The tales of prince and princesses had been indelible to our minds since childhood. We have read and heard a lot of stories, fictitious and real, from our parents, from the books that we peruse in school, from the television show that we follow and the list will never end.
We can all agree that stories of royalty had been enjoyable to hear because it is with these kind of things that we can say that even the most affluent beings had been afflicted by love. Grief-stricken by the demise of his third wife, Shah Jahan, a real-life emperor, had turned his sorrow into an architectural wonder which is now we know as The Taj Mahal.
LOCATION
The location for Taj Mahal was clearly a well thought out decision by Shah Jahan who chose a peaceful site about one and a half miles away from Agra at the southern edge of the city at the banks of river Yamuna.
This location also had a strategic importance for the emperor, as it could be seen from his palace in the Agra Fort. The closeness to the river Yamuna not only gave this location a scenic edge, but also met the need for water during construction purposes and laying out the garden.
Moving on to the Taj, the entire complex consists of a number of buildings comprising of a mosque, a guesthouse and the mausoleum, housing both the tombs of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan. A long and beautiful walkway leads to the main mausoleum, which is built of pure white marble.
Four waterways divide the gardens that stand in front of the Taj into four parts and then, meet in a pool at the center. It is believed that half of the beauty of Taj Mahal comes from this strategic location where it stands.
CLIMATE
The location of the Taj Mahal is in Uttar Pradesh in India and is primarily under the humid subtropical with dry winter type of climate. Some climate experts dubbed this weather phenomenon as the tropical monsoon. Summers in where the Taj Mahal is located experiences extremely hot winters and the most-awaited rainy season can be on the extremes of utterly wet or very dry.
Due to the strategic positioning of the Taj Mahal, one must surmise that the sun brings out the majestic and magnificent view of this structure every time the sun’s rays hit its marbled components.
TRANSPORTATION
With Taj Mahal being in the premises of the Agra city and the city itself being the 19th most populous city of India, getting to it and the stupendous Taj Mahal isn’t much of a problem. The Taj Mahal is located within 6 km of distance from the Agra city centre and is easily accessible by auto rickshaw or a cab.
With the city being well connected by national highways, it is easily accessible through road from all major cities in India. The three railway stations: Agra Cantt, Agra Fort Railway station (from where the Taj is at 10-15 minutes of walking distance), and Raja ki Mandi connect almost all cities of the country and make access to the city of Taj an easy affair.
For those who are extremely busy but still do not want to miss an opportunity to immerse them in the beauty of the Taj Mahal, getting to Agra by flight would be the easiest way out. Agra airport, which is around 6 km from the city centre, has Indian Airways’ flights flying in and out on a daily basis.
WHAT TO SEE
Aside from the fact that the Taj Mahal is the best attraction to lay your eyes on whenever in Uttar Pradesh, below are some of the other attractions that you can also visit nearby:
Agra Fort
One of the famous tourist places near Taj Mahal, India, is the Agra Fort. Situated near Taj Mahal, it was constructed by the Emperor Akbar in the year 1565.
However, numerous additions were carried on in this fort, till the time of Shah Jahan. A beautiful example of Mughal architecture made up of entirely of red sandstone, it is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Akbar’s Tomb, Sikandra
The tomb of Akbar, situated at Sikandra, is the last resting place of the Mughal Emperor, Akbar the Great and is only 13 km from the Agra Fort.
The architectural style of this tomb is quite different from almost all the other tombs of the Mughals. This pyramidal tomb was completed by Akbar’s son Jahangir in the year 1613 and has the 99 names of Allah inscribed on it.
Fatehpur Sikri
The deserted city of Fatehpur Sikri is situated near Agra. Constructed by Mughal Emperor Akbar, it was completed in the year 1584. Located 35 Km from Agra, it is one-of-its-kind city and is counted amongst the most majestic cities of the Mughal Empire.
It’s also one of three UNESCO World Heritage Sites situated in Agra, other two being Taj Mahal and Agra Fort.
Itmad-ud-Daulah Tomb
Noor Jahan, the wife of Jahangir, got the Itmad-ud-Daulah’s tomb constructed in between 1622 and 1628 AD. It was constructed in the memory of her father Ghiyas-ud-Din Beg.
Located on the left bank of river Yamuna, the tomb is an opulent structure and is considered to be an antecedent of the Taj Mahal because of its intricate carvings and inlay work.
Mankameshwar Temple
About 2.5 km from Taj Mahal and less than 1 km away from Agra Fort is located one of the four ancient temples dedicated to Lord Shiva that stand on each corner of the Agra city.
It is surrounded by the markets of the Mughal era gone by.
Ram Bagh
Build by Babur in 1528, Ram Bagh is the oldest Mughal garden in India. Located on the banks of river Yamuna, less than 3 km away from Taj Mahal, it was designed so that the wind from the river coupled with greenery would help maintain cool during the peak summer days. The original name of this garden was Aram Bagh or the Garden of Relaxation.
Nenhum comentário:
Postar um comentário