One of the most flawless architectural creations of the world !! One of the most spectacular buildings of the world !! One of the proudest creations of the man !! – the Taj Mahal, the epitome of love, is renowned for its architectural magnificence and aesthetic beauty. This superb structure was built by the great Mughal Emperor Shahjahan in the memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. Completed in a time period of about 22 long years (1631 AD to 1653 AD), the Taj Mahal is counted among the seven wonders of the world.

Believed to be built on the last wish of Mumtaz Mahal, the structure has inspired poets, painters and musicians for years to capture its elusive magic in words, colours and songs. It took the labor of about 22,000 workersong> to construct the monument. A total of 28 types of precious and semi-precious stones (the white marble from Rajasthan, jasper from Punjab, jade and crystal from China, turquoise from Tibet, Lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, sapphire from Sri Lanka and the cornelian from Arabia etc.) were inlaid into the structure. The materials were brought from all over India and Asia, and over 1,000 elephants were used to transport building materials during the construction. During that era, when 1 gram of gold sold for 1.3 Rupees, the cost of construction of the Taj Mahal was about 40 million Rupees.

Located in the Agra city of Uttar Pradesh, this pure white marble structure comprises of five main components: the gateway (darwaza), the garden (charbagh), the mosque (masjid), the guest house (mehman khana), and finally the mausoleum. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in the year 1983. The best part of the structure is that it acquires different shades at different times of the day and with changing seasons. Tourists cross continents to come and see this ultimate memorial of love in India.