AGRA CITY TOUR:
you would like to travel to Agra to see the beautiful Taj Mahal - the monument love, as well as other sites in Agra and , on your Indian Holiday, You can enjoy tours of Agra and other fascinating destinations , on any of the tour packages for Agra offered by Indian Holiday
If honeymoon packages don't interest you, choose from fort and palaces tour package, wildlife tours, golden triangle tours, heritage and cultural tours, and city sightseeing tours. Any Indian Holiday is incomplete without trying out the yoga and meditation tour package.
Forts and Palaces of Agra:
Red Fort:
Red Fort also known as ‘Lal Quila’. It is made of red sandstones, it is one of the most magnificent monuments in Delhi. It was built by Emperor Shah Jahan in 1639. It is a place where the National Flag was hosted for the first time, when India gained her Independence on 15th August, 1947.
you would like to travel to Agra to see the beautiful Taj Mahal - the monument love, as well as other sites in Agra and , on your Indian Holiday, You can enjoy tours of Agra and other fascinating destinations , on any of the tour packages for Agra offered by Indian Holiday
If honeymoon packages don't interest you, choose from fort and palaces tour package, wildlife tours, golden triangle tours, heritage and cultural tours, and city sightseeing tours. Any Indian Holiday is incomplete without trying out the yoga and meditation tour package.
Tajmahal Tour: History of Taj Mahal is the history of eternal love between Shah Jahan and Arjumand Banu Begum famous as Mumtaz Mahal who fell in love at first sight when they were at 15 and married at 20. After becoming emperor in 1628, Shah Jahan entrusted Arjumand Banu with the royal seal. He called her Mumtaz Mahal, "jewel of the palace." They were together on a military expedition south of Agra when she had their 14th child, a girl. Tragically she died soon after this birth when she was only 39. It was this event which inspired him to create this wonderful monument, the Taj Mahal, as a mausoleum in her memory. The focus of Taj Mahal is the white domed marble mausoleum which stands on a square plinth consisting of a symmetrical building with an iwan,Taj Mahal, Agra an arch-shaped doorway. The white tomb is set against the plain across the river and it is in this background that the colors change at different hours of the day and during different seasons – pinkish in the morning, milky white in the evening and golden when the moon shines. The entire Taj Mahal complex consists of a number of buildings comprising of a mosque which stands to the west of the Taj Mahal is made from red sandstone, a guesthouse and the mausoleum, a long and beautiful walkway leads to the main mausoleum, four waterways divide the gardens that stand in front of the Taj into four parts and then, meet in a pool at the center.
In1612, Arjumand Banu Begam, a Muslim Persian princess better known by her other name, Mumtaz Mahal was married to Shah Jahan (then Prince Khurram), the fifth Mughal emperor. Mumtaz, the emperor's second wife, was her husband's comrade and counselor. An inseparable companion on all his journeys and military expeditions, she inspired the emperor to do acts of charity and benevolence towards the weak and the needy.
Mumtaz bore 14 children, and when she died during childbirth in 1631, Shah Jahan was so heartbroken that all his hair and beard were said to have turned snow-white in a few months! Overpowered by grief, Shah Jahan decided to immortalize the memory of his beloved wife by building the finest sepulcher ever - a monument of eternal love. Herein lies the genesis of the Taj Mahal.
The construction documents show that its master architect was Ustad Ahmed Lahori, the renowned Islamic architect of his time. The much-celebrated saga of royal love was brought to life by dexterous and skilled artisans from places as far away as Delhi, Kannauj, Lahore, Multan, Baghdad, Shiraz and Bukhara.
Construction began in 1631, and over 20,000 workmen and master craftsmen worked laboriously for 22 years to give shape to the emperor's passionate dream! The material was brought in from all over India and central Asia and it took a fleet of 1,000 elephants to transport it to the site. The complex was finally completed in 1653 at a cost of 32 Million Rupees (approx USD 68000) on the banks of river Yamuna in Agra, the capital of the Mughal monarchs.
But the beauty of Taj Mahal is also tainted by the gory fact that the hands of some of the master craftsmen were amputated... to ensure that the perfection of the Taj could never be repeated ever again!
In1612, Arjumand Banu Begam, a Muslim Persian princess better known by her other name, Mumtaz Mahal was married to Shah Jahan (then Prince Khurram), the fifth Mughal emperor. Mumtaz, the emperor's second wife, was her husband's comrade and counselor. An inseparable companion on all his journeys and military expeditions, she inspired the emperor to do acts of charity and benevolence towards the weak and the needy.
Mumtaz bore 14 children, and when she died during childbirth in 1631, Shah Jahan was so heartbroken that all his hair and beard were said to have turned snow-white in a few months! Overpowered by grief, Shah Jahan decided to immortalize the memory of his beloved wife by building the finest sepulcher ever - a monument of eternal love. Herein lies the genesis of the Taj Mahal.
The construction documents show that its master architect was Ustad Ahmed Lahori, the renowned Islamic architect of his time. The much-celebrated saga of royal love was brought to life by dexterous and skilled artisans from places as far away as Delhi, Kannauj, Lahore, Multan, Baghdad, Shiraz and Bukhara.
Construction began in 1631, and over 20,000 workmen and master craftsmen worked laboriously for 22 years to give shape to the emperor's passionate dream! The material was brought in from all over India and central Asia and it took a fleet of 1,000 elephants to transport it to the site. The complex was finally completed in 1653 at a cost of 32 Million Rupees (approx USD 68000) on the banks of river Yamuna in Agra, the capital of the Mughal monarchs.
But the beauty of Taj Mahal is also tainted by the gory fact that the hands of some of the master craftsmen were amputated... to ensure that the perfection of the Taj could never be repeated ever again!
Forts and Palaces of Agra:
The Mughal Emperor Akbar constructed Agra Fort in 1565, however the additions were made till the time of his grandson Shah Jahan. The forbidding exteriors of this fort hide an inner paradise. There are a number of exquisite buildings like Moti Masjid-a white marble akin to a perfect pearl; Diwani-i-Aam, Diwan-i-Khaas, Musamman Burj-where Shah Jahan died in 1666 A.D. Jahangir’s Palace; Khaas, Musamman Burj-where Shah Jahan died in 1666 A.D. Jahangir’s Palace; Khaas Mahal and Shish Mahal.
Red Fort:
Red Fort also known as ‘Lal Quila’. It is made of red sandstones, it is one of the most magnificent monuments in Delhi. It was built by Emperor Shah Jahan in 1639. It is a place where the National Flag was hosted for the first time, when India gained her Independence on 15th August, 1947.