Itmad-ud-Daulah's Tomb - Its Cenotaphs Formation Replicated In The Taj Mahal

 ITMAD-UD-DAULAH'S TOMB

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AGRA

The city of Agra is full of architectural wonders. On one hand, it has the famous Taj Mahal, and on the other hand, it has the Agra Fort and Itmad-ud-Daulah's mausoleum. Itmad-ud-Daulah's tomb is a highly ornate edifice, which is looked upon as an imminent precursor of the Taj Mahal as far as elaborate carvings and inlay work are concerned. The tomb marks a significant departure from the tombs of the Mughal dynasty built before its construction.

The pure white and elaborately carved tomb of Itmad-ud-Daulah conforms to the Islamic style of architecture. The use of arched entrances, octagonal shaped towers or minarets, use of exquisitely carved floral patterns, intricate marble-screen work and inlay work are all representative of the Islamic style. The absence of a dome and the presence of a closed kiosk on top of this building and the use of chhatris (small domed canopies, supported by pillars) atop the four towers (minarets) instead of proper domes are reflective of local influence.

The tomb of Itmad-ud-Daulah is as interesting as the life of the person for whom it was built. Mirza Ghiyas-ud-din or Ghiyas Beg (later known as Itmad-ud-Daulah) was a poor merchant and lived in Persia (modern-day Iran). While on his way to India for business, his wife gave birth to a baby girl. As the family was extremely poor and had nothing to eat, the parents decided to abandon the child. However, the wails of the baby girl forced the parents to come back and take her with them. The baby girl brought a stroke of good luck to her parents, for Ghiyas Beg found a caravan that straightaway took him to the court of the great Mughal Emperor, Akbar. In the course of time, Ghiyas Beg rose to become a minister and a trusted treasurer in Akbar's court. After Akbar's death in 1605, his son Jahangir became the Mughal emperor, who made Ghiyas Beg his chief minister or Wazir. Ghiyas Beg was also honored with the title of Itmad-ud-Daulah or the pillar of the state.

Ghiyas Beg's daughter grew up to be a beautiful lady and came to be known as Mehr-un-Nissa or the sun of womankind. In the course of time, the fame of her beauty spread. She was married off, but she soon became a widow. She returned to the court of Jahangir where her father was employed. Emperor Jahangir fell in love with her and married her. She soon became a powerful personality in Jahangir's court and was called Nur Mahal, the light of the palace, and Nur Jahan, light of the world. When Ghiyas Beg (Itmad-ud-Daulah) died in 1622, Nur Jahan undertook the project to build his mausoleum. Later she built the tomb of her husband (in a similar style) in Lahore. Nur Jahan had a brother whose daughter was married to Jahangir's son, Shahjahan. She was known as Mumtaz Mahal in whose memory Shahjahan built the world famous Taj Mahal.

Itmad-ud-Daulah was buried in a tomb that resembles a jewel box and set in a garden. This tranquil, small, garden located on the banks of the Yamuna was to inspire the construction of the Taj Mahal in the later years. It is the first tomb in India built entirely in white marble. The tomb is also justly famous for the glorious pietra dura (stone inlay) decoration depicting cypresses, wine glasses, and an amazing variety of geometrical arabesque. The jali screens set in arched recesses are splendid. Four small minarets rise at the four corners of the small tomb structure. The whole structure gives the impression of an enlarged precious object. Due to the profusion of intricate work done on marble and the beautiful marble screen-work, the tomb easily qualifies as a veritable forerunner of the famous Taj Mahal.

By Air 

Agra’s Kheria Airport is located at a distance of 12.5 kilometers from the city center. The airport is a seasonal commercial airport which serve only Air India flights from New Delhi. It normally takes an hour to reach Agra from New Delhi by air. Taxis are easily available and will take you to your hotel or any other tourist destination you want to reach.

By Train

The beautiful, historical city of Agra is easily accessible by road and has four main railway stations-the Agra Cantonment, Agra Fort, Idgah Agra junction and Raja ki Mandi. The stations are well connected to major cities and tourist locations in India. Moreover, some superfast trains are also available that connect Agra to Kolkata, Delhi and Mumbai. Taxis, cabs and rickshaws are easily available to carry travelers to their destinations.

By Bus

Agra can be conveniently accessed by bus from all the major cities and locations of India like Delhi, Lucknow, Kanpur and Gwalior etc. Agra city has two major bus terminals-The Idgah Bus Stand and the Interstate Bus Terminus (ISBT). You can also opt for self-drive or rent a cab.

Taj Deserves Your Visit Once And More

YOU DESERVE TO VISIT 

    

  The Taj! Once More!

One knows that ‘The Taj’ is one amongst the World’s Wonders!

One knows that it is one amongst the UNESCO World Heritage Sites!!

One knows The Taj as a legend of eternal love of an Emperor for his favourite Queen!!!

Well, ‘The Taj’ has distinctions much beyond just these!

Therefore, ‘The Taj’, surely, deserves your visit once and more!!!

Come, Walk along the pathway beside the reflecting pool with fountains upto the mausoleum crafted in soft & pure marble and jewelled with semi precious stones, where in the serenity of paradise rests the Queen in peace with her King. Come to unfold the pages from the past to churn the charm out of its mystique and enrich your imagination about this marvel of an epic in stone, The Taj!

The grace of perfection of proportions and grandeur of geometrical patterns of well appointed gardens enhancing the poise of the whole complex together add magnificence to the delicacy of this mance of love, dedication and purity, ‘The Taj’!

Come take a dip into the saga of ‘The Taj’, culled out from no fiction but facts and unfurl a saga, which is set out of nothing but pure love!

Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder! Probably for Taj Mahal, the axiom is just the other way round.The Taj is the beauty personified! The Taj displays its different moods through its varied shades. The Taj has as many shades as any kind of beauty can ever have! The Taj is pinkish in the morning, milky white in the evening, golden when the moon shines and the intermediary variants during different hours of the day and during different seasons in a year.

Picturesque descriptions by the historians contemporary to the period of its making, the facts revealed by the scholars & archaeologists of today and the panoramic montage of the reasons behind its making are sketched with every step you would walk towards the mausoleum the next time you visit The Taj!

A look this time at the Taj will keep you indulged with thoughts superimposing your sight and would make you feel the presence of Shah Jahan, the Maker and Mumtaz Mahal, the Reason, as though walking along with you.

Whence its breathtaking splendour makes you wonder breathlessly and you tend to pause for a while but to continue staring at ‘The Taj’, you would sense them standing beside you!

If one has a heart that beats and that beat throbs to seek, the purity of love in galore! Surely one deserves a visit to ‘The Taj’, as much as ‘The Taj’ deserves your visit once, and more!

Come to ‘The Taj’ with blissful pride! Bring the saga come alive!!

Come; fall in love, every time!!!            

       

Taj Mahal Visiting Duration:

Sunrise to Sunset (Friday Closed) & Other Monuments -from sunrise to sunset

Entry Fee For Taj Mahal

S.No.	Tourist Type	Amount (Rs.) (Inclusive of ASI & ADA fees )
1	Foreign tourist	1000/-
2	Citizens of SAARC  and BIMSTEC Countries	530/-
3	Domestic/Indian	Rs. 40/-

Note-

For all the World Heritage Sites tickets are available on Ticket Counters of World Heritage Sites in India.

A composite ticket of Taj Mahal (Inclusive of ASI & ADA fees) is available at all World Heritage Sites in india.

No Entry fee for children below the age of 15 years. (both Domestic and Foreigner)     

Ticketing   

Entre Fee For Various Monuments In Agra

ENTRY FEES FOR 

VARIOUS MONUMENTS

 IN AGRA

ENTRY FEE FOR VARIOUS MONUMENTS IN AGRA
Monuments	For Indian Tourist			For Foreign Tourist
	A.S.I.	A.D.A.	Total	A.S.I.	A.D.A.	Total
	Rs.	Rs.	Rs.	Rs.	Rs.	Rs.
Taj Mahal	30	10	40	500	500	1000
Taj Museum, Taj Mahal	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil
Agra Fort	30	10	40	500	50	550
Fatehpur Sikri	30	10	40	500	10	510
Akbar's Tomb Sikandra	15	5	20	200	10	210
Mariyam Tomb, Sikandra	15	Nil	15	200	Nil	200
Ram Bagh	15	Nil	15	200	Nil	200
Itmad-ud-Daula	15	5	20	200	10	210
Mehtab Bag	15	Nil	15	200	Nil	200

Note-

Tourists are supposed to buy both the ASI and ADA tickets to visit the various monuments in Agra.
For All the monuments ASI Charges Indian fee from the nnationals of SAARC and BIMSTEC countries while no such provision has been made ADA tickets.
No entry fee for children below the age of 15 years (both Indian and Foreigner).
Taj Mahal is closed on every Friday.
Agra Development Authority (A.D.A.) does not levy any toll tax on Friday at any monument.
Ticket window & cloak room for Taj Eastern Gate are available at Shilpgram and Cloak room for Taj Western Gate is available at Taj Shopping Complex.

Four Gateway Of Entry To Taj Mahal

ENTRY TO TAJ MAHAL

The four storeyed main gateway of the Taj Mahal is 100 feet high and is built in red sandstone. The Arabic calligraphy from the Holy Quran and motifs of entwined flowers, leaves and vines spiraling down its niches. These motifs have been made by semi-precious stones inlaid in the white marble.

The  Southern Gate  

The Gate is towards the south, Which faces the old Mumtazabad (Modern Taj Ganj). It is meant for the pedestrians. On the right side of this gate is a Tomb of red stone which is surrounded by court yards and crowded with a dome. It is said that this is a grave of one lady companion of Mumtaj Mahal. Due to this reason this building is called as the Tomb of a Maid of Honour.

It stand on an evelated square measuring 156 feet each way. In the central chamber, there are two uninscribed tombs of marble stone. The platform of the building is octagonal and the cupola is turnip-shaped. No historian has given an account of these graves, yet they agree with this probability that these graves may belong to the personal ward attendants of Mumtaz Mahal. Just opposite this building, there is a red stone edifice of the same type.

The  Eastern Gate 

This gate faces towards Fatehabad. There is a domed tomb erected on an elevated platform near this gate. This Tomb was built in the memory of another wife of Shah Jahan called Sirhindi begum. Due to this, the gate is known as ‘Sirhi Darwaza’.The main building is eight sided, having twenty four arches,a big hall and a verandah.

The Western Gate 

It is the main entrance to the Taj Mahal and this gate faces towards the Agra cantonment and Agra city.There is a red sand stone edifice outside this gate which is known as Fatehpur Begum another wife of Shah Jahan. It is erected on a beautiful terrace.The count yard is paved and its measurements are 130 feet and some 175 to 200 persons can perform Namaz in here.

The Gate Way To The Taj Mahal 

This gate way is an octagonal entrance hall, surrounded by small rooms on both the sides of the floors having beautifully ornamented gates on two sides, one opening towards the court yard side and the other to wards the Mausoleum itself. On the three sides of this gateway, there are strong balconies. The Gateway is a master piece of fine inlay work in itself.

Refurbishment Work Of The Main Dome Of Taj Mahal Is Under Process

You will not be able to see the dome of Taj 

Mahal for a year; here's why

If you don't travel to Agra anytime soon, you might have to wait a year to see the Taj Mahal in its best form.

When things start getting messy, you do need to find a way to fix it. But this one seems heartbreaking for travellers, although necessary.

According to a report by The Times of India, the main dome of Agra's Taj Mahal will get a mud-pack therapy so that the white marble can get rid of the yellowness it has got over time.

And the worst part? It will take over a year for this process to complete. Which simply means that travellers will have to wait for a year just to see the Wonder of the World in its full glory.

Reportedly, the project will be carried by the Archaeological Survey of India's (ASI) science branch and they have already requested the civil department for a no objection certificate for the purpose.

Restoration work of the Taj Mahal is already under progress and thus three out of its four minarets have already been restored. The conservation work of the dome is slated to take place only after the restoration of the fourth minaret is complete. As revealed to TOI by a senior official of ASI, the work will be started by April 2017.

In case you are wondering what caused the white marble dome to yellow, it is simply because the monument has been affected by an oil refinery in the vicinity, factory fumes, and burning of garbage and dung cakes around it, reveals a report by The Huffington Post.

Every traveller would want the Taj Mahal to look best at all times, and thus support the restoration work it needs to go through. But in case you have been longing to see the legendary monument, you better make your travel plans to Agra in the upcoming winter.

Uttar Pradesh Government Approved Audio Guides For Tourists In Taj Mahal And Agra Fort

Government Approved Audio Guides for Tourists

Government Approved Audio Guides for Tourists

Handheld audio guides are now available for all visitors at the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort. Visitors can now take self-guided tours with an audio guide and accompanying map in a language of their choice. These audio guides provide authentic information and are available in several foreign and Indian languages including English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Hindi and Bengali.

Created in partnership with the Archeological Survey of India, these Audio Guides can be conveniently rented adjacent to the ticket counters at the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort for Rs. 105 (including taxes) for English and foreign languages, and Rs. 63 (including taxes) for Indian languages. For more information, please visit http://www.audiocompass.in or contact our AudioCompass at +91-5622331686.

In Frequently Asked questions:

Question: How do I arrange a tour guide for the Taj Mahal?

Answer: Government Approved Handheld audio guides are now available for all visitors at the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort. Visitors can now take self-guided tours with an audio guide and accompanying map in a language of their choice. These audio guides provide authentic information and are available in several foreign and Indian languages including English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Hindi and Bengali.

Created in partnership with the Archeological Survey of India, these Audio Guides can be conveniently rented adjacent to the ticket counters at the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort for Rs. 105 (including taxes) for English and foreign languages, and Rs. 63 (including taxes) for Indian languages. For more information, please visit http://www.audiocompass.in or contact our AudioCompass at +91-5622331686.

Delhi To Agra Same Day Tour By Delhi Tourism

Same Day Agra Tour

Operating Schedule: Every Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday

Departure:- 7.00 am
Return:- 10.30 pm

Places are Visits

Taj Mahal: The most elaborate tomb ever erected , in memory of beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal in 1652, Emperor Shah Jahan. Taj Mahal is built of pure white Marble and is considered to be one of the seven wonders of the world. 

Sikandra (Akbar`s Tomb): Akbar`s mausoleum lies here. It is a combination of Hindu, Muslim, and Persian Architecture.

Agra Fort: Built by three generations of Mughal Emperors, in around 100 years and is about 400 years old.

TARIFF ADULT :- Rs. 1134/-
CHILD:- Rs. 979/-

NOTE: Including A/C Transport, Breakfast and Guide.

Please visit Delhi Tourism

Agra Fort – Most Of The Buildings Within The Agra Fort Are A Blend Of Special Architectural Styles

RED FORT 

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AGRA

Agra Fort is a UNESCO World heritage site located in Agra, India. The fort is also known as Lal Qila, Fort Rouge and Red Fort of Agra. It is about 2.5km northwest of its much more famous sister monument, the Taj Mahal.

The Fort can be more accurately described as a walled palatial city. Akbar was the third Mughal emperor and undoubtedly the greatest. He was crowned the Mughal ruler in 1556 at the tender age of 14, when his father Humayun died suddenly.

Akbar  after consolidated his rule, he began constructing the Agra Fort. It worked both as a military strategic point as well as the royal residence.

Agra played an important center of Mughal Empire. It was in a ruined condition and Akbar decided to make it his capital and arrived in Agra in 1558 Akbar had it rebuilt with red sandstone.

Architects laid the foundation and it was built with bricks in the inner core with sandstone on external surfaces. Some 1,444,000 builders worked on it for eight years, completing it in 1573.

At the end of his life, his son Aurangzeb, in the fort, a punishment that might not seem so harsh, considering the luxury of the fort, imprisoned Shah Jahan. Nearly 500 Akbari buildings built in the Bengal and Gujarati traditions only a few have survived, arrayed in a band on the riverfront.

The various buildings within this sprawling fort complex represent the assimilation of different cultures, which was the mark of the Mughal period. Jahangiri Mahal (Jahangiri’s Palace), the fort mainly served military purpose. While by the time of Shahjahan it also served as a palace and court. 

The Fort’s colossal double walls rise 20m in height and measure 2.5km in circumference. The Fort is surrounded by a moat. The magnificent towers, bastions and ramparts and majestic gateways symbolized the confidence and power of the third Mughal emperor.

The Fort contains splendid palaces both in red sandstone and white marbles built by two generations of prolific builders, Akbar and later on by Jahangir and Shahjahan.

Most of the buildings within the Agra Fort are a mixture of different architectural styles. The assimilation of these different styles has given the buildings within the fort a distinctive look.

For instance, the Jahangiri Palace built by Akbar is a good blend of Islamic (persian) and different local Hindu styles. Other buildings either have a mixed style or conform predominantly to the Islamic style.

By Air

Agra’s Kheria airport is also a military base. It is a seasonal commercial airport and is connected only by air india flights from New Delhi. The flight from Delhi to Agra is less than an hour long. Kheria airport is 13 km away from Agra city.

By Train

There are regular trains to Agra from cities like Delhi,Jaipur,Gwalior and Jhansi. Agra is also well connected to cities in other parts of the country. The main railway station is Agra cantt station. Taj Mahal and Agra Fort are a short distance away from Agra Cantt station.

By Bus

Agra is well connected by bus to cities like Delhi, Jaipur,Gwalior, Lucknow and Kanpur. Daily buses ply between these cities.

TAJ MAHAL

TAJ MAHAL

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AGRA

Taj mahal is considered one of the world’s most iconic landmarks, and elected as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, the Taj Mahal is a living testament to grandeur, romance, and historical significance. As India’s most recognizable structure, the Taj Mahal was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory to his favorite wife. Its interior is complete with blossoming and vibrant exotic gardens, reflecting pools, and an impressive mosque.

Mumtaz Mahal, an inseparable companion of Shah Jahan, died in 1631, while giving birth to their 14th child. It was in the memory of his beloved wife that Shah Jahan built a magnificent monument as a tribute to her, which we today know as the "Taj Mahal".

The construction of Taj Mahal started in the year 1631. Masons, stonecutters, inlayers, carvers, painters, calligraphers, dome-builders and other artisans were requisitioned from the whole of the empire and also from Central Asia and Iran, and it took approximately 22 years to build what we see today.

 An epitome of love, it made use of the services of 22,000 laborers and 1,000 elephants. The monument was built entirely out of white marble, which was brought in from all over India and central Asia. After an expenditure of approximately 32 million rupees, Taj Mahal was finally completed in the year 1653.

The best time to arrive would be just before the sunrise or sunset. Night viewing is allowed on the full moon night, two days before it and two days after it.

Tickets for the same need to be booked one day in advance.

Visiting Hours: Taj Mahal Sunrise to Sunset (Friday Closed) other monuments sunrise to sunset.

By Air
The fastest way of reaching Taj Mahal, Agra is by air. The city of Taj, Agra, has its own airport that is around 7 km from the city center. Indian Airlines operates flights to Agra on a daily basis.

By Rail
There is a good network of trains connecting Agra with the rest of the country. Apart from the main railway station of Agra Cantonment, there are other two stations also, that of Raja-ki-Mandi and Agra Fort. The main trains connecting Agra with Delhi are Palace on Wheels, Shatabdi, Rajdhani, and Taj Express.

By Road
There are regular bus services from Agra to a number of important cities. The main bus stand of Idgah has a number of buses running for Delhi, Jaipur, Mathura, Fatehpur-Sikri, etc.