Agra

India is a country full of history, and the extraordinary fact is that there have been several invasions by rulers of different cultures and hence India has imbibed those cultures while retaining its own unique flavour. Agra, or Agraban, as it was once known in the Mahabharata times, is a magical city that can boast of hosting one of the seven wonders in the world, including three world heritage monuments.

Mughal King Babur defeated Sikander Lodhi in 1526 A.D and made Agra its capital. As the Mughal Emperor Akbar came to throne in 1556 to 1605 A.D, Agra earned fame all over the world. It was renowned as one of the greatest and most magnificent cities of India. Emperor Akbar constructed many beautiful buildings like the premises of famous Fatehpur Sikri and Agra Fort.

The Mughal Emperor Akbar built Fatehpur Sikri about 35 km (22 mi) from Agra, and moved his capital there. It is a World Heritage Site. Akbar wanted to make Fatehpur Sikri as his head quarters, so he built the magnificent fort; but due to the shortage of water, he had to move his headquarters to Agra Fort. Buland Darwaza or 'the lofty gateway' was built by the great Mughal emperor at the Fatehpur Sikri. The Buland Darwaza has 52 steps and is 53.63 m high and 35 meters wide. It is constructed of red and buff sandstone, highlighted by carvings and black and white marble inlays. There is a small Durgah in the premises where tourists come and pay their homage. They tie red threads and ask for wishes.

The grand Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World was built by the Mughal Emperor Shahjahan in the loving memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Completed in 1653, the Taj is constructed of marble. It took 22 years and 20,000 workers under the patronage of the Persian architect Ustad Tsa to be built on the banks of River Yamuna.  Verses of the Koran are inscribed on it and at the top of the gate are twenty-two small domes; representing the number of years the monument took to build. The Taj Mahal was built on a marble platform that stands above a sandstone one. The most elegant dome of the Taj Mahal has a diameter of 60 feet and rises to a height of 80 feet; right below this dome is the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal. Shah Jahan's tomb was erected next to hers by his son Aurangzeb. The interiors are decorated with fine inlay work, incorporating semi-precious stones.

 

How to Reach

·         Agra Airport is about 12.5 km from the city.

·         There are three main railway stations in Agra and almost all major cities are connected to Agra by rail.

·         By road Agra is 210 km away from Delhi, 118 km from Gwalior, 237 km away from Jaipur and 1204 km from Mumbai.