Making your heritage tour in Agra every bit memorable surely depends on your visit to Taj Mahal and for that matter alone you can relax or let your knot of tour schedule loosen a bit. Any travel itinerary in regard to heritage tour in Agra or for that matter in India must place this sprawling white marble mausoleum at the center of all tourist attractions. Even to stand dazzled and motionless in silent appreciation in front of this great architecture is a life time experience for a traveler. This architectural marvel that has been built by the artistically and culturally inclined great Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his third wife Mumtaj Mahal is still now the greatest emblem of love in the history of mankind. Taj Mahal is widely recognized as the crowning jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the rarest heritage work of art all over the world. It is one of the most celebrated World Heritage Sites declared by UNESCO that draws millions of tourists every year from all over the globe.
New 7 Wonders of the World is an initiative at the global level to choose from more than 200 great monuments and architectural heritages around the world. The world wide vote over the telephone or internet that grossed over 100 millions elected 7 great wonder monuments in the world and after the long course of initial selection and voting on 2007 Taj Mahal became the greatest site with highest number of votes and India's crowning entry among the 7 Wonders of the World. A sure reason for your long cherished aspirations for a heritage tour in Agra, isn't it? Surely, all other Mughal architectural marvels in the city given their due respect, Taj Mahal alone can be your reason for a heritage tour in Agra.
Just do not look forward to jump on your travel itinerary so fast, just garnish yourself a little with some historical facts about every site, most importantly Taj Mahal and that is a must do personal preparation for your heritage tour in Agra.
Taj Mahal was built in the period of great prosperity of Mughal Empire. In 1631, Emperor Shah Jahan gief stricken by the death of his most beloved third wife Mumtaz Mahal during the birth of their child, decided to epitomize his love for Mumtaz by building a great white marble mausoleum in the memory of her. The construction started in 1632 and it took 16 years to complete the central mausoleum and within next five years the surrounding garden and buildings took shape. So, it took up to 1653 to complete the whole architecture in its present shape. Soon after the completion of Taj Mahal, Shah Jahan was put to house arrest by his son Aurangzjeb. After his death Shah Jahan was given a burial place just beside the grave of Mumtaz in Taj Mahal. During the British Raj in India several decadent parts of the architecture had been repaired and during the British Viceroy Lord Curzon the surrounding garden was given a new look with the introduction of English lawns. Lord Curzon also built that large lamp in the interior chamber of Taj Mahal similar to one in the Cairo Mosque.
When to visit Taj Mahal Agra
Making your heritage tour in Agra every bit memorable surely depends on your visit to Taj Mahal and for that matter alone you can relax or let your knot of tour schedule loosen a bit. Plan early and accordingly to come just one or two days before full moon day. The picturesque view of Taj Mahal is best enjoyed in a full moon day or just 2 days before or after that. The entry time to the site is highly regulated and except for two hours prayer time on Fridays it is open for tourists in all weekdays between 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. On Fridays and on the month of Ramadan the visit is restricted during prayer time from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. There are some security restrictions on what you can carry inside the premises. Only a few specific items are allowed to take inside, namely, transparent bottle of water, small video and still cameras, mobile phones and purses.
The artistic wonders to see inside Taj Mahal
When you are faced by the all encompassing great specter of Taj Mahal looming in front of you, you are sure to be mesmerized. Yes, you are just at the threshold of one of the most spectacular work of man's artistic imagination and creative inspiration, but that is just the beginning. Stay cool, have your time and when the mesmerizing effect begins to subside just step closer to look into the detail of the inner specters of art. Begin with the exterior decorations. Mughal calligraphic design based on the sayings of Koran Surahs surrounding the mausoleum on various pishtaqs or vaulted archways that change in refinement with the change of the texture of the surface is sure to let you make bow in silent acclamation. The decoration using the passages from the Koran is itself a Mughal architectural attribute and the best Taj Mahal is endowed with the best instances of this. Get closer to the main mausoleum and if you have a admirer in you for the most refined artistic traditions of world's historical heritage, then Taj Mahal is all set to give you an experience of finest art and its consorting rhythm with architecture. The elaborate geometric colorful forms in the plinth, minarets, gateway, mosque, jawab, surfaces of the tomb are jewels of imaginations that ornament the loftiness of this architectural form so befittingly. The detail stone inlays with their multiple forms, color and calligraphic beauty all reckon your heart felt wish to visit this place again.
Taj Mahal: The legacy of Inspiration
Taj Mahal has been the inspiration for countless artistic creations all over the world for ages. Here we cannot just restrain ourselves from mentioning a few lines from the great Emperor Shah Jahan who imagined this lofty marvel of art.
Should guilty seek asylum here
Like one pardoned, he becomes free from sin.
Should a sinner make his way to this mansion,
All his past sins are to be washed away.
Thus Taj Mahal is described in the words of its emperor creator.
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