There are few sights in the world as iconic as the Taj Mahal. Located in the city of Agra, the grandeur of this magnificent monument is equaled only by the tragedy of its backstory – the tomb of a royal bride, created by a mourning emperor, who ended his days robbed of his empire, imprisoned in a gilded cell with a view of this beautiful, tragic mausoleum.
As the single most famous sight in the subcontinent, the Taj is a must-see on most India itineraries, particularly for travelers on the famous Golden Triangle circuit, linking Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur. However, the Taj is mobbed daily by sightseers from across India and worldwide, so get used to sharing the experience.
Here is an introduction to the history and legends surrounding India’s most famous building, and tips for making the trip of a lifetime.
The Taj Mahal stands in gorgeous Mughal gardens in the Taj Ganj district of Agra (often called Taj Mahal city), a historic but noisy metropolis of four million people on the hot, dusty plains of Uttar Pradesh in northern India.
Agra has a reputation as a hectic spot, but its historic wonders – not just the Taj, but nearby Agra Fort (a UNESCO World Heritage site) and a string of other Mughal monuments – make it worth braving the touts, pollution, and persistent rickshaw drivers.
The Taj Mahal is often described as the greatest monument built for love, but the Taj Mahal complex is actually a memorial to tragedy. When Mumtaz Mahal, the chief consort of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, died in childbirth in 1631, the heartbroken emperor devoted years and a considerable fortune to constructing a tomb worthy of his great love.
The mausoleum was finally completed in 1648 after years of painstaking chiseling and carving by the most skilled craftspeople in the Mughal Empire. The queen consort was interred in a private chamber at the heart of the monument, and Shah Jahan was later buried alongside his wife when he died in 1666.
The Taj is tucked into the curve of the south bank of the Yamuna River, a tributary of the sacred River Ganges, about 1.5km (1 mile) east of Agra Fort. The tomb’s eight rooms represent the hasht bihisht (eight paradises) and the Yamuna represents the rivers of milk and honey that wait for the virtuous in the afterlife.
The Taj shows perfect bilateral symmetry along an axis running through the center of the main dome and the surrounding formal garden. The only break in symmetry is found in the burial chamber, where the grave of Shah Jahan sits just to one side of the grave of Mumtaz Mahal set at the geometric center of the monument.
The elegant onion-dome atop the Taj Mahal is a perfect illustration of the complex geometry used in Islamic architecture. The base of
The website maxtravelz.com is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.
There’s no one easy answer to the question that is “When is the best time to visit India?” The good news is that, honestly, there’s no bad time to visit India. Given its huge size and varied landscapes, India has something to offer every traveler no matter the time of year: exciting festivals, diverse food and flavor profiles, ancient traditions woven seamlessly with modern technology, wildlife experiences, unique and luxurious hotels, cutting-edge fashion and style to inspire your shopping mood boards on Pinterest—the works. The biggest challenge is narrowing down where to go.
In 2008, the Travel Corporation (TTC) launched the TreadRight Foundation, a pioneering not-for-profit organization committed to making travel a force for positive change. With the inspiring motto "Make Travel Matter," the foundation has become a beacon of sustainable and responsible tourism.
It was dark when I arrived in India, the air was slothful with a gluey viscosity. I was still in college and had never traveled this far away from home before.
When it comes to deciding the best places to go in Oceania, a vast region that encompasses Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands, it’s easy to get lost in the superlative landscape of rugged peaks, lost valleys, neon reefs, and red-rock desert. For this year’s 2025 list, we cast the net wide and asked our team of experts and contributors to dig deep beyond just the obvious charms.
Few things in life are better than getting a great gift from someone you care about — especially when it's the gift of travel. Travel is a gift that keeps on giving and lasts way longer than expensive skin care products or kitchen gadgets that end up untouched in a random drawer. In fact, a recent survey from Hyatt found that 85% of consumers would rather receive a trip or vacation than a physical gift this holiday season.
India is firmly in the sights of a rapidly expanding Saudi low-cost airline. Flyadeal has ambitious plans to more than double the size of its fleet during the next four years. This will see it transform from a largely domestic airline to one with much greater international connectivity.
The Indian hospitality sector recorded 10.8% year-on-year growth in revenue per available room (RevPAR) in the July-September quarter this year, according to real estate services firm JLL. The surge was driven by a rise in average daily rates (ADR) of hotels, as the occupancy levels remained similar to the year before.
Low-cost carrier Air India Express is focused on the all-economy side of the business and on serving the smaller cities, said Managing Director Aloke Singh at the Skift Global Forum East Wednesday. The airline has recently merged with AIX Connect as part of the Air India group’s exercise to consolidate its four airlines into two: A full-service airline (Air India) and a low-cost carrier (Air India Express).
The upcoming Indian wedding season will be driving a surge in travel, according to online travel company Ixigo. “Flight bookings to major metro hubs and top leisure destinations like Delhi, Mumbai, Srinagar, Jaipur and Goa are seeing a strong 70-80% year-on-year increase,” said Ixigo’s Group CEO Aloke Bajpai.
United Airlines has brought back its popular discount for college-aged travelers — offering generous savings on select flights to Europe and India with no blackout dates.
Last week Coldplay announced an additional India show in Ahmedabad on January 25. Following the announcement, online travel agency Agoda said it witnessed a 47% surge in domestic searches for accommodation in Ahmedabad for that period compared to the previous week’s average. International searches spiked by 18%.