how to best see the taj mahal

The Taj Mahal at sunrise.

When I visited the Taj Mahal, I was blown away. It was as majestic as I imagined it to be. All the traffic, trash and feral monkeys outside the gate dissolved away and I immediately felt transplanted to a serene, special place.

There are plenty of sites that talk about the Taj Mahal so I won't rehash everything said on those sites. But, below are a few key things to know about it:


1. Fridays.

Don't plan to visit it on a Friday. It's closed then. And, the authorities won't open it for you even if you're famous.

2. Sunset.

The Taj Mahal is not lit at night. So, don't expect to take a well lit night photograph. But, there is a great way to photograph the Taj Mahal. Before sunset, I crossed the Yamuna River, which runs behind the Taj Mahal. I parked on the street near this shrine:

Then, walk towards the river and you will see the Taj Mahal.

The (dry) Yamuna River and the Taj Mahal at sunset.

The Taj Mahal at sunset (from across the Yamuna River).

It's free to see the Taj Mahal from outside the walls.

3. Sunrise.

I experienced serenity at the Taj Mahal by visiting it at the crack of dawn. That early in the morning, I saw the sun rise over it and saw how the rays drew wonderful soft colors on the white marble. As another plus, I avoided the day trippers and the rest of the crowds. Note of warning though: that serenity I experienced quickly evaporated as soon as the rays of the sun shown white on the marble.

The Taj Mahal at sunrise.

The Tahj Mahal at sunrise with no crowds.

At sunrise with no crowds..

More visitors once the Sun has risen a lot more.

It goes without saying that there's a fee to visit the Taj Mahal.

4. Agra Fort.

As the story went, Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal as the final resting place for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. When his son later imprisoned him in the Agra Fort, he had a view of the Taj Mahal. When I visited the Fort, I could have also seen the Taj Mahal from Shah Jahan's fairly opulent prison room in the Agra Fort. Unfortunately, either pollution, weather, or a combination of both prevented me from seeing it clearly. But, you may get lucky, so check it out. There's a fee to visit the Fort.

A view of the Taj Mahal....
If you squint hard enough, you can see the Taj Mahal through the haze in the center of the photo.

The Agra Fort and with a view (if you squint hard enough and see through the haze) of the Taj Mahal.

So, if you have traveled thousands of miles to see the Taj Mahal, spend the night in Agra and see it with less crowds and under better light conditions.

Have you visited the Taj Mahal? If so, please share your experience on how best to see it.