If ticket sales are anything to go by, the luminous 17th century Taj Mahal in Agra is the most popular monument in India, attracting over 2.5 million visitors a year.

The marble monument to love built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan that is listed among the seven wonders of the world was visited by an estimated 2,048,120 domestic and 491,351 foreign tourists in 2006.

These findings were put out by the ministry of tourism’s annual publication, “India Tourism Statistics,” based on figures collected from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

ASI, which is responsible for protection of cultural heritage in India, keeps records of the number of tickets sold to both Indian and foreign nationals at monuments. “Among all the monuments, Taj Mahal was the most visited monument in 2006 for domestic as well as foreign tourists,” the report said.

The monument in recent days has seen attempts by Shiv Sena activists to hold Hindu religious rituals there, as they argue it was built on the ruins of a Shiva temple.

A large numbers of visitors thronged the famed Taj Mahal in Agra to mark the 353rd death anniversary of Mughal Emperor Shahjahan.

The celebration which started on July 29 was concluded on 31st July with special prayers offered for communal harmony and to end terrorism.

A 400 metre long seven-coloured chadar (sheet) was laid on the graves of the Mughal emperor Shahjahan and his queen Mumtaz Mahal.

“This year too we are celebrating this festival with same fervor. Initially, we will offer sandal and after that there will be a qawwali performance that will continue till 7 in the evening,” said Syed Munawwar Ali, a devotee.

During the anniversary celebration, the visitors got a rare opportunity to see the graves in the basement of the mausoleum as normally people are permitted to the replica of the graves on the first floor (platform).

The Taj Mahal stands on a marble platform surrounded by ornamental gardens. White minarets grace each corner and two smaller red sandstone buildings balance the postcard-perfect image on the banks of the Yamuna River .

Recently the monument was voted as the New Seven Wonders of the World.

Shahjahan had four sons and several years after the completion of the Taj Mahal, Shahjahan fell ill. The four sons entered into conflict and 3 of these sons were killed leaving only Aurangzeb who took advantage and deposed his father c. 1658. The Shah Jahan was imprisoned in the Agra Fort until his death.

The Agra Fort would have been a pleasant place to be restrained and he was allowed all his wives and concubines. He shared this retreat with one of his daughters and could view the Taj without difficulty, albeit from some distance.

A tiny mirror glass in a gallery of the Red Fort in Agra reflects the Taj mahal. Shahjahan is said to have spent his last eight years of life as a prisoner in that gallery peering at the reflected Tajmahal and sighing in the name of Mumtaz. When he was 74 he died.

Arjumand begum was born in 1593 April in Agra to Asaf Khan,who was the Prime Minister for Shah Jahan and son of the Prime Minister for Jahangir whose sister, Nur Jahan, married Jahangir.

The story goes back in 1607, when a prince of the royal Mughal household strolled down the Meena Bazaar, accompanied by a string of fawning courtiers, he caught a glimpse of a girl hawking silk and glass beads.She was an unrivalled beauty, which caught the heart of Shahjahan, the fifth Mughal emperor at first sight.Five years and a wife later (in those days princes did not marry for love alone) the regal 20-yr-old went to wed his 19-yr-old bride.

They got married in 1612, it was an extravagant grand affair. Prince Khurram was entitled as “Shahjahan” when he became the emperor in 1628 and entitled Arjumand bano his wife as “Mumtaz Mahal”. Shahjahan built beautiful palaces for her like, the Khas mahal in Agra. Desplite being the third wife of Shahjahn , Mumtaz mahal was his favourite throughout her life. She was conferred by the Emperor with the highest honor of the land-the royal seal – Mehr Uzaz. Mumtaz was so compassionate and generous and always intervened on behalf of petitioners. However it is also believed that she even enjoyed the spectacle of man in combat with animals.

Mumtaz was of great support to Shahjahan and accompanied the Emperor to all his conquests. During one such trip to Deccan where emperor went to war with Khan Jahanb Lodi, Mumtaz breathed her last breath on 17 June, 1631 during her fourteenth childbirth. It is said that Mumtaz on her deathbed asked for four promises to the Emperor. The four promises were, that the emperor build a monument of their love, second- that he should marry again, third- that he be kind to their children and the fourth one being that Shahjahan visit the tomb on her death anniversay.

Shahjahan kept the first and second promise and keeping his first promise began the construction of the splendid beauty, the Tajmahal in the year 1631.Mumtaz was given a temporary burial at Zainabadi garden in Burhnpur. After six months the body of Mumtaz Mahal was exumed and brought to Agra for final burial. Thus with the construction of Tajmahal, Shahjahan immortalized their love.