shah Jahan Begum, Bhopal’s 11th ruler, was a connoisseur of art. Reigning between 1868 and 1901, the Begum built several buildings in the city, the Taj Mahal included.

However, unlike Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, the Taj Mahal of Bhopal was built as the Begum’s residence, not as a mausoleum for her spouse.

The huge palace took 13 years to come up, from 1871 to 1884, at a cost of Rs.70 lakh.

Situated besides Taj-ul-Masajid, one of Asia’s largest mosques, the Begum was so overwhelmed after its completion that she ordered a three-year-long celebration Jasha-e-Taj Mahal.

The palace’s architecture is a unique combination of British, French, Mughal, Arabic and Hindu influences. It has 120 rooms, including a Sheesh Mahal and a Sawan Bhado pavilion.

Taj Mahal, a most celebrated piece of Mughal architecture and craftsmanship is the most visited attraction of North India Tourism. This epitome of love crowned as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World which is visited by almost every tourist who comes here from several parts of the world. This ultimate monument of love is also granted with status of the best World Heritage Sites in India.

Taj Mahal is the most famous attractions India Tourism located on the west bank of river Yamuna in Agra, Uttar Pradesh State. This mausoleum is the symbol of eternal love which was built by the Mughal Emperor Shahjahan for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. This grand edifice signifies and glorifies human love which has withstood the test of time, and still stands in all its glory of architecture. Scores of tourists prefer Taj mahal Tours they can experience the grandness of this astounding architecture.

This is the mausoleum which was built by the Muhgal Emperor Shah Jahan in 1648 A.D. as a tribute of romance with his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. It was built by 20,000 workers working day and night for around 22 years. This monument is made up of white marble and red sandstone. With this 28 type of precious and semi-precious stones were embedded in the interiors of the monument which adds extravaganza to this grand structure.

The design of Taj Mahal is basically a Persian style embedded with an Indian architectural pattern. The Taj Complex is divided into four distinctive parts and each has its own significance and characteristics. The Taj Gateway facing the Taj Mahal is the massive red sandstone Gateway. It is decorated with verses from the holy Koran. While the Taj Garden provides a breathtaking view of lush-green flora going all the way up to the plinth of the Taj. This garden illustrates the Islamic style of architecture and symbolizes spirituality.

The Mausoleum is the mighty structure of the Taj placed on a 6.7 meter high plinth. Four minarets each of 41.6 meters height flanked by the four corners of the plinth and balance the tomb. These minarets are so spectacularly designed that in case of any mishappening, the pillars would not fall on the tomb. Each minaret has an Arabic letter written and famous for their calligraphic representations.

Tombs in Taj Mahal are set on a square pedestal. The base structure in the tomb is large and has many chambers. Of the various chambers, the main chamber has the cenotaphs of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. The steles of the tomb are decorated with precious and semi-precious stones and the ceilings are strategically constructed to echo voices and melodies.

The American first couple, Barack and Michelle would miss a tryst with Taj Mahal, a symbol of love during their maiden visit to India, but US official did not rule out a future trip.

“The first couple would not be having a trip to the Taj Mahal this time”, Ben Rhodes Deputy National Security Advisor said at a White House briefing on US President’s visit to India adding ” but hopefully he would in future”.

“He(Obama) loves to see the Taj Mahal. He could at some point.” he said.

President Obama and the first lady may skip the fable marble monument, renowned the world over as a symbol of romance, the couple will instead make a trip to the Lutyens, Humayun`s tomb considered a forerunner to the Taj.

“The first couple, however, would be visiting Humayun’s tomb,” Rhodes said, describing it as one of the great cultural marvels in New Delhi.

A beautifully laid out walled garden encloses the magnificent monument “Taj Mahal”. The entire Taj complex consists of five major constituents, namely

* Darwaza (The main gateway)
* Bageecha (The gardens)
* Masjid (The mosque)
* Naqqar Khana (The rest house)
* Rauza (The main mausoleum)

Taj MahalTaj Mahal architecture is a kind of fusion of Persian, Central Asian and Islamic architecture. The main gateway, with its domed central chamber, is situated at the end of the long watercourse. On one side of the Taj Mahal is the Mosque and on the other, the Naqqar Khana, built mainly to maintain its symmetry. The main building, that of the Taj itself, stands on a raised, square platform with its four abridged corners, forming an unequal octagon. The architecture of Taj Mahal of Agra has made use of the interlocking arabesque concept.