The Taj Mahal - A Monument to Overeating

Advantages: Lots of food, very inexpensive
Disadvantages: Ideal if your hungry - but too spicy if you're not

...When I am looking for hotels in India, I often start by looking for so-called 'Heritage Hotels' since these can be fascinating old period buildings. When looking for a place in Hyderabad I found only one heritage hotel listed despite LOTS of googling and checking travel forums and this was the Taj Mahal in the Abids district of the city. Heritage it might be but nobody seemed to be suggesting that the age made it any more special so I decided not to bother but along the way I learned that it was an independent hotel and not part of the famous Taj hotel chain. I recalled that someone who'd written about the hotel that we eventually chose (the Geetanjali) had said they'd used the restaurant at the Taj because ours had none of its own. So on our first day we were driving back from the Salar Jung Museum and I spotted the Taj Mahal and I...

koshkha 23.12.2009 · Read review
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Review of Taj Mahal Hotel Restaurant, Abids, Hyderabad

The Taj Mahal

Advantages: One of Indias most famous buildings, most well preserved and architecturally beautiful tomb in the world
Disadvantages: None

...The Taj Mahal in Agra has to be one of the classic images of India and one of the World's major landmarks. I was once told you should only really go there with a lover, but I wasn't any less in awe just because i was in a group of 20, 17 year olds. It''s one of those places, along with the Great Wall of China, that I've always thought of as a place that you have to visit at some point in your life. Admittedly I ended up there quite by accident - if you can call having a fight cancelled and then missing the flight out of Delhi an accident.... but there you go. Agra was the centre for the Mughal emperors until they moved their capital to Delhi in 1637. And the Taj Mahal is infact a tomb. Built in 1631 by Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan as a tribute to his second wife, Mumtaz Mahal, after she died giving birth to their 14th child...

Amy_Coppock 05.04.2006 · Read review
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Review of Agra and the Taj Mahal (India)

My trip to the Taj Mahal

Advantages: The sheer beauty of the mausoleum.
Disadvantages: None

...It had been my dream to go to the Taj Mahal for so long. Its sheer beauty seemed to grab a hold of me everytime I saw a picture of it. My eyes were fixated and I found myself unable to tear myself away from the different pictures I came across. I desperately wanted to see the amazing mausoleum for real. Soon my time came as my family had decided to visit the North of India in order to see Agra, Jaipur and Delhi. I was so excited at this prospect and made sure that I had 1 whole film just for the Taj Mahal. When the day finally came for us to visit it, my cousins and I decided that we would close our eyes before entering the grounds so that the first thing we saw was the tomb in all its glory, not blocked by obstacles. The streets were so dusty and the weather was muggy. Despite feeling lethargic due to the sweltering heat, we carried...

kavita 03.09.2001 · Read review
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Review of Agra and the Taj Mahal (India)

A Haunting Tale

Advantages: Beautiful film with melodious music
Disadvantages: none

...MAHAL (Mansion)( 1949) Produced by the famous BOMBAY TALKIES STUDIO, MAHAL (Mansion) was one of the Greatest suspense films of all times...It was KAMAAL AMROHI'S directorial debut film...The film also launched the Careers of actress MADHUBALA and playback singer LATA MANGESHKAR... Mahal was one of the earliest SUPER NATURAL suspense thrillers..It was a film that was startlingly different in its times, a tragic psychodrama , a ghost story...It was a tremendous success at the box office.... Mahal was Kamaal Amrohi's first directorial venture and immediately set him apart as a filmmaker with a difference..Later, Kamaal Amrohi went on to direct some Brilliant films like DAAERAA DIL APNA AUR PREET PARAAYI, PAKEEZAH and RAZIA SULTANA among others... ASHOK KUMAR was instrumental in bringing Kamaal Amrohi into Bombay Talkies , to direct...

kiran8 04.09.2008 · Read review
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Review of Mahal (DVD)

Early Morning at the Taj Mahal

Advantages: Seeing the Taj Mahal for real is everything you dreamed of
Disadvantages: Mind you don't slip on the smooth marble

...The very best time to visit the Taj Mahal is first thing in the morning as the sun rises. The day we visited there was a slight haze which lifted quickly revealing the monument in all its beauty. Photographs are a must, the beauty of the place is so overwhelming that you feel that no picture you have seen before does it justice, but of course your?s will. For the price of 10 rupees I was guided to a position to the left, inside of the entrance so that I could photograph the Taj Mahal framed in the arch of the building that forms the entrance. I had my photo taken on the same seat as Princess Diana, looking happier, feeling privileged to be there. Before you climb the steps to the actual tomb, you must remove your shoes. The marble is so smooth that you must take care not to slip if you keep socks on. The entrance is...

patlangfield 24.07.2000 · Read review
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Review of Agra and the Taj Mahal (India)

Agraphobia? Or WorldHeritageSitis?

Advantages: World Heritage Site, beautiful, impressive, must see, etc.
Disadvantages: Crowds, conmen, oppressive atmosphere

...There have been few occasions in my life when I have felt envious of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, but the day I visited the Taj Mahal was one of them. A celebrated photograph shows her sitting alone in front of the world-famous edifice, which was built as a monument to love, its grounds having been cleared for her visit. The photo was widely interpreted at the time, just after the collapse of her marriage, as a moving testament to her solitude. Queuing among the crowds around the entrance to the Taj, fending off the beggars and touts, I could only interpret it as a moving testament to the privileges conferred by rank and fame. The Taj Mahal is unquestionably a beautiful building, and splendidly situated, well deserving of its status as a World Heritage Site, but the beauty and splendour come at a cost. The cost is not...

torr 20.04.2006 (26.09.2008) · Read review
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Review of Agra and the Taj Mahal (India)

DID YOU EVER SEE A CASTLE IN THE AIR.

Advantages: ROMANCE
Disadvantages: Time your first view for the less crowded times.

...After reading several reviews I thought it is time to recall our visit to the Taj which is from memory so may be sketchey on detail, but there is all the necessary historical facts on other very good reviews , so this is just an old lovers memories. Jane (My very own Queen Mumtaz Mahal) and I were coming up to our Silver Wedding Aniversery in March 1995, so we wanted a very special destination for a Holiday to celebrate, we both had a hankering for India so a two week Holiday was booked to Goa with a mini tour included of Jaipur, Agra and Delhi. (The Golden Triangle). We had 7 Nights in Goa then it was time for the mini-tour. It was on the Flight to Jaipur that I lost my fear of flying. Goa to Bombay not too bad the Air hostesses served Curry Meat or Veg. Plane landed at Bombay every one got off except for our tour party of 22...

poshtroika 09.10.2007 · Read review
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Review of Agra and the Taj Mahal (India)

Taj Mahal, Restaurant or Palace

Advantages: Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Disadvantages: He never found the Taj Mahal.

...of wondering nomads/hippies in the 80's and went in search of the holy Taj Mahal, (Restaurant of Course). In search of the finest (and hottest) Vindaloo in all of Britain, it had taken him until 1989 for him to give up his journey, as he had still not found the sacred establishment. An idea then appeared to him in a vision, 'PHONE DIRECTORY INQUIRIES MY SON! MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU!', he did and was told that there was no Taj Mahal in Britain; this crippled his mental stability. He then went in search of something else, he did not say what or why but it was in Brazil where he would eat his last meal, and in Brazil (or somewhere over the ocean) where he would draw his last breath. He never had children but he adopted a few Barn Tigers and flying Polar Bears though through his lifetime. He died at the tender age of 42. He loved the music...

buster_uk 27.12.2002 (03.04.2003) · Read review
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Review of If You Could Write a Humorous Eulogy for Yourself, What Would you Write and Why

A Symbol of Eternal Love and Peace.

Advantages: Be the one to explore this Wonder of World.
Disadvantages: None

...Its hard to find words to match the glory , the beauty of TAJ MAHAL. A perfect symbol of love, a TRUE wonder of world. Even a stone hearted man would melt once he knows the history behind Taj Mahal. And what a peace of mind you find on the corridors of Taj !! Its unbelievable, it feels as if there is love , love , just love around you . Astonishing...Thrilling...Exotic...Ravishing...and so much that your thesauras would fall short of words. Such is the sheer magnificence of the Taj Mahal. Its something which happens once in a billion years. So here we go : The LOVE STORY begins here : Back in 1607 AD, Shah Jahan , the Prince of Royal Mughal Empire, while strolling down the lanes of famous Meena Bazaar, accompanied by a string of fawning courtiers, caught a glimpse of a young pretty girl ,MUMTAAZ, hawking silk and glass beads. It...

vikramkanswal 08.09.2007 · Read review
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Review of Agra and the Taj Mahal (India)

Indian food Dutch style

Advantages: Decent Indian food
Disadvantages: Unspectacular

...were asked if we wanted smoking or non smoking seating, this is one of the few places still to embrace non smoking everywhere (a nightmare or a relief depending on your point of view). The non smoking section is quite small though. Although I have recently found out that from July 1st a smoking ban in many public places comes into effect in the Netherlands. Hallelujah!! PRICE I would consider the price as good.12.45 Euros for a bhuna including rice or naan seems fair enough to me in this part of Europe. Of course if you get the full monty, i.e drinks, starter, dessert, this can easily set you back more like 30 Euros. FUN WITH BABEL FISH I come for years at the Taj Mahal, this restaurant is a term in breda. The service is always even pleasantly and accuraat and active. You feel you always welcome here! These...

larsbaby 10.03.2008 · Read review
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Review of Taj Mahal Restaurant, Breda, The Netherlands