TAJ MAHAL, INDIA THE USUAL: THE ALTERNATIVES: ALSO TRY:

The Mughal emperor Shah Jahan’s mausoleum for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, completed in 1648, remains one of the world’s most in-demand sights. Attempts to thin the crowds have included increasing ticket prices and introducing daily caps on the domestic tourists who make up the bulk of the crowds. Whether it makes a dent in the 8.5 million visitors that mill around the marble each year remains to be seen, but finding a quiet spot to capture the perfect shot is still the dream.

It’s rumoured that the cleaning of the Taj’s iconic dome will start in April, so it might be worth heading there pronto in case scaffolding appears to mar your perfect shot. Winter (Dec–mar) is the coolest season; for a less-hectic visit, avoid weekends and public holidays, and arrive before the west and east gates open at 7am to get through security faster.

For a mesmerising and quite different perspective (and great photos of the Taj reflected in the water), cross Agra’s Yamuna River to the north bank; the charbagh (garden) complex at Metahb Bagh is great for sunset shots of India’s icon. Back on the southern bank, a riverside pathway running alongside the eastern gate offers unusual angles on the Taj; be aware that, though you may be offered a boat ride here for even better views, such jaunts are officially not permitted.

The Bibi-qa-maqbara in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, was built a few decades after the Taj by Shah Jahan’s grandson, Azam Shah, and is strikingly similar to that monument. Like the Taj, it was created as a mausoleum (for Azam Shah’s mother, the emperor Aurangzeb’s wife Rabiaud-daurani) and, though his cost-cutting father demanded that it was finished in limestone rather than marble, it’s a dazzling sight – and far less crowded that its counterpart in Agra. 76 wanderlust.co.uk March 2019 ( Get to the west gate of Agra’s centrepiece before 7am for a more mellow dawn experience; ( reflect on the Taj’s near-twin, Bibi-qaMaqbara, in Aurangabad