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We offer holidays to the four corners of the globe. If you want specialist advise please phone our travel team and we will be happy to help.
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- Destinations
- Asia
- India
- Agra
- Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal is one of the world's most recognisable and
evocative sights, and despite the incredible hype, a visit here
cannot disappoint. Set overlooking the River Yamuna, visible from
Agra Fort in the West, the Taj was built by Shah Jahan to enshrine
the body of his favourite wife, who died giving birth to her 14th
child in 1631. This story of this great monument to love is given
an added poignancy by the fate of Shah Jahan himself. When his
devout and austere son Aurangzeb seized power, Shah Jahan was
interned in Agra Fort, where he lived out his final years gazing
wistfully at the Taj Mahal in the distance. When he died there in
January 1666, with his daughter Jahanara Begum at his side, his
body was carried across the river to lie alongside his beloved wife
in the peerless mausoleum. Completed in 1653, the Taj Mahal is set
in a large walled garden, between two mini-Taj's (one of which is a
mosque), and in front of a long reflecting pond. Close up, the
craftsmanship of the building is as spectacular as from a distance
- the inside of the vast double-dome is inlaid with
delicately-filigreed verses from the Koran and semi-precious
stones. Visitors should aim to visit it at dawn and at dusk, as the
building truly does change colour through the day, from rosy pink,
to gleaming ivory, to twilight-blue. Note that there can often be
smog and fog in the mornings. Two days before and after the full
moon, the Taj Mahal is open for moonlight viewing, but tickets must
be booked at least 24 hours in advance, through the Archaeological
Survey of India's offices in Agra.
Information & Facts
Admission
Rs. 250 entry fee, plus Rs. 500 levy (also valid at
various tourist sites around Agra, for one day). Moonlight viewing
is Rs. 750.
Language
Although English is generally used for official and
business purposes, Hindi is the official language and is spoken by
about 40 percent of the population. Urdu is the language common
with the Muslim demographic. India has a total of 22 official
languages
Money
The currency is the Indian Rupee (INR), which is divided into
100 paise (singular paisa). Major currencies can be changed at
banks, and authorised bureaux de changes. It is impossible to
obtain rupees outside India, but no matter what time you arrive in
India there will be an exchange office open at the airport. It is
illegal to exchange money through the black market and it is
advisable to refuse torn notes, as no one will accept them apart
from the National Bank. It is best to change money into small
denominations. Travellers cheques and major credit cards are widely
accepted, particularly in tourist orientated establishments. ATMs
are not generally available.
Opening Times
Open daily, from sunrise to sunset. Closed on
Fridays. Moonlight viewing: 8:30pm to 12:30am, two days before and
after the full moon.