Memorable Taj Mahal Tour
Duration: 01 Night & 02 Days
Destinations Covered : Delhi - Agra - Delhi..!!
Highlights of the Tour
Taj Mahal, Rickshaw Ride, Tonga Ride, Red Fort, Sikandra, Idmat-ud-daula, Fatehpur Sikri at Agra
Destinations Covered : Delhi - Agra - Delhi..!!
Highlights of the Tour
Taj Mahal, Rickshaw Ride, Tonga Ride, Red Fort, Sikandra, Idmat-ud-daula, Fatehpur Sikri at Agra
Day 1 | Arrive Agra
“City of Taj – Symbol of Love”
“City of Taj – Symbol of Love”
- Arrive at the international airport, New Delhi.
- We will Meet & Greet you at the international airport, New Delhi.
- Get driven to Agra.
- This day visit, the highlight of the day – THE TAJ MAHAL, which was constructed by Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Construction of the Taj began in 1631 and was not completed until 1653.
- Enjoy the Rikshaw Ride, Tonga Ride, Battery Van Ride at Taj Mahal.
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Visit Agra Fort – A world heritage Site
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Overnight stay at Hotel.
Note- Taj Mahal is closed on every Friday.
Taj Mahal: It is regarded as one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and some Western historians have noted that its architectural beauty has never been surpassed. The Taj is the most beautiful monument built by the Mughals, the Muslim rulers of India. Taj Mahal is built entirely of white marble. Its stunning architectural beauty is beyond adequate description, particularly at dawn and sunset. The Taj seems to glow in the light of the full moon. On a foggy morning, the visitors experience the Taj as if suspended when viewed from across the Yamuna river. Taj Mahal was built by a Muslim, Emperor Shah Jahan (died 1666 C.E.) in the memory of his dear wife and queen Mumtaz Mahal at Agra, India. It is an "elegy in marble" or some say an expression of a "dream." Taj Mahal (meaning Crown Palace) is a Mausoleum that houses the grave of queen Mumtaz Mahal at the lower chamber.
The grave of Shah Jahan was added to it later. The queen’s real name was Arjumand Banu. In the tradition of the Mughals, important ladies of the royal family were given another name at their marriage or at some other significant event in their lives, and that new name was commonly used by the public. Shah Jahan's real name was Shahab-ud-din, and he was known as Prince Khurram before ascending to the throne in 1628. Taj Mahal was constructed over a period of twenty-two years, employing twenty thousand workers. It was completed in 1648 C.E. at a cost of 32 Million Rupees. The construction documents show that its master architect was Ustad ‘Isa, the renowned Islamic architect of his time. The documents contain names of those employed and the inventory of construction materials and their origin. Expert craftsmen from Delhi, Qannauj, Lahore, and Multan were employed. In addition, many renowned Muslim craftsmen from Baghdad, Shiraz and Bukhara worked on many specialized tasks. The Taj stands on a raised, square platform (186 x 186 feet) with its four corners truncated, forming an unequal octagon. The architectural design uses the interlocking arabesque concept, in which each element stands on its own and perfectly integrates with the main structure. It uses the principles of self-replicating geometry and symmetry of architectural elements. Its central dome is fifty-eight feet in diameter and rises to a height of 213 feet. It is flanked by four subsidiary domed chambers.
The four graceful, slender minarets are 162.5 feet each. The entire mausoleum (inside as well as outside) is decorated with inlaid design of flowers and calligraphy using precious gems such as agate and jasper. The main archways, chiseled with passages from the Holy Qur’an and the bold scroll work of flowery pattern, give a captivating charm to its beauty. The central domed chamber and four adjoining chambers include many walls and panels of Islamic decoration. The mausoleum is a part of a vast complex comprising of a main gateway, an elaborate garden, a mosque (to the left), a guest house (to the right), and several other palatial buildings. The Taj is at the farthest end of this complex, with the river Jamuna behind it. The large garden contains four reflecting pools dividing it at the center. Each of these four sections is further subdivided into four sections and then each into yet another four sections. Like the Taj, the garden elements serve like Arabesque, standing on their own and also constituting the whole.
Sikandra: Sikandra,the former capital of Lodi dynasty, was named after the Afghan ruler Sikander Lodi. The city of Sikandra, located at about 12 km fr om Agra, houses the tomb of Mughul Emperor Akbar. The design and construction of the tomb was started by Akbar himself and subsequently completed by his son Jehangir. The shape of the tomb is a truncated pyramid with five storeys. The first four storeys were constructed with red sandstone and the fifth one with white marble. The white marble storey comprises a false tomb of Emperor Akbar. The real tomb of Akbar is located in a crypt right below the false tomb. There are several well laid out gardens in the tomb complex. The Baradi palace in the gardens was built by Sikander Lodi. The ausoleum originally had four red sandstone gates. Now only the southern gate is used as the main entrance to the tomb. Besides the tomb of Akbar, Sikandra also houses the tombs of Mirza Ghiyas Beg, cenotaphs of Nur Jahan's parents Asmat Begum and Itmad-ud-Daula and Akbar's daughters Shakrul Nisha Begum and Aram Bano.
Agra Fort: When Babur sent his son Humayun to Agra, he captured the fort and seized a vast treasure, which included the world famous ‘Koh-i-noor’ diamond as well. Babur built a baoli (step-wall) here. Humayun was coronated here in 1530. Nazam, a water-carrier (saqqa), who had saved Humayun from drowning, was crowned here as an emperor for half-a-day. After Humayun’s defeat at Bilgram in 1540, Sher Shah of the Sur dynasty occupied Agra fort and garrisoned it.
Akbar arrived in Agra in 1558. He ordered to renovate the fort with red sandstone. Some 4000 builders daily worked on it and it was completed in 8 years (1565-1573). The fort, semi-circular on plan, is surrounded by a 21.4 m high fortification wall. Double ramparts have been provided here with broad massive circular bastions at regular intervals.
There are four gates on its four sides, one of the gates was called “khizri-gate” (the water gate) which opens to the river front, where ghats (quays) were provided .The fort has survived through the onslaught of time, nature and men. The fort spreads over an area of about 94 acres of land. At present, there exist more than two dozens of monuments in the Fort. Abul Fazl, a court historian of Akbar, records that 5000 buildings were built here beautifully in Bengali and Gujarati style. Most of these buildings have now disappeared. Shah Jahan himself demolished some of these in order to make room for his white marble palaces. Later, the British destroyed most of the buildings for raising barracks. Hardly 30 Mughal buildings have survived on the southeastern side. Of these, the Delhi-Gate, Akbari-Gate and ‘Bengali-Mahal’, are representative of buildings raised during the reign of Akbar. Jahangir mostly resided at Lahore and in Kashmir, though he visited Agra regularly and lived in the fort. Shah Jahan, a great builder, raised white marble palaces here. He also built three white marble mosques in it: Moti-Masjid, Nagina-Masjid and Mina-Masjid.Aurangzeb imprisoned Shah Jahan, his own father, in the fort for 8 years until he died in 1666 and was buried in the Taj Mahal. The barbicans around the two gates and on the riverside were built by Aurangzeb to strengthen its defenses. Though Shah Jahan had formally transferred his capital to Delhi, in 1638, he continued to live here. But after his death, Agra lost its grandeur. Aurangzeb remained busy in the regional conflicts and wars. Yet, time and again, he lived here and held the durbar. Shivaji came to Agra in 1666 and met Aurangzeb in the Diwan-i-Khas. Aurangzeb died in 1707 and 18th century history of Agra Fort is a saga of sieges and plunder during which it was held by the Jats and the Marathas and finally the British captured it from the latter in 1803.
Day 02 | Agra - New Delhi (by Road / Car: 205 kms approx in 4 hrs Drive) New Delhi – Fly Out
Early morning go to THE TAJ MAHAL once again and admire its magnificent view in the Dawn (sunrise). The view is so beautiful that many tourists come to see it and you can find many others like you there.
After breakfast proceed to Delhi.
This day according to your further flight schedule, get driven to the airport. Our executives will assist you at the international airport.
Thereafter you board a flight for your onward journey or way back home.
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