Location: Agra- Uttar Pradesh- India
Year of Construction: 1631-1653
Built By: Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan
Area: 42 acres
Best known as: One of the Seven Wonders of the World

Taj Mahal of India - "the epitome of love", this extravagant monument of love is one of the most visited and most photographed place in the world. The beauty of this magnificent monument is such that it is beyond the scope of words. The thoughts that come into the mind while watching the Taj Mahal of Agra is not just its phenomenal beauty, but the immense love which was the reason behind its construction. Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan got this monument constructed in the memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, with whom he fell in love at the first sight. The very first sight of the Taj Mahal, the epitome of love and romance leaves one mesmerized.

Standing majestically on the banks of River Yamuna, the Taj Mahal was the culmination point of Indo-Persian archtecture. It is believed that the name "Taj Mahal" was derived from the name of Shah Jahan wife Mumtaz Mahal and means "Crown Palace". The purity of the white marble, the exquisite ornamentation, precious gemstones used and its picturesque location, all make Taj Mahal travel gain a place amongst the most popular ones. However, unless and until, one knows the love story behind the Tajmahal of India, it will come up as just a beautiful building. But, the love behind this outstanding monument is what has given a life to this monument. Taj Mahal is the living symbol of the monumentalpassion of Shah jahan and Arjumnad Banu, better known as Mumtaz-i-Mahal.

History Of Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal, was constructed by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. He erected this mausoleum in the memory of his beloved wife, Arjumand Bano Begum, popularly known as Mumtaz Mahal, who died in A.D. 1630 while giving birth to their fourteenth child , she was 39 years old when she is died. According to the history of Taj Mahal it is believed that her dying wish to her husband was "to build a tomb in her memory such as the world had never seen before." Indeed, centuries later, no tomb has been able to even remotely equal the glory of the marvelous Taj.

The Mughal Emperors were always fond of constructing monuments. Today, when they are history, the structures constructed by them to keep on reminding the world of grandeaur.Taj Mahal history reveals that it was started in A.D. 1631 and completed at the end of 1648 A.D. It is believed that this beautiful and marvelous monument Taj mahal is the result of twenty thousand workmen toiling day and night and it take almost twenty two whole years to complete this monument at a cost of 32 Million Rupees. This monument takes such a long time in making that for the labourers a small town was built called 'Mumtazabad' - named after the deceased empress. The town is today known as Taj Ganj.

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 master architect of this Taj Mahal was Ustad-Isa, the renowned Islamic architect of his time.Amanat Khan Shirazi was the calligrapher of Taj Mahal, his name occurs at the end of an inscription on one of the gates of the Taj. Poet Ghyasuddin had designed the verses on the tombstone, while Ismail Khan Afridi of Turkey was the dome maker. Muhammad Hanif was the superintendent of Masons.

The material for the construction of the Taj was brought in from all over India and central Asia. It is believed that it took a fleet of 1000 elephants to transport it to the site. Red sandstone was brought from Fatehpur Sikri, Jasper from Punjab, Jade and Crystal from China, Turquoise from Tibet, Lapis Lazuli and Sapphire from Sri Lanka, Coal and Cornelian from Arabia and diamonds from Panna. In all 28 kind of rare, semi precious and precious stones were used for inlay work in the Taj Mahal. The chief building material, the white marble was brought from the quarries of Makrana, in Rajasthan. Thus the history of Taj Mahal shows us the organizing capacity of the Mughal Empire and the vision of Emperor Shah Jahan, who was able to bring together many skilled artisans to create this beautiful monument to eternal love.

Best Time To Visit Agra Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal is all time best place to visit. Visit the Taj in the morning and it will come up with a pinkish glow to it. As the day passes, the pinkish glow turns into milky white by the evening. However, the radiance of the Taj under the moonlight is beyond any explanation. The white marble adorned with semi-precious stones stands sparkling like a jewel. By now, we have answered your question of "when to visit Taj Mahal of Agra".

As per the climate of Agra, the peak season for Taj Mahal visit is the winter season i.e., from October to March. Otherwise, there is no such thing as "the best time" to visit this magnificent monument Taj Mahal. You may see Taj Mahal in any month of the year.