Explore the Taj Mahal  an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the south bank of the Yamuna river in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan (reigned from 1628 to 1658) to house the tomb of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal; it also houses the tomb of Shah Jahan himself. The tomb is the centrepiece of a 17-hectare (42-acre) complex, which includes a mosque and a guest house, and is set in formal gardens bounded on three sides by a crenellated wall.

Construction of the mausoleum was essentially completed in 1643, but work continued on other phases of the project for another 10 years. The Taj Mahal complex is believed to have been completed in its entirety in 1653 at a cost estimated at the time to be around 32 million rupees, which in 2015 would be approximately 52.8 billion rupees (U.S. $827 million). The construction project employed some 20,000 artisans under the guidance of a board of architects.

The Taj Mahal was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 for being “the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world’s heritage”. It is regarded by many as the best example of Mughal architecture and a symbol of India’s rich history. The Taj Mahal attracts 7–8 million visitors a year.

The tomb is the central focus of the entire complex of the Taj Mahal. It is a large, white marble structure standing on a square plinth and consists of a symmetrical building with an iwan (an arch-shaped doorway) topped by a large dome and finial. Like most Mughal tombs, the basic elements are Persian in origin.

The base structure is a large multi-chambered cube with chamfered corners forming an unequal eight-sided structure that is approximately 55 meters (180 ft) on each of the four long sides. Each side of the iwan is framed with a huge pishtaq or vaulted archway with two similarly shaped arched balconies stacked on either side. This motif of stacked pishtaqs is replicated on the chamfered corner areas, making the design completely symmetrical on all sides of the building. Four minarets frame the tomb, one at each corner of the plinth facing the chamfered corners. The main chamber houses the false sarcophagi of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan; the actual graves are at a lower level.

The most spectacular feature is the marble dome that surmounts the tomb. The dome is nearly 35 meters (115 ft) high which is close in measurement to the length of the base, and accentuated by the cylindrical “drum” it sits on which is approximately 7 metres (23 ft) high. Because of its shape, the dome is often called an onion dome or amrud (guava dome). The top is decorated with a lotus design which also serves to accentuate its height. The shape of the dome is emphasized by four smaller domed chattris (kiosks) placed at its corners, which replicate the onion shape of the main dome. The dome is slightly asymmetrical. Their columned bases open through the roof of the tomb and provide light to the interior. Tall decorative spires (guldastas) extend from edges of base walls, and provide visual emphasis to the height of the dome. The lotus motif is repeated on both the chattris and guldastas. The dome and chattris are topped by a gilded finial which mixes traditional Persian and Hindustani decorative elements.

The main finial was originally made of gold but was replaced by a copy made of gilded bronze in the early 19th century. This feature provides a clear example of integration of traditional Persian and Hindu decorative elements. The finial is topped by a moon, a typical Islamic motif whose horns point heavenward.

The minarets, which are each more than 40 meters (130 ft) tall, display the designer’s penchant for symmetry. They were designed as working minarets— a traditional element of mosques, used by the muezzin to call the Islamic faithful to prayer. Each minaret is effectively divided into three equal parts by two working balconies that ring the tower. At the top of the tower is a final balcony surmounted by a chattri that mirrors the design of those on the tomb. The chattris all share the same decorative elements of a lotus design topped by a gilded finial. The minarets were constructed slightly outside of the plinth so that in the event of collapse, a typical occurrence with many tall constructions of the period, the material from the towers would tend to fall away from the tomb

Official Tour Guides

Official guides are available in Agra for a half day (including Taj Mahal & Agra Fort). Not many official approved guides stand outside the monuments so if you require an official tour guide then you can book one of any foreign language spoken tour guides directly with contact no. from the approved guides’ office in Agra (Office of Approved Guide Association Agra). Guides are recognized and approved by Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India. Guides provided by most of travel agencies or hotels in Agra usually insist to visit a fix shop and get a big commission; this commission is distributed among unofficial guides, travel agents or hotel’s staff.

Note: to make your tour more enjoyable book ‘guides services’ online for Agra trip, as they are more trustworthy than a guide provided by hotels in Agra. All travel desks are taken by shop’s owners and they force to visit that particulate big shop.

Audio Guides

Effective April 2011, the Archaeological Survey of India introduced an official self-guided audio tour facility of international standards for visitors. The tour allows visitors to experience the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort at their own pace, with authentic and factually accurate information. Visitors may avail of the audio guide facility from the official audio guide booth near the monument ticket counters. Prices for audio guide services are approx US$ 2 in English & Foreign Languages (currently French, Spanish, Italian, German)  in Hindi & Indian Languages.

Reviews for the audio guides have been very positive on Tripadvisor and other travel websites and this is the recommended way to see the two Agra monuments.

Rules and Regulations at the Taj Mahal

Security is tight and there are many rules and regulations at the Taj Mahal. Many of these are not enforced, as is common in India. For example, the employees of the Taj Mahal smoke drive petrol-powered vehicles and litter on the premises. Many tourists take photos everywhere, including where the signs prohibit it, and the guards do nothing.

• Arms, ammunition, fire, smoking items, tobacco products, liquor, food, chewing gum, knives, wire, books, mobile charger, electric goods (except video cameras, photography cameras and similar consumer electronic products like MP3 players, iPhones, Smartphones etc. and music players) are prohibited inside the Taj Mahal complex. Leave these in the hotel or in your driver’s car. Avoid carrying a bag altogether if you can as the bag scanning process is cumbersome.

Mobile phones are allowed. They don’t really seem to enforce this with camera phones.

Eating and smoking are strictly prohibited inside the Taj Mahal complex.

Lockers are available at the gates to keep your belongings (of course, at your own risk).

Avoid carrying big bags and books inside the monument as this may increase your security check time.

Video cameras are allowed up to the red sand stone platform at the main entrance gate of the Taj Mahal complex. There is a charge per video camera.

Photography is prohibited inside the main mausoleum, and visitors are requested not to make noise inside the mausoleum.

Tourists must co-operate in keeping the monument neat and clean by making use of dustbins.

Avoid touching and scratching the walls and surfaces of the monument as these are old heritage sites that need special care.

Tourists are advised to hire official audio guides available at the ASI ticket counter or to use only pre-arranged approved guides.

Tourists are allowed to carry a water bottle inside the monument. Shoe covers, 1/2 litre water bottle and Tourist Guide Map of Agra are provided free of cost with the foreigner’s entry ticket for the Taj Mahal. After getting your ticket, proceed to the side of the ticket window to collect your water and shoe covers.

Wheelchairs for disabled persons and First Aid Boxes are available at A.S.I. Office inside the Taj Mahal complex. A refundable charge is to be deposited as security before wheelchairs are made available for the disabled.

All the above mentioned items along with the mobile phones are banned for the night viewing of the Taj Mahal.

Video cameras are permitted after the security check during night viewing of the Taj Mahal, though extra batteries are prohibited.

Remember that the Taj Mahal is a religious site and it is best to dress conservatively when visiting the Taj Mahal complex, not only because the Taj Mahal itself is a mausoleum, but also because there are mosques inside the Taj Mahal complex, if you wish to visit them as well.

Please note that the Taj Mahal is closed every Friday.

If you plan on visiting Agra Fort too, hold on to your Taj Mahal ticket since it gives you a discount on the entry fee. Sometimes the ticket office does not give the discount – there is not much a tourist can do about it.