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Even today Taj Mahal in Agra gets heads to turn in surprise and awe at its magnificence and symmetrical architecture. Built from 1631 to 1653, under the patronage of Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal who died in 1631 of childbirth. Taj Mahal in Agra, a symbol of undying love, is in reality a colossal mausoleum that houses the tombs of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan.
Built by nearly 20,000 skilled craftsmen under the expertise of architects from Arabia and Europe, Taj Mahal in Agra marks the height of Mughal architecture. Most of the men, it is believed, lost their fingers and hands so that Shah Jahan's monument of love can stay unparalleled till infinity. Though there are many attempted replicas of Taj Mahal in Agra, adorning the streets of the world, none have managed to rival the magnificence of the marble mausoleum.
Four, purely decorative, minarets are present on each corner of the platform on which the Taj Mahal stands. The reflection of Taj Mahal in the watercourse, which cuts through the ornamental gardens, is a mesmerizing sight. These ornamental gardens of Taj Mahal in Agra were designed along the Mughal Gardens' (charbagh) style that were in turn underlined by Persian Garden style first commissioned under Babar in Agra.
The red sandstone gateway inscribed with verses from Quran, fine floral engraving on marble, delicately carved marble screens that filter light into the mausoleum, inlaid semiprecious stones, and semi-translucent white marble and arches decorated with quotes from Quran and pietra dura are the details you cannot and should not miss out on, on your tour of Taj Mahal in Agra.
The Cenotaphs of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan, the western red sandstone mosque (for worship), and eastern red sandstone mosque (decorative) are some other places to visit within Taj Mahal in Agra upon your tour to Agra.
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