The Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal
1632 and 1653

Who built it : Shah Jahan, 5th Emperor of the Mughal Dynasty

Time : 21 years
Location : Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India

Why was it built : As a memorial to Shah Jahan’s beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal after her death in 1631

Dimensions : situated in a 170000 sq. m complex; 57 m at the base; 68 m in height and raised platform height 6 m

Materials used : White Marble for the main mausoleum, Red Sandstone for fortifying structure and accents

Architect : Ustad Ahmed Lahori

Architectural Style : Mughal

Cost of Construction : 32 crore rupees

Maintained By : Archeological Survey of India (ASI)

Special Recognitions : Declared UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983 and winner of the New7Wonders of The World List Initiative between 2000 and 2007.

Visit Timing : Sunrise to Sunset; Closed on Fridays; Night tours are permitted between 8:30 pm to 12:30 am for a limited duration of 30 mins.

Entry Fee : By day, foreign citizens are charged Rs. 100, citizens from countries are charged Rs. 530, Indian citizens Rs. 40 and entry for children upto 15 yrs of age is free.
At night, entry fee for foreign, SAARC and BIMSTEC citizens remain same. Rs. 500 is charged for Indian citizens and children below the age of 3yrs have free entry.