India’s Taj Mahal – are you ready?

What’s the best time to visit? Are there entry requirements? Can you always expect a crowd?

These questions and more answered. Please read on.

The Taj Mahal backstory
A bit of a twisted tale really. The Taj Mahal was build as an enduring monument to the love of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan’s favourite wife, Mumtaz. Sadly, thanks to a power struggle within the royal family, the Shah ended up as a prisoner gazing at the Taj Mahal from Agra’s Red Fort. Legend has it the Shah had intended to build another Taj with black stone but it is yet to be proven. The Shah was kept in the fort for eight years until his death in 1666. He was buried at the Taj alongside his favourite wife.

Entry to the Taj Mahal complex
Whether you arrive at sunrise, in the middle of the day or you visit during the afternoon in readiness for the sunset experience, expect crowds.
We were on a tour. We visited Agra Fort first, stopped at a local restaurant for lunch, then climbed back on board our coach and headed off to the Taj Mahal.
On arrival, we entered through a large iron ate, then walked along the main road towards the Taj Mahal. En route we had to stop at a ‘checkpoint’ building where we had to leave our bags (handbags with passports. backpacks etc.) on a table and join our designated queue (e.g. women only) for a body search to ensure we weren’t sneaking in objects which weren’t allowed within the Taj Mahal complex.

We entered the complex via the West Gate Entry. Free facilities include “WiFi, cloak room, shoe cover, drinking water, wheel chair and first aid”.

There is a list of banned items you are not allowed to bring into the complex including:

no arms, ammunition or explosives or replicas of same; no tobacco items including cigarettes; no objects with sharp edges (e.g. knives, scissors); no food; no liquor, banned drugs and liquids in Tetra packs; no religious offerings or materials including flower garlands; no laptops; no camera stands; no reading, writing or painting materials; no toys, cards or advertising paraphernalia; no torches, professional video cameras, or PA systems; no backpacks or large bags, no hard copies of photographs or CDs.

Security staff has the right to ban additional items where they see fit based on potential changes in security. You are also warned not to go near the monkeys: don’t make direct eye contact with them, don’t tease or irritate them, don’t take photos of them, don’t stop near them, don’t feed them, don’t throw food at them.

We entered the complex via the forecourt (which in the 16th century housed shops) and then through a red sandstone monumental gate. As you walk through the gate you are immediately struck by the sight of The Taj Mahal.

The Taj Mahal
The focal point of the 42-acre complex is the ivory-white mausoleum Taj Mahal. It is bounded on three sides by a crenellated wall. The fourth side is the south bank of the Yamuna River. Flanked by two identical red sandstone buildings, the mausoleum is set around a 300 m2 garden known as the charbagh. The garden is divided by two main walkways into four quadrants; further raised pathways divide each of these quadrants into 16 sunken parterres or flowerbeds. At the front of the Taj Mahal is a monumental garden.

The Taj Mahal sits on a raised platform of marble 300 metres long by 8.7 metres high. Access is via a set of lateral stairs on the southern side.

The Taj Mahal’s marble gateway arches feature passages from the Qur’an; Arabic calligraphy inscriptions are inlaid in white marble panels using jasper or black marble. Semiprecious gemstones including turquoise, lapis lazuli, coral, onyx, jade, carnelian, and garnet are inlaid in the white marble to create the beautiful designs representing the enduring bond between the Shah and Mumtaz. (images above)

Image above: The main entrance to the complex as seen from the Taj Mahal’s platform.

Dress code
Do not worry if you don’t have the right shoes to wear because you’ll be given disposable slip-on shoe covers irrespective of your footwear. You won’t be required to wear a covering over your head.

Photos
You cannot take photos or videos inside the mausoleum, even though security guards ignored this taking place when we were there in October 2024. The tombs are cenotaphs (monuments to someone buried elsewhere). You cannot access or walk around the tombs as they are situated within an octagonal screen enclosure. The actual burials of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan are beneath the cenotaphs located in the lower tomb chamber. Image below of the cenotaphs inside the Taj Mahal. Photo by Derek A Young

The Jal Mahal Water Palace

While exploring the Taj Mahal also check out the additional buildings within the complex. They too have stories to tell.

The Taj Museum
One of the attractions I was keen to visit was The Taj Museum as it houses exquisite Mughal miniature paintings and architectural drawings of the Taj Mahal. We missed it by 5 minutes. The Taj Museum closes promptly at 5pm.

Exiting the Taj Mahal complex

Leaving the complex is an experience. You will walk along a road lined with shops. We didn’t stop and look at their wares but you may find something of interest to take home as a souvenir including clothing and footwear.

Need to Know
The Taj Mahal opens 30 minutes before sunrise; closes 30 minutes before sunset.
It is closed on Fridays.

Tickets
Tickets are valid for three hours and are available from the Western Gate (near Saheli Burj) and the Eastern Gate. No entry from the Southern Gate – only exit.
Tickets are available one hour before sunrise and up to 45 minutes before sunset.
Foreign tourists: 1100 INR pp Plus an additional 200 INR to visit the main mausoleum.
Recommend tourists buy tickets online (plus you will get a discount).
No entry fee for children under the age of 15 years.

Time required: you need the full three hours to explore the Taj Mahal complex including the gardens and buildings.

Tip
While in Agra, visit Agra Fort and experience what the Shah would have seen from his window: the view of the Taj Mahal. (images above)

Interesting to note there has been a ban on auto traffic near the Taj Mahal and air quality monitors have been installed. Air pollution (caused by industry, vehicle emissions and burning of household waste) is one of the biggest risk factors which discolours the marble exterior. A further headache is the possibility of the Yamuna River drying up. the river, which flows along the rear of the complex, has been partially dammed upstream to augment municipal water supplies. This could cause a change in the soil due to the lower water level and may threaten the structural integrity of the mausoleum.