Talk about dedicating something to your loved one, there aren’t many things that can better the majestic establishment of the Taj Mahal in this regard. Known as a monument of love, the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan constructed the Taj Mahal in the memory of his deceased wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It is one of the greatest architectural works in the history of the subcontinent. It covers an area of about 17 hectares, and it took about 22 years for the completion of its construction, that tells us a lot about how much work was actually put into building it. Although some people think that its construction was extravagant, but who can put value on one’s love for another being. It was a symbol of love, that lives till date and may continue to do so for the next coming centuries. Even though the world might have progressed a lot, yet it would be really difficult for someone to reproduce such a work of art.
It is one of the places that are worth setting your eyes at, you can capture the entirety of it in your eyes and yet you will not be able to comprehend the genius behind it. It is the baguette of Muslim culture and heritage in India, it is a site that constantly sees visits from people from numerous backgrounds, no matter be it Hindus or Muslims, no one undermines its awe-inspiring nature. It is one of the rare places that actually brings the two groups together, and everyone just admires it all the same. The architecture is inspired by the Persians, and Islamic at the same time. Its interior is also as beautiful as it comes, in short it is a masterpiece. There is also a myth surrounding its builders, it is said that after its construction, the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, cut off the hands of the constructors, so that it would be impossible for anyone to replicate the wonder that Taj Mahal is. The authenticity of this story is debatable, and if it did happen, on moral ground this act might be questionable, but it goes onto add to the significance of this enchanting work of art.
Now, since we are done with the preliminary information, we move onto the things that you can do when you go to the Taj Mahal, and the things that you should try to avoid at any costs when you reach there. In what ways you can make your experience of the visit, a memorable one, one that will embed itself in your core memories.
The Dos
First and foremost, you are supposed to follow the universal rule, one that exists in every place and everywhere you go, and that is you should try to keep the monument as clean as possible and whatever rubbish you might want to get rid of, you should make use of the dustbins that are available there, and thus contribute to the place as a good civilian. Another minute but really important detail is that there are two kinds of tickets, one will allow you to be able to enjoy the exterior only, while the other one allows you to get inside the monument, so be sure to get the later one, because if you don’t, you might be missing out on a lot, the work of art that is inside the monument is worth taking a look at, gives you an idea of the 17th century culture that persisted in India, extended from Persia.
It is recommended that when you actually decide to go the wonder itself, you should try to reach as early as possible, try going there before sunrise because you should already be aware that there are lots of people who want to catch a glimpse of the place and thus the region sees a lot of people coming in early in the morning, so the earlier you go, the less hustle in queue you will have to face. This will allow you to capture serene photos of the sunrise, and that of yourself without having to crop out the crowd that might interfere with your wish of capturing some pictures worth posting on your social media persona. Also, when you enter the monument itself, you should take off your shoes outside, so as to keep the interior from being stained by the dirt under your shoes, and thus contribute minutely to its cleanliness. In addition to that, if you happen to arrive late for one reason or another, you can get yourself some masala tea, that will accompany you all the while you wait in the queue, and it should be added that the tea is actually really good, one that will leave its prints on your tastebuds. If you do not know a lot about the place itself, and the Persian culture, then it is highly recommended that you hire a professional tour guide when you go there, who will be able to comprehend the cultural connotations that you might find difficult to understand, so a guide will not only help you with that, but also give you the historical context of the things that you might encounter around there.
There is a particular bench, Diana bench, where princess Diana sat and took a picture with the Taj Mahal while on her visit to India in 1992, so if you want to take a picture just for the hell of it, do sit on that bench and take a picture, although it’s not really significant, but some people might be fond of doing such things, so if you are one of those people, do it.
There are three main gates for entering the Taj Mahal, east, west and south gate. The south gate does not open up until after sunrise, the west gate is the most crowded, so it is advised that you should take the east gate, which will not hinder your wish to capture an aesthetic view of the sunrise.
The Don’ts
First thing you should not do is that you should not decide to go on a Friday, because it is closed on Fridays, so if you happen to pop up there on a Friday, you might have to return with disappointment in your eyes.
It should be known that different queues exist for males and females, so if you are going in as a couple, you should know in advance that you might have to bear some time without your significant other.
Since there is a security check, it is highly recommended that you do not carry any hefty bags and luggage with you, because first it will consume a lot of time in your security checkup, and moreover it might arouse some negative suspicion about you, so carry only the necessary stuff that will only contribute to your fun and not be an obstacle in it.
You are also not allowed to capture photos inside the main monument, so whatever photography you might be aiming to do, you should utilize it while you are outside it. Video cameras and drone cameras are also prohibited from being brought inside the Taj Mahal. While taking photos, it is advised that you should not be making any obscene pose, that will probably attract unnecessary glares from other tourists who might be there.
Although there is no formal axiom about it, it is highly recommended that you do not wear any revealing clothes, in respect for the culture that persists there, men can wear long sleeved cotton shirts, and women can wear the saris that are actually quite popular around there.
If you are intending to bring in some cards and play there while having the masala tea with your friends while the sunrises at your back, we are sorry to burst your bubble but you are not actually allowed to carry any kind of cards in the Taj Mahal, and if you are seen carrying any around there, they will be taken away from you.
That is it from our side about the dos and don’ts that you should be adhere by while visiting the Taj Mahal, the don’ts are not that much harder to follow, and if you do so, you will be having a memorable visit without any kind of hindrance that might ruin your mood. So, you can have a fun trip to look forward to and post some pictures on your social media to arise some envy among your followers.
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