Taj Mahal & Agra Fort Photos from my tour of Incredible India

Taj Mahal, one of the most popular and most photographed mausoleum, is the monument of love built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan 1630 for his Queen Mumtaz Mahal. It is a story of love of the 17th century, where Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan built Taj Mahal for his Queen who died at childbirth while giving birth to the 14th princess after being married for 19 years. 

The architectural marvel is a perfectly proportioned masterpiece from the white marble and the skill of 20000 craftsmen from Turkey, France, Persia and Italy. It took 22 years to completely built this "Love Poem in Marble" 

After reading about this beautiful love story, it has been my wish to visit Taj Mahal one day. Finally I managed to go on the tour of Incredible India last week, visiting the golden triangle and Srinagar in Kashmir.

Upon entering, this is the bird's eye view of this famous Taj Mahal

It was full of tourists, which I noticed are mostly locals.

Other buildings around the main mausoleum Taj Mahal

It was late in the evening at around 5.30pm and the moon can be seen rising.

There is a park and river flowing behind

Photo taken at the side of Taj Mahal

To me, this story of Taj Mahal must be accompanied by the Agra Red Fort. 

Agra Red Fort is a UNESCO Heritage building, is a residence of the Mughal Dynasty.

This Agra fort is 380,00 square metre (94 acre) and has a semicircular plan, walls seven feet high and with its chord lies parallel to the river. It has been a place of battle from 1526 to 1556, later with Akbar rebuilt and completed it in 1573. It was Akbar's grandson, Shah Jahan, that the fort took its current state. 

At the entrance of Agra Red Fort

Legend has it that Shah Jahan, after building the Taj Mahal 2.5 KM away, wanted to have it in white marble as Taj Mahal.

Therefore, some of the buildings are of white marble.

  

But, alas, Shah Jahan was later deposed and restrained by his son, Aurangzeb. It is rumoured that Shah Jahan spend his last years confined in the fort looking at his beloved wife's mausoleum the Taj Mahal

View of Taj Mahal from the Agra Red Fort

Taj Mahal is 2.5 KM north west of Agra Fort. (the view that Shah Jahan saw for the last few years of his life). A sad love story!

Found this beautiful model in the grounds of the Agra Red Fort.

Personal conclusion: Beautiful love story but the actual building of Taj Mahal did not really impress me. It may be a grand piece of architecture in 17th century. Another reason maybe because I have visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi and the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey.

Related post on my Incredible India tour:

Fantastic scenic Gulmarg