Best 5 applocks for Android to Secure your Phone (2018)

Android is most popular operating system in world, because there is always an app on playstore for perfoming any task in Android. Yes, and thats why this is most lovable operating system amongs evryone. 

Mobile phone security now days has become one of the major part for people, while protecting your phone from theft, everybody is concerned about important personal information in phone which is more important than anything sometimes.

And in this case you can use Applocks to lock your apps. An app locker for Android can provide utmost security from unwanted access. Although some devices come with a built-in app locker, most Android devices don’t. Thankfully, there is no shortage of apps locker for Android in the Play Store.


Using an App Locker is the best way to keep your Apps and its content safe from getting into wrong hands. You surely don’t want those private chats and secret images to be seen by someone else.
In this post i am going to suggest you Top 5 Best applocks for Android which will help you in keeping your smartphone data safe from others.

Best Applocks for Android

#1. AppLock

Download

Schützen (AppLock)

Developer: DoMobile Lab

Price: Free⁺

This is most oldest and most popular app locker fro android with more than 350 million downloads on playstore. By using Applock Application you can lock your siocial media applications like facebook & whatsapp also you can lock your call, messages, gallery, calculator by using this app lock.


f you are looking for a complete package of features in an app locker then AppLock is the best app locker app to go for. One of the unique features it provides is that you can set a specific setting like WiFi/Bluetooth to set at a specific state (on/off). No one can change the state without adding the passcode. You can also prevent others from picking up incoming calls, access settings of your phone, access Google play store and private notifications. and thats why i believe this is one of the Best applocks for Android . One more feature of this application which i love is you can also hide applock icon so Nobody can find which applock you are using.


Features :-

• Lock apps with password, pattern, or fingerprint lock.
• Vault: hide pictures and videos
• Well-designed Themes
• Time Lock: auto-lock/unlock according to time
• Advanced Protection: prevent AppLock being killed by task killer
• Hide AppLock icon
•  Lock switch (WiFi, Bluetooth, mobile data, sync)
• Lock incoming calls
• Prevent uninstalling apps
•  Quick lock switch: Lock/unlock in notification bar

#2. IObit Applock

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IObit Applock:Fingerprint Lock

Developer: IObit Applock Team

Price: Free⁺

yes, it is one of the best app locker for android Due to its amazing feature. IOBit applock is one of the most loved app in this segment, it has tons of attractive features that is no less than any paid apps can have. It supports maximum of 13 Languages. IOBit applock Face Lock and unlock apps easy and fast without password.
You can not only lock and unlock apps but also your phone’s screen with your Facelock, Finger Print Lock, PIN and Pattern Lock. It also snap a selfie who tried to unlock your apps with Intruder Selfie and Email the snooper’s photo to you immediately. Generally face unlocking features comes with only flagship phone or any paid app but Iobit is free App locker and it supports face unlocks. This features makes it Best applocks for android 2018  .

Features :- 

• Lock system settings, switches and any private app
• Face Lock and unlock apps easy and fast without password
• Fake Lock disguises the lock screen with fun covers
• Fingerprint Lock for more secure lock and fast unlock
• Screen Lock locks your device screen
• Hide private content from notification
• Catch snooper’s photo and notify by email
• Customized Delay Lock to avoid frequently unlock

#3. App Locker : Fingerprint

Download 

AppLock : Sperren Sie Apps

Developer: KewlApps

Price: Free

App Locker is yet another free app which allows you to protect app with password or PIN. If your mobile has a fingerprint scanner and Android version 6.0 (Marshmallow) then finger print app lock method will also work.


i have included this app locker in my best app locker for android because of some of its amazing feature. AppLock allows you to lock apps like gallery , message apps , social apps and email apps with fingerprint , pin , pattern and crash screen.
If someone tries to open locked apps with wrong password , AppLock will capture the pictuer of intruder from front camera and show you when you open AppLock. best app lock download


Features :-

•  Capture Intruder Picture
•  Lock Recent Apps
• Use separate combination of locking methods with different pin or pattern for a specific apps.
• Use fingerprint as secondary , or use only fingerprint to un-lock apps.
• you can to re-lock apps after some time [1-60] minuets , immediately or after screen off.
• lock screen changes color according to the app that you locked , every time when lock screen appears you will experience AppLock differently.

 

#4. App Locker(CM Locker)

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CM Locker Schütze Privatsphäre

Developer: Cheetah Mobile (Secure lockscreen & Applock)

Price: ***

CM Locker Lock your phone’s screen, apps, photos and contacts to secure your privacy. Anti-Theft Protection can help you locate your lost phone, remotely lock it and enable its siren. The Intruder Selfie function snaps photos of intruders who enters the wrong password. Download CM Locker and get awesome HD Wallpapers and Theme for FREE! Best app lock download
Very often we share our smartphone with others, at that time our privacy can be at risk, so you can use the App locker app that helps to protect your apps with a password. You can easily protect apps like Whatsapp, Messenger, Browser, and Gallery etc.


Features :

•  Snaps photos of intruders who enters the wrong lockscreen & applock password.
• Link CM Locker with your Facebook account to remotely lock and locate your device or set off its siren for privacy security.
  
• Access to new messages instantly on lockscreen.
• User friendly – Slide lock screen to browse the latest news headlines.
• Control music playback with one hand directly on Lockscreen.
• Snap photos fast, never miss that perfect moment!.

#5. AppLock Face/Voice Recognition

Download 

AppLock Face/Voice Recognition

Developer: Sensory TrulySecure

Price: Free

This is another Best applocks for Android which support facial recognisation and voice recognition. AppLock by Sensory, the leader in advanced face and voice biometrics technologies, makes it easy to lock the apps on your phone or tablet that you want to keep private. AppLock ensures that only you can access your personal information, social media apps, and financial accounts, or make changes to the phone’s settings. Your face and voice are the biometric keys that unlock your apps, so you (and only you) can access them.

This AppLock Face/Voice Recognition Android app is a new in Google Play Store but has some very interesting features, it has a simple and fast setup. best app lock download

Whenever you open any Protected/Locked app then AppLock will open a window looking for your face while listening for your voice to say your secret unlock phrase. When it verifies your face or voice (or both), your locked app will open immediately.

Feature :-

• Fast and Simple Setup.
• This applocks support face recognition.
• This app locker also support voice recognition.
• AppLock is 100% free and 100% ad-free.

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Full Information About Agra Fort

Who made the Agra Fort?

Breaking out of his ancestral home in Central Asia, Babur, the first of the great Mughal emperors, fought his way into India and seized Agra, then the capital of the Lodi kings. Here it was that he and the first four of his successors created the famous buildings which yearly attract thousands of visitors from all over the world. Interest is naturally focussed on the Taj Mahal, the most celebrated of them all. 

However, those interested in Mughal artistic expression, architectural styles and the use of materials may find that the most rewarding sequence starts with Akbar’s fort and his temporary capital of Fatehpur Sikri. Akbar’s tomb at Sikandara is an unusual digression from a development leading to a high point of Indo-Persian architecture represented by the Agra fort’s marble palaces and culminating in the Taj.



Akbar, arguably the greatest of the Mughal emperors and one of the outstanding rulers of his time, started construction of the majestic red sandstone fort in Agra in 1565 when he was just 23 years old. His grandfather Babur had been too busy fighting off threats to his newly established regime, and his father Humayun too harassed by his misadventures to undertake anything so ambitious. Besides, there was a fort in Agra already, built by a medieval Rajput dynasty, and given the evocative name of Badalgarh. Its turrets may not have mingled with the clouds, as the name suggests, but it was occupied by the Lodi Sultans of Delhi in AD 1504 when they made Agra their capital.

Babur did not need to make major improvements in Badalgarh after he captured the city in 1526. The old fort became the setting for lavish court d ceremonies in the Central Asian style. The miniatures of the Babur Mama, though painted fifty years later in Akbar’s reign, depict richly bedecked awnings and terraces laid thick with colourful carpets from his homeland Both Babur and his daughter Gulbadar Begum, in their memoirs, have left vivid descriptions of court scenes with visitors from Persia and Central Asia, and Mughal dignitaries being entertained by dance, music and other diversions.


Badalgarh adequately served its original purpose as fortress, stately court for the ruler and guardian of the royal treasures. But it was not enough for Akbar: according to his biographer Abul Fazl, he gave instructions in 1565 “for the building in Agra — which by its position is the centre of Hindustan — of a grand fortress such as might be worthy thereof, and correspond to the dignity of his dominions”.


Three years earlier, when he was just 20, Akbar had launched on a whirlwind career of conquest which confirmed his supremacy over the whole of northern India. Young as he was, he realised that military might alone would not win him the hearts of his people. He therefore set himself the more difficult task of breaking with the long-established tradition of Muslim rule to create an atmosphere of reconciliation. Discriminatory taxes against Hindus were abolished, and he contracted marriage alliances with princesses of the leading Rajput royal houses, conferring military ranks on distinguished Rajput commanders. These measures paid off handsomely. Except for Mewar, most of the leading Rajput families became closely associated with Akbar’s regime and served him with exemplary loyalty.

Architecture and Design of Agra Fort

The Agra fort itself and the varied buildings within its walls were the earliest embodiment of the syncretic spirit of Akbar’s reign. To start with, the Hindu Raja of the neighbouring state of Karaoli was pressed into taking part in the foundation-laying ceremony, in deference to the prevailing belief that this would ensure the protection of the fort from erosion by the river. There has been no damage on this account in all these 450 years. Agra fort was Akbar’s first great architectural venture in North India, and he went about it with characteristic vigour. Within eight years, three or four thousand labourers working day and night completed the massive walls and imposing gates, as well as most of the buildings inside — according to Abul Fazl, as many as 500 — made of sandstone “in the fine styles of Bengal and Gujarat”. Akbar’s Rajput queen of the house of Amber (Jaipur) was able to occupy her palace, Bengali Mahal, only four years after work started.

Agra Fort, Agra

Agra fort’s walls have survived precisely as Akbar built them, but since his successors demolished most of the buildings inside to make room for others of their own choice, it would be convenient to consider the two separately. The first impression of the towering walls is one of majesty. The precision with which the red sandstone slabs are laid bears out Abul Fazl’s picturesque claim that they “were so joined together that the end of a hair could not find a place between them”. Monserrat, a Jesuit priest who spent two years at Akbar’s court, was no less enthusiastic: “The stones of these buildings are so cunningly fitted that the joints are scarcely visible, although no lime was used to fix them together. The colour of the stone, which is all red, also produces the same effect of uniform solidity.” The walls are about 21 m (70 ft) high at the highest points, but the width at the base cannot be accurately determined because they are embedded in masonry and filling. The perimeter is about 2.4 km long.


The layout of the Agra Fort Agra was determined by the course of the river, which in those days flowed alongside. The main axis is parallel to the river and about 823 m (900 yards) long. The walls bulge out towards the city, suggesting to William Finch, who visited Agra during the reign of Akbar’s son, Jahangir, that the entire complex “lyeth in manner of a half-moon, bellying to the landward”. The prosaic traders in London, to whom the report was addressed, might have wondered whether their agent was becoming carried away.


When Finch was in Agra, the broad expanse of the river Yamuna had not been diminished by the canals which have since drained away its Himalayan waters for the development of the parched northern plain. Flowing along-side the eastern wall, it formed an integral defensive feature, also creating an environment of relaxation and enjoyment for the imperial court.


Controversy still surrounds the fate of the old Rajput fort of Badalgarh. An immense structure which had survived 400 years of buffeting by a stormy history and harsh weather could not have disappeared into the ground. Abul FazI gives a revealing clue. “An inevitable mandate was issued that the old fort should be removed, and in that place should be founded an impregnable palace”. In 1871, General Cunningham, who was Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India, came to the conclusion that the old Pathan fort occupied exactly the same position as that of Akbar, with the the exception perhaps of some of the gateway outworks. The “Pathan fort” was of course Badalgarh, which the Pathan (Afghan) Lochs had taken over.


Akbar’s fulsome biographer, Abul Fazl, tells us with characteristic hyperbole that the walls were “provided with four gates whereby the doors of the dominion were opened to the four quarters of the world”. Of these only two remain open. The main entrance, now calledAmar Singh Gate, originally was given the more appropriate name of Akbari Gate. Hathi Pol or Elephant Gate, to the northwest, led towards the city. It was here that the people of the realm gathered for business, for it was the seat of the Qazi (judge under the traditional law), and of the Vazir (revenue minister). According to Finch he sat there every morning for three hours, to deal with “all matters of rents, grants, lands, firmans, debts etc.”.


The northern gate of Agra Fort led to what might be called the store of ordinance, while the fourth gate, facing east, overlooked the river. This was called Darshani Gate, from which the emperor gave audience to the general public who did not have access to the court itself. The gate, says Finch, led “into a faire court extending alongst the river, in which the king looks forth every morning at sun-rising which he salutes, and then his nobles resort to their tessilam (deep salaam)”. This ritual became so formalised that many would neither eat nor wash before appearing in the ruler’s presence.


The Darshani Gate had another purpose. Akbar used it to view elephant fights, and in his younger days he would dash out and mount the most ferocious beast. His son Jahangir surrendered to the pleasure of watching animal fights of all kinds. Once a week, Finch has it, “is a day of blood, both of fighting beasts and justiced men, the king judging and seeing execution”.


Little is left of the architectural and decorative styles which evolved in this most formative and and culturally effervescent of periods. The buildings inside the walls underwent so many changes in the two succeeding reigns that it became a veritable display of all the styles of decoration developed under the Mughals. These spanned Akbar’s synthesis of Hindu and Muslim traditions, the poetic interlude of Jahangir in which the emphasis shifted to the pictorial arts, and the eventual efflorescence of Indo-Persian forms and decorative arts favoured by Shahjahan.

In Side Agra Fort

Nothing remains of the 500 or so buildings completed under Akbar, except the Jahangiri Mahal facing the end of the ramp from the main gate. Only a few ruins tell the tale of Akbar’s own palace, overlooking the river, and the Bengali Mahal embodies a pleasing synthesis of the Akbari period with a few marble touches added by his son. The interiors are believed to have been inspired by the Man Mandir palace in Gwalior, and probably also executed by artisans from there. Their chiselled sandstone work was excelled only in the pavilion facing Anup Talao at Fatehpur Sikrii. Floral designs alternate with arabesques with a fluency found only in the finest wood carvings.


From Amar Singh Gate, a ramp leads straight to the Chihl Satun, a pavilion of forty beautifully proportioned pillars, with a satin finish of lime, eggshell and resin. This is the Diwan-i-Am, or hall of public audience, overlooked by the jarokha, or window throne, from which the emperor gave audience. Here the visitor gets a foretaste of the marble and semi-precious stone inlays lavished by Shahjahan on the space between the jarokha and battlements overlooking the river. An explanation of Shahjahan’s ambition to outdo his ancestors was given by Mulla Abdul Hamid Lahori in his Badshah Nama: “In this everlasting reign the demand for arts has a different market and the Divine care has adopted a new method of embellishing the world; at the place of the old have been built sky-touching mansions of marble”. It was indeed a taste altogether different to Akbar’s eclectic preference for prevailing Indian styles brought to perfection by local craftspeople.


From Amar Singh Gate, a ramp leads straight to the Chihl Satun, a pavilion of forty beautifully proportioned pillars, with a satin finish of lime, eggshell and resin. This is the Diwan-i-Am, or hall of public audience, overlooked by the jarokha, or window throne, from which the emperor gave audience. Here the visitor gets a foretaste of the marble and semi-precious stone inlays lavished by Shahjahan on the space between the jarokha and battlements overlooking the river. An explanation of Shahjahan’s ambition to outdo his ancestors was given by Mulla Abdul Hamid Lahori in his Badshah Nama: “In this everlasting reign the demand for arts has a different market and the Divine care has adopted a new method of embellishing the world; at the place of the old have been built sky-touching mansions of marble”. It was indeed a taste altogether different to Akbar’s eclectic preference for prevailing Indian styles brought to perfection by local craftspeople.


“The erection of this delightful lofty palace Has exalted Akbarabad to the Arsh [ninth heaven]”, a claim which few visitors are likely to question. The verse provides confirmation that after his death Agra was regarded as Akbar’s city.


A series of marble palaces and pavilions were built by Shahjahan behind the Diwan-i-Khas, each one excelling the other; but the prize, if it can be awarded, must go to the Daulatkhana-i-Khas, or royal residence. Its Tambi Khana or parlour is the gem in this imperial diadem. Projecting beyond the wall is the Jasmine Tower from which Shahjahan gazed at his greatest creation of all, the Taj Mahal, floating in the distance. His daughter Jahanara occupied the Khas Mahal further on, with the recessed Anguri Bagh or Garden of Grapes providing colourful relief from the dazzling marble all around.


The Hamam, or royal baths in Agra Fort, according to the contemporary historian Mulla Abdul Hamid Lahori, consisted of several buildings overlooking the river. This too was pillaged — by the British, who sent the most magnificent of the marble baths to the Prince Regent. The Hamam is now closed, but the visitor can visit the fairyland of the Shish Mahal, or palace of mirrors.
Two mosques should not be missed. Aurangzeb built the Nagina Masjid next to Machi Bhawan for the women of the palace. Discreetly hidden away in an elevated courtyard of its own is Shahjahan’s Moti Masjid or Pearl Mosque. The name was conventionally given to a white marble place of prayer intended for the emperor, his family and chosen attendants. 

There are similar mosques in the forts at Delhi and Lahore, but the Moti Masjid in Agra excels them in scale and sheer purity of line. The women of the harem offered prayers in side rooms screened by marble lattices. The mosque took seven years to build; when it was completed in 1653, Shahjahan travelled from Delhi by boat to offer prayers in this, the last of his architectural creations in Agra.
Despite the elegance of Shahjahan’s additions, the fort pre-eminently expresses Akbar’s majestic sense of empire and the synthesis of the new nationhood he sought to create. For sheer presence, the great red fort of Akbarabad is one of India’s greatest.

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Know About Agra Fort

Agra Fort

Near the gardens of Taj Mahal stands the important 16th-century Mughal monument known as the Red Fort of Agra. This powerful fortress of red sandstone encompasses within its 2.5-km-long enclosure walls, the imperial city of the Mughal rulers. 
 

The forbidding exteriors of this fort hide an inner paradise. There are a number of exquisite buildings like Moti Masjid - a white marble mosque akin to a perfect pearl; Diwan-E-Am, Diwan-E-Khaas, Musamman Burj - where Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan died in 1666 A.D., Jahangir's Palace, Khaas Mahal and Sheesh Mahal. Agra Fort, an excellent example of Mughal architecture, is one of the few UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India.


The construction of the Agra fort was started around 1565, when the initial structures were built by the Mughal Emperor Akbar, and subsequently taken over by his grandson Shah Jahan, who added most of the marble creations to the fort. The fort is crescent shaped, flattened on the east with a long, nearly straight wall facing the river. It is ringed by double castellated ramparts of red sandstone, punctuated at regular intervals by bastions. A 9m wide and 10m deep moat surrounds the outer wall. An imposing 22m high inner wall imparts a feeling of invincible defensive construction. 

The layout of the fort was determined by the course of the river, which in those days flowed alongside. The main axis is parallel to the river and the walls bridge out towards the city.


The fort had originally four gates, two of which were later walled up. Today, visitors are allowed entry only through the Amar Singh gate. Jehangir Mahal is the first notable building that the visitor sees as he enters through Amar Singh gate. Jehangir was Akbar's son and the heir to the Mughal throne. Jehangir Mahal was built by Akbar as the women's quarters. It is built of stone and is simply decorated on the exterior. Ornamental Persian verses have been carved on a large stone bowl, which were probably used to contain fragrant rose water. Akbar built a palace, adjacent to Jehangir Mahal, for her favourite queen Jodha Bai.

Built by Shah Jahan, entirely of marble, the Khaas Mahal demonstrates distinctive Islamic-Persian features. These are well blended with a striking range of Hindu features such as chhatris. It is considered to be emperor's sleeping room or 'Aramgah'. Khaas Mahal provides the most successful example of painting on a white marble surface. 

On the left of the Khaas Mahal, is the Musamman Burj, built by Shah Jahan. It is a beautiful octagonal tower with an open pavillion. It boasts of its openness, elevation and cool evening breezes. This is where Shah Jahan lay on his deathbed, gazing at the Taj.
Sheesh Mahal or the Glass Palace is the finest example of decorative water engineering in the hammams. 

It is believed to have been the harem or the dressing room, and its walls are inlaid with tiny mirrors which are the best specimens of the glass-mosaic decoration in India. To the right of Sheesh Mahal is Diwan-I-Khaas, the hall of Private Audience. The marble pillars are inlaid with semi-precious stones in delightful floral patterns. Adjacent to this, is the Mammam-E-Shahi or the Shah Burj, used as the summer retreat.


The Diwan-E-Am used to house the famous Peacock Throne, which was taken to the Red Fort when Shah Jahan moved his capital to Delhi. The throne alcove is of richly decorated white marble. Nagina Masjid, built by Shah Jahan, was the private mosque of the ladies of the court. 

Moti Masjid or the Pearl Mosque is the prettiest structure at Agra Fort. The building is presently closed for visitors. Near Moti Masjid is Mina Masjid, which seems to have been constructed by Shah Jahan strictly for his private use.

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Visit of the Taj Mahal

Visiting India? It is naturally that you will visit this monument, do not do it, it is a bit like not going to see the Eiffel Tower when you are in Paris. In spite of this, it is not so easy, because the Taj Mahal is not in the capital. Fortunately, he is not at the other end of this great country, either.

How to get to the Taj Mahal in New Delhi

As most international flights depart and depart from New Delhi, you will need a way to get to Agra. You have several solutions. The first solution is to fly. It is the safest, the easiest, especially if you only go through New Delhi (in this sense, because you imagine you will not come to India without visiting the capital!) It takes about an hour between Delhi and Agra. The airlines that operate on this route are Kingfisher Airlines and Air India Regional, which also have lines to Jaipur. Of course this is the most expensive means of locomotion, and in addition, it is not necessarily always on time.
The second solution is to take the train. For a small fee of around 6 euros, plus one or two euros for commission fees, any hotel or small local travel agency will arrange for you to buy the ticket and explain where to take the train. For this price you will even be entitled to an air-conditioned cabin. Beware, however, you will have to take a few days in advance, the train is quickly crowded. The journey time is 3 hours, it is the fastest, and in addition the trains are approximately on time, it is the means of locomotion that allows to have the most of it, accuracy between expected time and actual time. Trains to Agra are the Bhopal Shatabdi Express and the Taj Express, which are the two most acceptable trains for tourists. Not that the others are not, but they are more intended for premises, with lower rates and more difficult travel conditions. The main train station is Agra Cantt, it is to the South-West of the Taj and the fort of Agra. The journey from the railway station to the hotels costs roughly between 50 and 200 rupees. There is another train station in Agra, which is to the east and is the destination of trains arriving from this direction, is the Agra Fort Station.
Another solution is to make the drive. Two scenarios are available: either you rent one, or you go by taxi. The best solution is by far the taxi, because you will not have to worry about driving in a country where traffic can be more anarchic. The real danger is probably pedestrians, and if you're not used to driving in India, do not go there, it's not that easy. Well, it's not unfeasible either, it's just not advised. Otherwise the taxi is still a good, affordable way. The journey time is 5 hours, but it is very approximate, the real time will depend on the state of the traffic, the quality of the taxi, the number of possible incident encountered, etc. If you choose the taxi, plan large, for the time of arrival, you risk arriving late.
It remains the bus as a means of locomotion. For a 5-hour journey, it is often the case that he puts 7 or 8, always according to traffic congestion and other more or less serious inquiries. There too you have to take your ticket very early, the buses are even faster than the train. Note that in bus as in car you can make a stop in Mathura, it makes it possible to split the trip in two parts and the place is sympathetic. There are two bus stations in Agra, the Idgah Bus Stand and ISBT (Inter State Bus Terminal).
Another remark about the journey: Whatever happens to you, take the events with a smile, like the Indians. If you do not arrive today, you will arrive tomorrow ...

Near the Taj Mahal

From the city center of Agra it is not easy to get to the site by public transport. The city center is 3 or 4 kilometers from the tourist site but on foot it seems to be a lot more, you have to walk along fast lanes, which you should not advise, especially in India. So the taxi seems the best solution. If you have your own vehicle you will need to park it in one of the nearby car parks and make the final journey by foot or by electric bus. And yes, for reasons of safeguarding the monument, a protective zone has been defined, in the form of a trapezoid and in the center of which is the monument, in which the emission of industrial gases would be restricted. It is an area in which there must be no traffic either, hence the electric buses and the impossibility of parking in the immediate vicinity of the site.
The minibus is free for ticket holders. These tickets are bought in kiosks near the car parks and from there they leave for the Taj Mahal. Note the presence of carriages, a bit like on the place D'jama el f'na, in Marrakech (Morocco). In both cases the carriages serve only to offer tourists an original means of locomotion, clean. The children will be the first applicants, and they will have reasons, it is very pleasant. They are chargeable, but the rate is acceptable.

When to visit?

The best months to visit the Taj Mahal are October, November and February, possibly March. But this very restrictive list finally does not matter much to the extent that the monument is splendid all by itself, so that you visited it in January, May or August, it remains just as beautiful. One can therefore say that October to March are generally the best months because the weather is generally better than in summer, but the monument itself remains open at any time of the year.
The winter months are mild in this region, while the summer is particularly hot. Those who will be on the spot during the summer will have to be accustomed to the hot weather, otherwise it will less enjoy the trip.
 
Morning, noon evening ?
You will never be advised to go to the Taj Mahal very early in the morning. It opens its doors from 6 am until 7 pm (except Friday, when it is closed). If you get to be in front of the doors at 6am you will enjoy two advantages over other tourists:

• A very uncrowded Taj Mahal
• A beautiful morning light

 

It is probably the low frequentation of the place that will be the most interesting because it will allow you to enjoy the monument without having around you the crowd of visitors who sometimes gives the impression of spoiling the visit. Curiously it seems that this crowd is not automatic: It often happens that a late arrival on the site (towards 10 or 11am of the morning) does not require a great wait at the crates, the crowd not being present on the spot. But when you know why, you do not know, so it's a matter of luck: Where you spend a lot of time taking your ticket, lost in the mass of visitors, or on the contrary you will be very not many. But be sure that it is early in the morning that there are few visitors.


Moreover in the morning the light is very special, especially in winter. With a bit of luck you will see the mausoleum dyeing in pink, before finding its white color so impressive. When in the evening, too, it is essentially the light that will attract you at such a late hour, but as the monument closes early, one should not expect to contemplate the Taj Mahal at sunset. In the evening, the light is rather orange.
 
Otherwise there are visits of the full Moon: From 20:30 to midnight, every half hour starts a night visit, for a discovery of the monument in a new light. Book a minimum of one day in advance, and groups are limited to 50 people.

Opening hours, duration of the visit

The Taj Mahal is open every day except Friday, from 6am to 7pm. Special visits are organized at night, from 8 pm to midnight, for groups of up to 50 people.
 
The duration of the visit is very variable, there is no special organization. For example, the London Bridge in London requires going up a tower, crossing the bridge and coming down: The visit is quite framed. In the Taj Mahal, it is not at all, everyone does what he wants. The "normal" visit, if you will, is to go through the entrance doors, to visit the mausoleums of the inner courtyard, to discover the south door and then the gardens. Along the gardens there are interesting arcades, then the small museum where one can see plans of the site, portraits of Mumtaz and Shah Jahan, etc.


Once the gardens are crossed, the visitor arrives on the marble terrace where he will have to put on his slippers. A visit to the main mausoleum, then to the mosque and finally to the pavilion of the guests will occupy a good time if we are interested in inlaid stones, bas-relief motifs, cenotaphs, in short everything that makes the beauty of the site.


Also do not forget to check out the museum, which is west of the resort, a bit discrete. It contains 3 galleries with original plans of the Taj Mahal and a collection of celadon plates that are said to break if poisoned foods were put in them. It also contains historical documents related to the monument. This museum is open every day of the opening of the Taj Mahal (not on Friday) from 10 am to 5 pm.


To do all this count between 2h and 4h. You can do less if you just walk your nose in the air, which I do not advise so much is beautiful. I advise rather to take his time, do not hesitate to stop a little, to stay 1/2 hour on the lawn to look at the mausoleum, to be interested in the Indians who pass, etc. If you take your time, you do not see these 4 hours, well. And there is a typical Indian curiosity, here, it is the many monkeys that pass over the enclosure and come to try to steal something.

Rates and entrance tickets

In 2016 the entrance fee is set at 750 rupees for foreigners (about 10 €). If one specifies "for foreigners", it is because the Taj Mahal practices tariff discrimination according to the origin of the visitor: The foreigner pays much more than the local, whose tariff is barely 40 rupees.


With the entrance ticket you are entitled to a small bottle of water (welcome, especially in the summer), and small white plastic slippers that you will use before walking on the mausoleum terrace. Muslim design, it is forbidden to walk on it in shoes, where then it is necessary to protect the monument: That is what is done with these slippers. If you do not want to use them, you will only have to walk barefoot.


Know that the ticket gives right to an entry, that's all. So it is not a "Day" ticket with which you can enter and exit at will. Organize yourself so that you do not have to come out again, otherwise you are good at repaying your 750 rupees.

Why is there a different rate for foreigners?

Yes, as mentioned above a visit to the Taj Mahal is not at the same price depending on your origin. Indians pay little, very expensive foreigners, and citizens of SAARC and BIMSTEC countries pay in between. Well, if it seems abnormal, India does what she wants at home, and after all it is perhaps a good as the Indians would not be able to visit their own monument, high. As for the solution of lowering the tariff for all, it has obviously been envisaged, but the country can not deprive itself of a financial windfall that helps it to keep the monument in good condition. Know that the citizens of SAARC and BIMSTEC pays 510 Rupees.


In fact, historically, everyone paid the same fare for entering the Taj Mahal, and it cost only a few rupees. But the public body that manages it, the Archeological Survey of India, and the province of Uttar Pradesh have decided to use the financial windfall of the mass of foreign tourists to finance restoration and renovation work of the monument. The price was set at 960 rupees, with the hope of limiting the flood of tourists, considered too intrusive. This was of course a failed attempt, since tourists are willing to pay dearly for visiting the emblematic monument of India, it is surely not by raising prices that those who have made thousands of kilometers by plane will refuse to go to the Taj Mahal because the tickets are a little too expensive ...


This decision triggered an outcry, to the point that the Supreme Court of India had to intervene. She declared the increase unjustified and lowered the entry price to the monument to 750 rupees, its present value. However, this should not be the definitive amount because the Uttar Pradesh province takes an important commission on each ticket and will have to mechanically lower it when the verdict of the Supreme Court is passed (which may already be done when you read these lines ). Conclusion: The final price is the one posted on the official website of the Taj Mahal!

Organization of a visit

Entrance tickets are purchased at the parking lot, just a short distance from the monument. The tail can sometimes be very long, you will need a little patience, if you play bad luck. Once purchased, the ticket will give you access to electric minibuses that will take you directly to the Taj Mahal. When you arrive at the door you will undergo a drastic search, with the impossibility of returning if you possess many forbidden objects. Fortunately there are instructions, but do not take the risk of having to go back because there is no available: Do not take anything with you!
What is prohibited: Food, bulky books, shelves, miscellaneous accessories, spare clothes, etc. We will only let you go with your camera, your laptop, and possibly a travel guide, if it is not too big. And it will be necessary to insist on passing with material of childcare if you come with baby. Therefore, if you do not repeat yourself, you must insist: 

DO NOT COME TO TAJ MAHAL WITH THE MINIMUM STRICT. 

Absolutely nothing superfluous will be allowed! You should also know that the cameras are allowed, but with a supplement of 25 rupees, and you will be forbidden to cross the steps of the terrace, you will be confined to the gardens. Of course, there are instructions inside the gardens to put down your camera. When we say "camera", we do not know what we mean by that. I imagine it is a bulky device, small pocket cameras are not concerned.


Moreover, a search is organized before entering the inner courtyard. One queue for women, another for men, and that does not laugh, security issue. Do not take these checks badly, even if they seem offensive. After all, you are in India and it is this country that decides its security, to you, visitors, to adapt. And then you just have to look around to relativize, the Indians are open, smiling, and they take rather well these controls, so there is no reason to get angry. Especially that it will serve you to make you forbid entry.

The guides

As in many places on the planet, whenever there is a monument attracting tourists there is a host of "guides" crowding around. And as everywhere, only the official guides are to be recommended. So before choosing a guide, have him show you his accreditation card, and make sure it is official. A fake guide will be able to plant you a visit at full speed so that he can catch other tourists before the end of the day. Moreover before any choice, you must absolutely:

• You hear about the duration of the visit, what you will see during this time,

 

• The price, which must be clearly set in advance,

 

• Paying at the end of the visit.

 

An official guide normally takes 900 rupees, approximately. And, even if it seems obvious, make sure you understand it, because it is not because a guide speaks to you in rough French that he will know how to use the right words to describe what he wanted to do. architect of the mausoleum, in the crypt. It is more difficult to speak technical language than to say hello ...


It is also possible to rent audio guides in English or French next to the counters at the entrance to the Taj. It's worth 105 rupees only, and if you do not have your travel guide, you'll better enjoy your visit.

Tips and Tricks

Among the various inquiries, know that it happens that the Taj Mahal is drowned in sheets of fog, early in the morning. You get up at 5am, you quickly arrive at the monument, you pay your entrance fee and arrive in the gardens and there, surprise: a huge fog keeps you from seeing more than 10m ... It is a mishap which can happen, alas!

Want to see the Taj Mahal from another angle? On the other side of the river, there is a bridge not far after the fort. There, on the beach, you will see the monument on the north side. As it is symmetrical it will offer you the same view as the South, and in addition you will see the magnificent wall of red sandstone encrusted in white marble, the one that overlooks the river!

Adopt a proper outfit, not extravagant. Visit a mausoleum containing a grave, do not forget it. And then there is a mosque to visit, too there should not be too inappropriate.

Agra is not renowned for being an interesting city, apart from the two main tourist attractions that are the Taj Mahal and the fort. The city is rather room and attracts many people trying to enjoy the financial windfall of tourists. As a result the visitor will feel assaulted, often harassed, for example by taxi drivers or sellers of souvenirs or bottles of water. Better to know.

Some small hotels have an incredible view of the Taj Mahal, especially from a rooftop terrace of the building. But they will have to be found because many of them are rather unhealthy. You are advised to have a real experience feedback before booking somewhere ("Real", it is someone of confidence that speaks to you, not a vague opinion on an Internet site of reservation on line. If you do not, trust the big tourist hotels, they are a bit farther but guarantee a comfort that the Westerners prefer.

Taking Successful Photos

Difficult to take photos like the professionals when visiting the Taj Mahal. The world is the problem, in general, since there is always someone passing the goal at the wrong time. More than anywhere else, the Taj Mahal takes full advantage of digital cameras and their great memory capabilities ... Feel free to strafe, you will have more chance of having a successful photo in the lot ...

There are several important points of view at the monument. One of the most popular of the one located just after the main door, at the top of the stairs. We are in height and the mausoleum is revealed to you, 300m further, also in height. This is THE photo to do, but of course you are not alone in wanting to do it. A little patience, then, and civility, all will go well. Taking the same photo before the door is even better since the mausoleum unfolds in the framing, but this picture is even more difficult to do since no one is under the door, something almost impossible to obtain.


Another classical point of view is at the level of the central fountain, one sees well the mausoleum that is not yet too high in the frame and it allows to have the fountain as foreground. It is from here that you will do the classic photo, open hand, palm to the sky, with the impression of the Taj Mahal landed on it, in perspective. Once on the terrace you will have a good view on the main door, 300m away from you, but be careful of the time of day because you are turned towards the South, thus towards the Sun. It may be necessary to wait for the evening, or rather to make this picture early in the morning so that it avoids the backlight. On the other hand, by moving to the mosque or the pavilion of the guests you can make a pretty picture of the gardens. Do not hesitate to shift well, not only will there be fewer people, but in addition the prospect will be more beautiful.


In the gardens forget the classic walk along the central channel, or then made there, but go back by the sides of the gardens. You will discover the museum and the canals under better angles, more open. On the other hand, on the terrace, you will not be able to take the entire mausoleum, except to place you at the end of the terrace, in the corners. 

The views of the mosque are the best of this terrace.
Finally, for those who can, it is necessary to go the evening or the morning on the other bank of the Yamuna, the river that passes to the North of the complex. When the sun does not crush everything on the spot the view of the buildings is magnificent.

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Introduction of the Taj Mahal

Introduction

Settled in Agra, a medium-sized city in modern India, the Taj Mahal is the finest trace that the Mughal Empire left us. It is a large complex comprising three south-north facing parts which are, respectively, the inner courtyard, serving as an antechamber between the terrestrial world, symbolized by the city, and the second part which are the gardens, an image of Paradise on Earth. The third part, to the north is the most sacred and consists of the famous white mausoleum, a mosque (to its right) and the guest pavilion, a replica of the mosque on the left. 

The whole is surrounded by a high, protective wall. The inner courtyard and garden is separated by a door, which is here a large rectangular building, the Darwaza-i rauza. The gardens are perfectly symmetrical. They are cut in 4 by two channels which do not join quite in the center (There is a fountain, right in the center). The north part is raised by 7m, accessed by a staircase or a gentle slope, on the sides.
This short description is only an introduction, the full description is below.

The reasons for building the Taj Mahal

We all know that the Taj Mahal is a proof of a husband's love for his wife. It would be the tomb that the husband built for his deceased wife much younger than him, and his magnifiscense would correspond to the love she had for him. It's a very nice story, but would not it be a legend?
Well no. The Taj Mahal was built for Mumtaz Mahal, the 3rd wife of the 5th Mughal emperor Shah Jahan , who loved him. When she died on June 17, 1631, when she gave birth to her 14th child, she was buried at Burhanpur, where she died. But this tomb was temporary, it was what had decided Shah Jahan who decided, ravaged by grief, to build to his wife a mausoleum as beautiful as was his love for her. He took 22 years to this task and partially ruined the treasure of the Mughals, but the jewel case lived up to his hopes. The Taj Mahal was born. So this story is real.


On the other hand, what is false is the will to build a 2nd Taj Mahal on the other side of the river, black that one, which would have served as tomb to the emperor. This is false, archaeological research has shown traces of construction, the Mehtab Bagh ("Garden of the Moon"), but it is not a 2nd Taj Mahal. Besides, it would have been impossible to build, the finances of the Empire had been emptied by this first construction.

Learn more: Historical context

The construction

The construction of the Taj Mahal took 22 years, from 1631 to 1653. The last 5 years were devoted to the erection of the gardens, the mausoleum and other buildings were finished. It is attributed to Ustad Ahmad Lahauri, but one does not really know the part he took in this work compared to other architects, because it is attested that there were several. The buildings were built in red sandstone, a very common stone in northern India. The mausoleum is also in sandstone, but covered with marble, hence its white color. In fact the builders played on the contrast between red and white, and on white they encrusted black marble for the inscriptions, making it a very successful set.


The construction was made with 20,000 men who alternated on the construction site. Given the mortality that can be imagined at the time, it means that some craftsmen have spent their entire professional career on this site. 

They were helped by 1000 elephants that were used to transport heavy loads. Of course, the workers used precise equipment, but the construction techniques were not really noticed, which means that today we do not have precise ideas on these methods of construction.

The Decorations

There are three types of decoration in the Taj Mahal: Paintings, which are rare, bas-reliefs, mainly in marble - but not that - and pietra dura, which are precious or semi-precious stone inlays on mineral plates, mainly marble.


If there is not much to say about the paintings, bas-reliefs are engraved in large white marble slabs that have been placed down the walls of the mausoleum mainly, but also from the mosque or the pavilion of the guests. Thus the mausoleum is richly decorated with these bas-reliefs, both inside and outside, under the iwans (these large Persian-style porches). The patterns shown are plants, essentially essentially. There are flowers too, but no animals, let alone representations of any human being.


The pietra dura is a technique of lapidary inlay, it was invented and popularized by the Florentines in the sixteenth century, they are master in this art. At the time of the construction of the Taj Mahal Shah Jahan, who had it built, he called on the Florentine craftsmen to work on the monument, which they did. So these decorations are of Italian origin, really. There are a great many in all the corners of the mosaic, on all the walls, on the balustrade behind which, in the main hall, there are the cenotaphs, even on the cenotaphs themselves. 

This technique was also used for black marble inscriptions on the facades of the mausoleum, but also for the gateway to the gardens. These inscriptions recall the duty of piety of every good Muslim, gently for the access door, but more demanding for the facades of the mausoleum.

The visits

Nowadays it is possible to visit the Taj Mahal, but it is a rather recent possibility since it was reserved for the Mughal emperors and their relatives from its construction to the fall of the Mughals. And to all those who were in charge of the maintenance of gardens, buildings. But in the modern era, after independence from India, the visit was organized.

If it is always questionable to find three separate tariffs (one for Indians, one for nationals of neighboring countries, and one for all the others, therefore western and eastern tourists), it must be admitted that the site is a real haven of peace in which the visitor to the impression of being timeless. Proof that the manufacturers have reached their goal, since 400 years later one arrives at the same sensation that at the beginning, and this despite the flood of tourists that pours every day (except Friday) on the site.

The mughals

Who were the Mughals? No, they must not be confused with the Mongols, the people of the North of China from which Genghis Khan was born, conquering the lands of Central Asia. The Mughals form a dynasty created by Bashir in the early sixteenth century on the remains of the sultanate of Delhi. 

 Descendant of Tamerlane, Bâbur came from a Turkish noble family. He set out to conquer his father's kingdom, the throne of the Ferghana, in front of other pretenders, and obtained it. Then, fearing the Uzbeks, he directed the army he had succeeded in forming on the Punjab and eventually conquered Kabul, Lahorre, and then Delhi. His son Humayun continued his work and on his death a new empire was born, spreading all over North India, from Afghanistanist to Bengal. 

His successors further expanded the empire, taking the lands of the South up to the 6th generation, the latter having conquered the territory. From this time the other emperors lost nothing of their influence until the English colonization, during which the dynasty ended.

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