About Taj Mahal
The construction of this marble masterpiece is credited to the Mdsfsughal emperor Shah Jahan who erected this mausoleum in memory of his beloved wife, Arjumarid Bano Begum; popularly known as Mumtaz Mahal, who died in A.H. 1040 (A.D. 1630). Her last wish to her husband was "to build a tomb in her memory such as the world had never seen before". The construction of Taj Mahal was started in A.D. 1632 and completed at the ended in 1648 A.D. For seventeen years, twenty thousand workmen are said to have been employed on it daily, for their accommodation a small town, named after the deceased empress- 'Mumtazabad', now known as Taj Ganj.

By Train -
Agra is well connected by excellent train services to Delhi such as The Shatabdi Express (2 hrs), Taj Express (2.5 hrs), Intercity Express (3 hrs).

Railway Stations: Agra Cantt Rly Stn, Enquiry: 131, 133. Reservation: 364611
Raja-ki-Mundi Rly Stn, Contact: 354477
Agra Fort Rly Stn, enbquiry: 132, 135 Reservation: 364131

By Road -
Express bus services (a/c and non-a/c) are available from Delhi, Jaipur, Lucknow, Gwalior, and Jhansi. For those driving to Agra, the distances are:
Mathura (Pilgrimage Destination) - 58 kms.
Bharatpur (Bird Sanctury) - 60 kms.
Gwalior (Historical Destination) - 118 kms
Delhi (Capital City of India) - 203 kms
Jaipur (Cultural & Historical Destination) - 236 kms.
Khajuraho (Historical Destination) - 393 kms.

When to See-
Tourists view the Taj Mahal at night . The Taj Mahal was opened for the first time in 20 years to nighttime tourists after the government had banned nighttime visits in 1984 out of fears that it could be targeted by Sikh separatists