Taj Mahal: History, Ticket Price, Booking Online, Timing And More

Taj Mahal, the finest mausoleum built on the lines of Mughal architecture, is known around the globe for its beauty, magnificence, and finely crafted marbles. The gorgeous monument stands pretty across the banks of river Yamuna and writes poetry with its reflection on the glittery waters, each evening. Viewed across the pages of the history of history and literature through a romantic lens, Agra's Taj Mahal is a result of 22 years of the tireless dedication of as many as 20,000 of the world's fine artists, masons and carvers. Thanks to the relief of online ticketing, you can now easily book your tickets online and behold the beauty of this historic masterpiece. Read below to find out more about the history of Taj Mahal, the ticket prices, online booking, and some interesting facts. 

History Of Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, dates back to the 17th century. It is believed that Shah Jahan, the then Mughal emperor, built the mausoleum in the memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. As per some historians, it was on her deathbed that the gorgeous empress asked Shah Jahan to build a mausoleum of such fineness that no one had ever seen before. It was in 1631 that the construction finally began and select artisans, carvers, inlayers, stonecutters, painters, calligraphers, dome-builders and other artists poured in from across the empire as well as Iran and Central Asia. Shah Jahan had set his eyes on the finest marble for the construction of Taj Mahal and did not shy from spending over 32 million rupees for the same. An epitome of love, Taj Mahal took 220000 labourers and 1000 elephants for completion, a detailed process that took 22 years.

Taj Mahal Timings And Entry Gates

Taj Mahal opens approximately half an hour before sunrise and closes half an hour before sunset. Visitors can enter the monument through-

• Taj Mahal Western Gate near Saheli Burj
• Taj Mahal Eastern Gate near

*Taj Mahal Southern Gate is currently open only for the exit. 

Taj Mahal Ticket Price And Online Booking 

Below are the ticket prices for visiting the Taj. 

• Foreign Tourist: Rs. 1100
• Citizens of SASRC and BIMSTEC countries: Rs. 540
• Domestic/Indian/OCI Cardholder: Rs. 50

Note-

• All the tourists need to buy an extra ticket worth Rs. 200 if they wish to visit the main mausoleum. 
• There is no entry fee for children below 15 years of age. 
• Taj Mahal is not open to visitors on Fridays. 

The official Archaeological Survey Of India approved websites for booking the online tickets are  asi.payumoney.com & www.asiagracircle.in.

Official Contact Details 

Calling Numbers: 

10 A.M.to 5 P.M:  +91 0562 2226431

06:30 AM to 09:30PM: +91 562 2421204

Official e-mail id for contact:

 info@tajmahal.gov.in

How To Reach Taj Mahal

By Air

Agra Airport is approximately 7 km from the main city centre. Indian Airlines operates flights to Agra on a daily basis.

By Train

Agra is well connected to the rest of the country with the rail network. 

Agra Cantt Railway Station, the main railway station in Agra is approximately 6-7 km. Visitors can also de-board at Raja-Ki-Mandi and Agra Fort railway stations. 

The main trains connecting Agra with Delhi are Palace on Wheels, Shatabdi, Rajdhani, and Taj Express.

By Road

The main bus stand of Idgah is well connected with major cities including Delhi, Jaipur, and Mathura. Frequent bus services connect these cities. Once in the city, visitors can hop on to local transportation services include taxi, tempo, auto-rickshaw, cycle-rickshaw. For adventure seekers, horse-driven tongas are also available. However, petrol and diesel operated vehicles are not permitted in the vicinity of the Taj Mahal. 

Interesting Facts About Taj Mahal

• Taj Mahal takes a pinkish hue in the morning, milky white in the evening and golden at night when illuminated by moonlight. These changing hues represent the changing moods of Mumtaz Mahal. 

• It is believed that Shah Jahan got the hands of all the artisans chopped off as the work on Taj Mahal completed. He did not wish another monument of this beauty to be built again. 

• As many as 28 different types of stones from Tibet, China, Sri Lanka and other parts of India were sourced for the decoration. Many of these were ripped off by the British army in 1857 during the first war of independence. 

• Rumours have it that one of the artisans made a small hole on the ceiling of the main hall perpendicularly above the tombstone of Mumtaz Mahal after Shah Jahan had decided to get their hands chopped off. 

• The minarets of Taj Mahal have been built in such a fashion that they tilt outwards. This has been done to protect it from natural calamities like earthquakes.

• Taj Mahal appears smaller as you move towards it. This optical illusion of the monument growing big as one moves away from it is intentional.