I remember a line from one of my favourite book To Kill a Mockingbird where Atticus replies to ‘Scout’ that “you can kill as many Blue jays as you want, but it is a sin to kill a Mockingbird”. Now the context in which I remembered these lines are travel in India. Actually what I wanted to say is the same when it comes to travel in India which happens to be the fact that you can tour any attraction/destinations in India as you want; but it is simply unforgivable to give a miss to the Taj Mahal. A tour to India or for that matter any holiday or traveling which involves India is incomplete without a trip to Taj Mahal.

For many travelers and people around the world, the image of the Taj Mahal is synonymous with the image of India – I remember watching the Independence Day  movie where Taj Mahal is flashed to represent India as the World/U.S fights the final battle with Aliens on 4th of July to save the world…so stereotypical…Isn’t it?? Saving the day for whole world as they have always done J

Well digressions apart, Taj Mahal is indeed the most famous icon of India when it comes to international travelers and dignitaries alike. Taj Mahal has seen many a state dignitaries and Kings and princesses and actors making their obeisance to this spectacular monument of love. Voted as one of the seven modern Wonders of the World, the Taj Mahal has been recognized by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Taj Mahal is one of the best preserved and definitely one of the greatest man-made structures in the world.

Taj Mahal is a mausoleum built by order of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan to commemorate his beloved wife Mumtaj Mahal. The work on this jewel of Indo-Persian architecture began under the orders of Ustad Ahmad Lahori in 1631 and took almost 22 years and 20000 laborers to complete it.

Situated on the bank of Yamuna amidst the 17 Hectares of lush Mughal Garden entered through s pavilion on the main axis, the Taj Mahal is an artistic fusion of the finest elements of pre Islam Hindu Architecture and motifs from Moorish Architecture. Taj Mahal is bounded by four isolated minarets with central focus being the tomb epitomizing the artist’s penchant for symmetry.   Throughout the complex, passages from the Qur'an are used as decorative elements.

The inner chamber is an octagon with the design allowing for entry from each face, although only the door facing the southern garden is used for the purpose. Each chamber wall has been highly decorated with bas-relief, elaborate lapidary veneer and polished inscription panels; kind of miniature reflection of the detailed design elements seen throughout the exterior of the complex itself. The cenotaph of the Mumtaz Mahal's is placed at the exact center of the inner chamber. The Ninety Nine Names of God can be observed calligraphic inscriptions on the sides of the actual tomb of Mumtaz Mahal, in the sepulcher.

The Taj Mahal complex is bounded on three sides by crenellated red sandstone walls, with the river-facing side left open. There are quite a few other mausoleums outside the walls. At the far end of the complex, there are two grand red sandstone buildings that are open to the sides of the tomb. The western building is a mosque and the other, precise mirror image of the other, is the jawab (answer), primary purpose being architectural balance of the complex. The Taj Mahal's pure white marble shimmers silver in the moonlight, glows softly pink at dawn, and at close of day reflects the fiery tints of the setting Sun. A trip to Taj Mahal is most recommended if you are on a vacation or tours to India.

Central iwan of the Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal from Mehtab Bagh