Tale of 3 Taj Mahals

This post is about the 3 Taj Mahals/replicas that I have visited. We all know about the famous Taj Mahal in Agra which is one of the Seven wonders of the World. But there is one more replica which was built by Aurangazeb in Aurangabad in Maharashtra and is called Bibi ka Maqbara. Also, there is one more replica of Taj Mahal in Tobu World Square in Japan which houses the miniatures of many monuments across the World. There could be few replicas in other places but these are the three that I visited.

Taj Mahal in Agra : This grand White Marble structure was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal between 1632 and 1648 CE. It is located on the banks of Yamuna river in the city of Agra in Uttar Pradesh state and around 250 kms from New Delhi. The main structure is a mausoleum and there are also mosque, guest house and main gateway within the 17 hectares Mughal gardens. Ustad Ahmed Lahori was the main architect and the masons, painters, stone cutters, calligraphers, etc were brought from all over India and also Central Asia.

The tomb is raised on a square platform and has four minarets on the 4 corners and can be reached by steps on both sides. It is perfect symmetrically planned building and the main features planned on either side. The mosque and guest house are identical structures and made of Red Sand stone. It was declared a World Heritage monument in the year 1983. Lots of tourists from all over the world visit here throughout the year.

Taj Mahal is open 30 mins before sunrise to 30 mins before sunset every day except Fridays when it is closed for general public. Tickets can be bought online or at the entrance at both Eastern and Western gates. The ticket price is Rs.50/- for Indian citizens and RS.1100/- for foreign tourists (Rs.540/- for citizens of SAARC and BIMSTEC countries) with an additional Rs.200/- to visit the main mausoleum. There is ample car parking nearby and one has to walk or use the battery operated vehicles to reach the entrance. Night viewing of Taj Mahal is available five days a month, on full moon night and two nights before and after the full moon day. The ticket for the same is Rs.510/- for Indians and Rs.750/- for foreigners. Photography is prohibited inside the mausoleum.

Bibi Ka Maqbara(Taj Mahal replica in Aurangabad) : This replica of Taj Mahal is the mausoleum of Aurangazeb’s wife, Rabia-Ul-Durrani and built by their son Azam Shah between 1651-1661 CE. As it resembles the Taj Mahal of Agra, it is known as the “Taj of Deccan”. The area measures around 458*275 meters approximately. The main entrance is on the southern side of the outer wall and at the center of the 3 remaining walls are open pavilions which are used as Mosque, Diwan-e-Aam and Diwan-e-Khas. These buildings contain beautiful paintings of Mughal and Nizam periods.

It is located in Aurangabad city of Maharashtra state. Of course it is much smaller in comparison to the actual Taj Mahal but good effort made to replicate it.

Taj Mahal Miniature at Tobu World Square in Japan: This miniature version of Taj Mahal is located in Tobu World Square at Nikko in Japan which houses the 1:25 miniatures of many famous monuments across the world including a few World Heritage sites. The miniatures are very well build and look exactly the same as their original versions. Only the Great Wall of China is not to the scale of 1:25 for obvious reasons. Rest all are divided into zones by the continents.