Visit India's iconic Taj Mahal

Holidaymakers visiting India for the first time will want to seek out one of the country's most important visitor attractions, the Taj Mahal, but many will not be aware of the building's origins, or just how many sights there are to visit nearby.

The Taj Mahal was constructed as a mausoleum for Mumtaz Mahal, the favourite wife of the Muslim Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan.

The building took 17 years to build using a workforce of 20,000, and was finished 1654.

Though the domed tomb of the Taj Mahal is the best known section, the mausoleum is in fact a series of linked buildings.

The design of the building is influenced by Islamic, Persian, Hindu and Mughal architecture styles, reflected by the architects, craftsmen, calligraphers, sculptors and masons who came from all over India, Persia, Turkey and Iraq to work on the building.

Arriving at the walled grounds of the Taj Mahal, holidaymakers pass through a grand and ornate red-stone gate into the Taj Mahal's famous garden, which has rows and rows of fountains and square lawns.

At the foot of the garden is the tomb, which is made from marble and is decorated with precious jewels and carvings.

The other two major buildings in the grounds are two grand red sandstone buildings located either side of the tomb.

The western building is a mosque and its eastern mirror image is called the jawab or "answer", which is thought to be built for architectural balance more than any other reason, though it may been used as a guesthouse during Mughal times.

The Taj Mahal is located in the city of Agra, in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, on the banks of the Yamuna river, and has many other interesting sites for holidaymakers to visit.

One of the city's dominant structures is the Agra Fort (also known as the Red Fort), built in 1565.

The red sandstone fort was later converted into a palace and has a mosque and other places to see in its extensive, city-like grounds.

Also in Agra is Itmad-Ud-Daulah's tomb, which is sometimes called the Baby Taj as it is considered to be a small tomb in relation to others from the same era.

Its garden features white marble, inlay designs and latticework similar to the some buildings in the Taj Mahal.

Other places to see in the area include the large mosque Jama Masjid, noted for its unusual dome and absence of minarets, the monumental tomb Chini Ka Rauza, which has a dome of blue glazed tiles and Aaram Bagh, the oldest Mughal garden in India, dating from 1528.

Flights to India are available from www.travelhouseindia.com, www.expedia.co.uk, www.makemytrip.com, and www.travelocity.co.uk among others.

A list of approved hotels in Agra is available from www.incredibleindia.org.
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