Taj Mahal

	Of all the world's great monuments,The Taj mahal is one of the most written about
	,Photographed, televised and talked about. to India's Nobel Laureate poet, Tagore
	,The Taj was a "tear drop on the face of humanity", a building to echo the cry "I
	have not forgotten, I have not forgotten, o beloved" and its mesmerizing power is 
	such that despite the hype, no one can comes away disappointed.

	Shaw Jahan, the fifth of the Great Mughals, was so devoted  to his favorite wife, 
	Mumtaz Mahal (Jewel of the Palace) that he could  not bear to  be parted from her 
	and insisted that she  always  travel  with him, in all  states of  health. While 
	accompanying him on a military campaign she died at the age of 39 giving birth to 
	their 14th child. On her deathbed, it is said that she  asked the emperor to show 
	the world how much they loved one another.

	According to the french traveller Tavnier, work on  the Taj commenced in 1632 and 
	took 22 years to  complete,  employing a  work force  of 20000. The red stone was 
	available locally but the white marble was  quarried at  Makrana in  Rajsthan and 
	transported 300 km by fleet of 1000 elephants. semi-precious stones for the inlay 
	came from far and wider. Red camelian from Baghdad; red, yellow  and brown Jasper 
	from Punjab; Green Jade and  Crystal  from  China,  blue lazuli from  Cylone  and 
	Afganistan;  turquoise  from  Tibet, Chrysolite  from  the  Egypt; amethyst  from 
	Persia; agates from  Yemen; dark  green  malachites  from  Russia; diamonds  from 
	central India and mother-of-Pearls from Indian Oceans.


	Some of other tourist places around

	1. Agra Fort (Red Fort)
	2. Mathura (50 km from Agra)
	3. Fatehpur Sikri


	How to reach here

	By Air

	Kheria airport is 7 km from city centre.

	By Train
	
	Train travel from Delhi is quickest  and  most  reliable.  Most  trains  use  Agra 
	contonment Railway station 5 km west on Taj Mahal. 
	From Delhi,  best  is  shatabdi  Express (2 1/4 hrs),  Punjab Mail (3 hrs), Kerala 
	Express  (2 3/4 hrs),  Taj Express  (2 1/2 hrs),  Lakshadweep  Express (2 1/2 hrs).
	From   Agra  to  Delhi: Shatabdi  express (2 1/2 hrs),  Taj  Express  (3 1/4  hrs), 
	Intercity Express (3 1/2 hrs)

	By Road

	Local Bus service covers  most-areas  and  main sights. Plenty  leave  from the Taj 
	Mahal area and the fort  Bus stand. Most  Long  distance  services leave from Idgah 
	Bus Stand including to Delhi (4-5 hrs) via Mathura (1 hr); Fatehpur  Sikri 940 km),
	1 hr), Bharatpur (2 hrs) , Khajuraho (10 hrs); Agra Fort Stand has additional Buses
	to Delhi, Lucknow (10 hrs) and Haridwar (12 hrs).
	Deluxe buses for Jaipur arrive and depart from a stop near Hotel Sakura.