Golden Triangle Vacation

TAJ MAHAL
4 km. Completed in 1653 AD, the Taj Mahal was built by "the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as the final resting place for his favourite Queen, Mumtaz. Finished in white marble, it is, perhaps, India's most fascinating and beautiful monument. This perfectly symmetrical monument took 22 years (1630-52) of hard labour and 20,000 workers, masons and jewellers to build and is set amidst landscaped gardens. Built by the Persian architect, Ustad Isa, the Taj Mahal, on the banks of the Jamuna river, can be observed like a mirage from the Agra Fort from where Emperor Shah Jahan stared at it, for the last eight years of his life as a prisoner of his son and usurper to the empire, Aurangzeb. It is a masterpiece of symmetry, seeming to be floating in the air from a distance, and is revealed as an illusion experienced as one enters through the main gate. The verses of the Holy Koran are inscribed on it and atop the gate are 22 small domes, signifying the number of years the monument took to build. The Taj has been built on a marble platform that stands above a sandstone one. The most elegant dome of the Taj, with a diameter of 60 ft.. rises 80 ft., over the building and directly under the dome is the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal. Shah J ahan 's tomb has been erected next to her's by his son, Aurangzeb. Fantastic inlay works using semi-precious stones decorate the interiors.

AGRA FORT
The imposing ramparts of Akbar's citadel, Agra Fort, with its red sandstone walls, dominate the city of Agra. Within, there are a number of significant buildings. But most poignant of all is the Musamman Burj, the ornate octagonal tower where Shahjahan was held captive for eight years, a victim of his son's imperial ambition. It is said that in his last days, too weak to turn his head, a mirror was placed to enable him to look on his beloved wife's resting place.

ITMAD-UD-DAULAH'S TOMB
Itmad-ud-Daulah's Tomb, built by Empress Nur Jehan in memory of her father Pietra Dura inlay work, later used in the Taj, was experimented here for the first time.

SIKANDRA
Further afield, some 13 km from Agra, stands Sikandra, where the mighty Akbar lies interred. The tomb, set in a spacious garden, has four towering minars (towers) and four gates to complete the symmetry. The mausoleum,like the Taj that fol1owed. has a false grave of the Emperor, the rear one being in an underground sculpture.


Places to Visit: Delhi - Agra - Jaipur - Delhi
Duration: 5 Nights /6 Days

Day 01: Arrive Delhi
Assistance on arrival and transfer to hotel for overnight stay.

Day 02: Delhi
Morning visit the shrine of Hazrat Nizammudin Aulia followed by Qutab Minar and Humaun's Tomb.Afternoon visit the India's largest mosque Jama Masjid, Red Fort and Moti Masjid. Overnight at hotel.

Day 03: Delhi-Agra
Morning depart for Agra. On arrival check-in at hotel. Afternoon visit Taj Mahal, Red Fort, Etmad-Ud-Daulah's Tomb. Overnight at hotel.

Day 04: Agra-Jaipur
Depart for Agra, enroute visit Fatehpur Sikri. Visit the famous Dargah of Sheikh Salim Chisti. On arrival Jaipur. Check-in hotel for overnight stay.

Day 05: Jaipur
Morning excursion to Amber Fort with elephant ride to ascend the fort. Afternoon city tour visiting City Palace, Jantar Mantar Observatory, Hawa Mahal, etc. Overnight at hotel.

Day 06: Jaipur-Delhi
Morning breakfast at the hotel and drive back to Delhi. On arrival Transfer to hotel airport in time to catch flight for onward destination

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