The
city of Taj, Agra is undoubtedly, India's
topmost tourist attraction. White marble Taj
Mahal, the mausoleum of the beloved queen of the
Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, is the ultimate crown
of this former Capital of Mughals. Agra was
found in 1475 during the reign of Raja Badal
Singh but it was during the Mughal period that
the city was in its prime. During that period,
it became the centre of art, culture, learning
and commerce and massive and majestic buildings
and monuments graced the land. Even today, the
leatherwork and pietra dura marble-inlay work of
Agra is famous and the exotic Mughal cuisine
tickles the taste buds of many.
One of the cities of famous golden triangle of
India along with Delhi and Jaipur, Agra has
witnessed the golden period of Mughal
architecture and is a land of many beautiful
monuments such as Agra Fort and Itmad-ud-daulah.
From the time of Babar, who laid down the first
formal Persian garden in India here, this city
situated on the banks of the River Yamuna
remained the chosen city of Moghuls, who found
it even more suitable because of its proximity
to Felhi, the centre of political power in
India. Sikandra, the garden mausoleum of Akbar
and Fatehpur Sikri are the most talked-about
excursions of the city.
Agra's Prime
Attractions
Taj
Mahal
The crown of Agra, the elegy in white marble,
the poem of love, Taj Mahal was built by
Shahjahan to fulfill the promise he had given to
his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal, to build the
most magnificent monument for her as the
mausoleum. Mumtaz died while giving birth to
Shah Jahan's 14th child and the love between the
couple was legendary. Standing serenely on a
raised marble platform on the shores of River
Yamuna, it took twenty years to complete the
monument and the skilled workers and artisans
were hired from all over the world, mostly
Central Asia to contribute to its beauty. It is
said that about 20,000 people labored to make
Taj, who worked diligently under the main
architect Isa Khan, who came to India from
Shiraz in Iran.
Itmad-ud-Daulah
The tomb of Emperor Jehangir's father-in-law
Mirza Ghiyas Beg, who was awarded the title of
Itmad-ud-Daulah (the pillar of the state), it is
a garden mausoleum set in the centre of a
luxurious Persian garden. Said to be the
precursor of Taj, it was the first Mughal
structure made only in marble and used pietra
dura, the inlay marble work for the first time.
The architectural gem was the brain child of
Empress Noorjehan that she built between 1622
and 1628 and is quite similar to the Jehangir's
tomb built by her near Lahore in Pakistan.
Agra Fort
Agra Fort was first built y Akbar in 1565. Later
Jehangir and Shah Jehan made many additions to
it. Its huge double walls with four massive
gateways encircled a number of palaces, courts,
mosques, baths and fabulous gardens with
fountains and pavilions that were designed to
give the most magnificent luxurious lifestyle
and utmost security to its inhabitants. The most
remarkable monments in its premises are Diwan-i-
Am, Diwan-i-Khas, Khas Mahal, Palace of Mirrors,
Pearl Mosque, Nagina Masjid, Angoori Bagh and
Fish Pavilion along with the red sandstone
Jehangiri Mahal built by Akbar for his Hindu
queen Jodhabai.
Sikandra
10 km from the city centre, Sikandra is the
mausoleum of Akbar that was started by Akbar and
finished by his son Jehangir. It presents an
eclectic mix of Hindu, Christian, Islamic,
Buddhist and Jain architectural styles and it
was named after Sikander Lodhi. The tomb sports
three-storey-minarets built in red sand stone on
all its four corners that have inlay work of
marble on them.
Fatehpur Sikri
40 km from Agra, Fatehpur Sikri was designed by
Akbar to be the capital of the Mughal Empire
between 1570 and 1586 in the honor of the Sufi
saint Sheikh Salim Chisti, who blessed him with
a son whom he called Salim after the saint and
an heir to his throne. This new city was focus
point of the monument complex. It is designed to
be the focus of the complex too. Other notable
and interesting monuments of this complex are
Diwan-i-Am, Diwan-i-Khas, Panch Mahal, Jama
Masjid, and Buland Darwaza.
Agra City Facts
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Location: |
In Uttar Pradesh in North India. Agra is 204 km south from Delhi and 232 km from Jaipur. |
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Climate: |
Agra has extreme and tropical climate, very hot in summers and chilly in winters. Monsoon season is characterized heavy rains and high humidity. |
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How to Reach:
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By Air: |
One can fly to Agra from Delhi and reach there in just 30 minutes. The nearest airport is known as 'Kheria' airport and is 6 km from the city center. |
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By Train: |
There are some excellent trains from New Delhi to Agra Cantonment railway station such as Shatabdi Express, Taj Express and Inter-city Express from Delhi that take about 2-3 hours to reach Agra. |
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By Road: |
The main bus terminal in Agra is 'Idgah'. Agra is well-connected with all the major Indian cities via National Highways and express and air-conditioned bus services such as Delhi, Jaipur, Lucknow, Gwalior and Jhansi. |
