Agra

Agra is the one of the prominent destinations of the World Tourism map with three heritage monuments-The Taj Mahal, Red Fort & Fatehpur Sikri. It is an ancient city located on the Yamuna River in India, within the state of Uttar Pradesh. It achieved prominence as the capital of the Mughal sovereigns from 1526 to 1658 and remains a major tourist destination, because of its many splendid Mughal-era buildings, most notably the Taj Mahal. Agra is famous for handicrafts products such as Inlay work on Marvel, Leather work, Footwear, Brasswear, Carpets, Jewelry, Zari and Embroidery work. It is also well known for Petha, Dalmoth and Gajak.

A pleasant town with a comparatively slow pace, Agra is known for its superb inlay work on marble and soapstone by craftsmen who are descendants of those who worked under the Mughals. The city is also famous for its carpets, gold thread embroidery and leather shoes.

Agra is located on the banks of the Yamuna River in India, within the state of Uttar Pradesh. On the north it is bounded by Mathura, on the south by Dhaulpur, on the east by Firozabad, and on the west by Bharatpur. Agra is just 185 kms from Delhi and just 232 kms from Jaipur .

Major Attraction - Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal - This beautiful creation of love is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as the final resting place for his favorite Queen, Mumtaz. Finished in by marble, it is perhaps India most fascinating and beautiful monument. It took 22 years to built this marvelous stone creation and was completed in 1653 A.D. The Taj Mahal the bank of the Yamuna river. The Taj Mahal has been built on a Marvel Platform that stands above a sandstone one. The most elegant dome of the Taj, with diameter of 60 feet, rises 80 feet, over the building and directly under the dome is the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal. Shah Jahan's tomb has been erected next to her by his son Aurangzeb. Fantastic Inlay works using semi-precious stones decorate and interiors.

Must See Monuments in Agra

Agra Fort - The great Mughal Emperor Akbar commissioned the construction of the Agra Fort in 1565 A.D., although additions were made till the time of his grandson Shah Jahan. The forbidding exteriors of this fort height an inner pardise. The fort is crescent shaped, flattened on the east with a long, nearly straight wall facing the river. It has a total perimeter of 2.4 k.m., and is ringed by double castellated ramparts of red sandstone punctuated at regular intervals by bastions. A 9 mt. wide and 10 mt. deep moat surround the outer wall. There are number of exquisite building like the Moti Masjid-a white marvel mosque akin to a perfect pearl, Diwan-e-Am, Diwan-e-Khaas, Jehangir's Palace, Khaas Mahal, Shish Mahal and Musamman or Samman Burj-where Shahjahan was held captive in 1666 A.D.

Sikandra - The mausolumn of emperor Akbar represent his philosphy and secular outlook, combining the best of Hindu and Muslim architectures in a superlative region. Completed in 1613 A.D. by his son Jahangir, it is one of the well preserved monuments. This is the last resting place of the Mughal Empror Akbar.

Itmad-Ud-Daulah - It is the tomb of Mirza Ghyas Beg, a persian who had obtained service in Akbar Court. The Marvel tomb was made by Emperor Jehangir's Queen, Noorjahan, for his father Mirza Ghyas Beg during 1622-1628 A.D. The Craftmanship at Itmad-ud-Daulah foreshadows that of the Taj Mahal. It was here that. "Pietra Dura"-the inlay work on marble-so characteristic of the Taj-was first used.

Fatehpur Sikri - It is an epic in red sandstone. A city of yesteryear, today lost in the mists of time. Fatehpur Sikri was built by the Mughal Emperor Akbar during 1564 A.D.. Mughal Emperor Akbar had no heir. He visited holy men to enlist their prayers for his son. When he visited Sheikh Salim Chishti who was living at the village of Sikri the saint foretold the emperor that he would be blessed with a son. When is son was born, he is gratitude, constructed his capital city and named it Fatehpur Sikri. Later, due to sortage of water and unrest in North-West, Akbar has to abandon this city. The beautiful marvel tomb of Sheikh Salim Chishti still attract thousands who seek blessings of the revered saint. Other renowned places are Dewane-e-Am, Dewane-e-Khaas, Buland Darwaja, Panch Mahal, Jodha Bai Palace and Birbal Bhawan. Fatehpur Sikri is about 39 K.M. from Agra.

Radha Swami Samadhi - This is the head quarter of Radhaswami religion, here the holy ashes of the founder of the faith have been preserved. On the sprawling lawns here, is a beautiful marvel temple with beautiful carving of fruits, flowers, leaves and plants which have been reduced into stone true to nature, and are distinctive specimens of the plastic arts. This is under construction for almost 100 years.

Chinni ka Roja - This was constructed by Afzal Khan, A high official in the court of Shah Jahan. Decorated by glazed tiles on the facade, the structure clearly depicts the Persian influence in architecture.

Mariyam's Tomb - This uniqe tomb in red sandstone was built in 1611 A.D. a memory of Emperor Akbar's Goan christian wife Mariyam. The tomb has some exceptional carvings.

Religious Places in Agra

Jama Masjid - This building, with a rectangular open forecourt was constructed in 1648 A.D., by Shah Jahan's daughter, Jehanera Begum in memory of the famous Shiekh Salim Chistti and his grand son Islam Khan. Of perticular importants is its wounderful assimilation of Iranian architecture.

Some other major religious attractions in Agra are Kailash temple, Mankameshwar Temple, Balkeshwar Temple, Prithvinath temple, Rajeshwar temple etc.

Fairs & Festivals in Agra:

Taj Mahotsav (Shilpgram) - Come February, and it's springtime. The time of the year when nature dawns all its colourful splendour and Agra bursts into colourful celebrations. For 10 days there is sheer celebration of U.P.'s rich heritage of arts, crafts, culture, cuisine, dance and music. Yes, it is Taj Mahotsav time again. There are festivities all around and Agra truly puts on the colours of joy and gets transformed into one non-stop carnival. Organised by U.P. Tourism and held as an annual event at Shilpgram, literally next door to the Taj Mahal, the Taj Mahotsav is indeed a fitting tribute to the legendary skills of mastercraftsman and other exponents of art, music and cuisine. Not only this, it is also a gentle peep into the rich heritage and extraordinary legacies of this wounderful land. The festivities commence with a spectacular procession inspired by mughal splendour. Bedecked elephanbts and camels, drum beaters, folk artistes and mastercraftsmen... all help recreate a visual delight reminiscent of the golden era of the Mughal Darbars.

Where to Eat in Agra

Agra is known for its traditional Mughlai cuisine. A traveler can find a number of eating-places across the city, depending on his budget. One can choose from makeshift restaurants in the Taj Ganj area to the luxury hotels in Agra, which are famous for their Mughlai dishes. Agra is famous for its local specialty, the peitha, which is sweet candied pumpkin. It has many options for restaurants and bars. All the luxury hotels has their own restaurants, an you can try other restaurants like Petals, Only, Metro bar etc.

Best Time to Visit Agra

Agra can be visited throughout the year, but one must avoid the extreme hot summers (April-June) and rainy season (July-Sept). The most suitable time to visit Agra is in winters.

How to Reach Agra

By Air - Indian airlines connects Agra to Delhi, Khajuraho and Varanasi. Kheria Airport is about 9 km. from Govt. of India Tourist Office.

By Rail - Agra is a major railway junction on main broad guage routes to the south, east and west. Two of the best trains viz. Shatabdi Express (between Delhi and Bhopal) and Taj Express (between Delhi and Gwalior) are available to access agra. Some other train servicing the city are : G.T. Express (New Delhi to Chennai), Dadar Express (Mumbai to Amritsar), Jhelum Express (Jammu to Pune), Kalinga Utkal Express (New Delhi to Puri), Karnataka Express (New Delhi to Trivendrum), Ujjani Express (Dehradoon to Ujjain) and Hyderabad Express (New Delhi to Hyderabad).

By Road - Agra, on cross roads of national highways 2, 3 and 11, is excellently connected to all parts of the country. Some important road distances from Agra are: Bharatpur-54 km., Delhi-204 km., Gwalior-119 km., Jaipur-232 km., Khajuraho-400 km., Lucknow-369 km., Mathura-450 km., Nainital-353 km., Varanasi-605 km. and Mussorie-417 km.