Ninety seconds on Tomb of Itimad-ud-Daulah
Worth crossing the river for, the Baby Taj is a small white marble tomb whose stone inlay and carved lattice screens you can walk right up to and study in detail.
Four small minarets rise at the four corners of the tomb, and intricate marble lattice screens fill its arched recesses. All around it, the formal garden's waterways and paths are laid out in a geometric pattern.
It was the first tomb in India built entirely of white marble, and the first Mughal building to use pietra dura, inlaid stone, on a large scale.
Inside, colourful floral decoration lines the walls, the floor is bright yellow, laid in a geometric pattern, and the marble ceiling is carved as a star burst. It is far smaller than the Taj Mahal, and there is no view of the Taj Mahal from the tomb itself.
The ticket counter is at the gate, and tickets can also be booked online. The security check at the main gate is quick.
Walk round the outside of the tomb first, to see the screens and minarets up close, then go in and look out through the doorway and the lattice windows. Afterwards, walk down the garden to its river end, where the Taj Mahal comes into view across the water.
On the way back to the gate, look out for monkeys playing in the flowerbeds.
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