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AGRA
Agra is one of the famous city of India
not only because the city has an excellent cultural
background but houses the world renowned Taj Mahal.
Located about
 204 km south of Delhi, Agra is the
city of tombs and memorials. Famous for its Taj Mahotsav (Taj Festival, Agra is bustling with
tourist in the month of February every year as
thousands of tourists throng to it from all over the
world. The Taj Mahotsav brings traditional Indian
music and dance on a single platform for tourists to
enjoy.
Much of the city's impressive past lives in evidence
even today, in the hunting presence inside the
monuments, the majesty of the buildings, the
exquisite arts and crafts and not to forget, the
lure of an exceptional cuisine… all, cherished as
priceless legacies of a nostalgic past. The older
city of Agra has impressively retained much of its
resplendent history… captivating every visitor with
fond memories to take back home. Today, luxury and
modern convenience also exist adjacent to tradition
- luxury hotels, shopping malls and plazas, wide
avenues and a superb choice of venues for
recreation, business, sports, pleasure, education
and the arts.
Taj Mahal
A marble wonder, poetry in stone, a tear drop
on the cheek of time, Shah Jahan's muse…different
people have described the Taj Mahal in different
ways. But no word or phrase can capture the essence
and beauty of the Taj Mahal completely.
Built by Shah Jahan, the Mughal emperor in memory of
his wife Mumtaz Mahal, Taj Mahal attracts people
from far and near. The city of the Taj, Agra
witnesses continuous flow of tourist throughout the
year. Visiting Taj Mahal is like a ritual for most
foreign tourists, who hit the Golden Triangle
tourist circuit as soon as they land in New Delhi,
the capital of India.
Agra Fort
Besides the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort is another
wonderful monument that is a must visit on your tour
of Agra. Unlike the Taj Mahal, which was built by
one Mughal ruler, the Agra Fort saw continuous
addition to its structure. The Agra Fort was started
by Akbar (1556-1605) but the construction was
continued during the rule of his son Jehangir and
his grand son Shah Jahan. However most buildings
inside the fort was built during the reign of Shah
Jahan.
The Agra Fort is situated on the bank of river
Yamuna. The Agra Fort is built in red stone and it
stretches almost two kilometres on the bank of the
Yamuna. The 69 ft high wall encircles the crescent
shaped Agra Fort. The Agra Fort has two main gates,
which is proof of its impregnable stature. The two
gates of the Agra Fort are the Delhi gate and the
Amar Singh Gate.
The Agra Fort houses a number of mosques and
palaces. Most of the mosques and palaces inside the
Agra Fort are built in red stone and white marble.
Some of the wonderful monuments that you can visit
inside the Agra Fort on your tour of Agra include
Khas Mahal, Jehangiri Mahal, Musamman Burj, Moti
Masjid, Sheesh Mahal, and Nagina Masjid.
Itmad-ud-daulah Tomb
The tomb of Itmad-ud-daulah in Agra is
believed to have inspired the design of the Taj
Mahal. The tomb Itmad-ud-daulah was built much
earlier then the Taj Mahal. The tomb was built by
Nur Jahan, wife of Jehangir for her father Mirza
Ghiyas-ud-din or Ghiyas Beg.
The life of Ghiyas-ud-din Beg makes an interesting
read. Ghiyas-ud-din Beg was a poor merchant from
Persia (now Iran). On his way to India, his wife
gave birth to a baby girl. Since he was extremely
poor, he decided to abandon the baby. However wails
of the baby made them to take her back. The baby
brought good fortune to Ghiyas Beg, who found a
caravan that took him to the court of the Mughal
emperor Akbar. As time passed, Ghiyas Beg became the
chief minister during the reign of Jehangir. He was
honoured with the title of Itmad-ud-daulah, which
means 'Pillar of the State'.
His daughter grew up to be a beautiful lady and was
married off. But her husband died soon after her
marriage and she came back to her father in the
court of Jehangir. Jehangir fell in love with her
and married and she was known as Nur Jahan. Ghiyas
Beg died in 1622 and Nur Jahan decided to build a
mausoleum for her father. The tomb of
Itmad-ud-daulah is built entirely in white marble.
Fatehpur Sikri
No tour to Agra is complete without touring
Fatehpur Sikri. Once the capital of the Mughal
emperor Akbar, Fathepur Sikri is also known as the
ghost city. The city was built by Akbar between 1571
and 1584. The city of Fatehpur Sikri is built in red
stone and is famous for its architectural
brilliance. Fatehpur Sikri is included in the
Unesco's world heritage site.
Though the city is built in Islamic architectural
style, the columns, brackets, arches and the palaces
are influenced by the architecture style of Gujarat
and Rajasthan. The traces of Christian style of
architecture are also visible in several places at
Fatehpur Sikri. It took Akbar 15 years to complete
the city of his dreams.
There are a number of beautiful buildings at the
complex that reflect the ingenuity and architectural
sense of Akbar. The Diwa-I-Aam or the hall of public
audience was the place where Akbar used to preside
over the court. The hall of public audience is
enclosed by a series of arcades. Diwan-I-Khas or the
hall of private audience is the venue where Akbar
used to held serious discussion on religion with
Imams, pundits, and Christian missionaries.
The Panch Mahal or the five-tired palace is one of
the remarkable buildings in the complex. As you move
up the five storied pavilion the size and number of
pillars decreases while the size of floor increases.
The Jami Masjid is another remarkable building at
Fatehpur Sikri, which is considered as one of the
largest mosques in India. The Buland Darwaza or the
Victory Gate, which Akbar constructed after his
victory in Gujarat, is a wonderful work of the
Mughal architecture. The tomb of the saint Salim
Chisti is a must visit at the complex.
A tour of Fatehpur Sikri gives an interesting
insight to the working style of Akbar. One gets a
clear idea about his way of functioning, policies,
his outlook towards religions and the propagation of
Din-I-Ilahi. Fatehpur Sikri is located about 40
kilometres from Agra and most tourists make it a
point to visit the capital city of Akbar.
Akbar's Tomb
Akbar was perhaps the longest serving ruler
during the Mughal rule in India. Akbar started
building his mausoleum, which is a typical Timurid
tradition during his lifetime. But before he could
complete the mausoleum he died. His son Jehangir
completed the construction of the mausoleum.
Jehangir pulled down most of the earlier structures,
which Akbar had built and re-designed the mausoleum.
Akbar's tomb is located in Sikandra, which is about
four kilometres from Agra. The architecture of the
tomb has been inspired from the architecture of
Fatehpur Sikri. The gateway is designed like the
Buland Darwaza in Fatehpur Sikri, which leads to the
enclosed garden. The gateway is beautifully
decorated with large mosaic engraving that look
beautiful. The minarets on the gateway further
accentuate the beauty of the mausoleum. The
calligraphic work on the tomb is another hallmark of
the monument.
Jehangiri Mahal
This is the first notable building as one
enters through the Amar Singh Gate and emerges out
of the passage. Situated north of the gate at the
end of a spacious lawn, the Jehangir's palace was
built by Akbar as a residence for his son Jehangir.
The largest private residence in the fort, it is a
blend of Hindu and Central Asian architectural
styles. The Mahal is reached through an impressive
gateway and its inner courtyard consists of a two
storey facade of beautiful halls, profuse carvings
on stone, heavy brackets exquisitely carved with
animal and floral motifs, piers and cross beams with
remnants of the rich gilded decorations which once
covered much of the structure. There is a verandah
with slender pillars on the eastern front facing the
river front. This is the most important building
remaining from Akbars period as his successors
demolished several of Akbar's red sand structures
replacing them with marble one's. To the right of
Jahangiri Mahal is a simple palace of Akbar's
favourite queen Jodha Bai.
Khas Mahal
Built entirely of marble by Shah Jahan in
1637, the Khas Mahal or the Private Palace
demonstrates distinctive Islamic-Persian features.
The enclosure has three pavilions overlooking the
Yamuna, with a fountain opposite the central
pavilion. The central pavilion an airy edifice, used
by the emperor as a sleeping chamber has three
arches on each side, five in front, and two turrets
rising out of the roof. It overlooks the Angoori
Bagh (grape garden). The Mahal is flanked by two
golden (copper) pavilions, one with white marble and
was supposedly decorated with gold leaf, while the
other is made with red stone, which were meant for
the prominent ladies of the harem. The Khaas Mahal
provides the most successful example of painting on
a white marble surface.
On the three sides of the Grape garden are
residential quarters of women.
Musamman Burj
On the left of the Khas Mahal is the Musamman
Burj, an octagonal tower with an open pavilion build
by Shahjahan for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. It
is made of delicate marble lattices with ornamental
niches for the ladies of the court to gaze out,
unseen. The chamber with a marble dome on top, is
surrounded by a verandah with a beautiful carved
fountain in the center. The tower looks out over the
River Yamuna and is traditionally considered to have
one of the most poignant views of the Taj. This is
where Shah Jahan spent his last few years as a
captive of his son Aurangazeb and where he lay on
his death bed, gazing at the Taj.
Diwani-i-Khas
Diwan-I-Khas (hall of private audience) built
by Shahjahan in 1636–37 was used to receive kings,
dignitaries and ambassadors. It is a three sided
pavilion with a terrace of fine proportions. Outside
the structure is the marble throne terrace, where a
pair of thrones were kept. The black throne belonged
to Jehangir. Presently, entry is not allowed inside
Diwan-i-Khas.
Sheesh Mahal
Opposite to the Mussaman Burj and just below
the Diwan-i-Khas hall, at the northeastern end of
the Khas Mahal courtyard is the Sheesh Mahal or the
Glass Palace. It is believed to have been the royal
dressing room and its walls are inlaid with tiny
mirrors, one of the best specimens of glass-mosaic
decoration in India. The Sheesh Mahal is composed of
two large halls of equal size, each measuring 11.15m
x 6.40 m. Both are connected in the centre by a
broad arched opening and on the sides by two narrow
passages.
Macchhi Bhawan
Opposite to the Diwan-i-Khas is the Macchhi
Bhawan, a grand enclosure meant for harem functions.
The emperor sat on the white marble platform of the
Diwani-i-Khas facing this courtyard. It once
contained pools and marble fountains which were
carried off by Jat Raja Surajmal to his palace at
Deeg. On another side stands a small mosque built
for Shahjahan by his son Aurangzeb.
Hammam-i-Shahi
To the right of Diwan-i-khas is the
Hammam-i-Shahi or the Shah Burj. It is an airy
apartment, attached to the residential quarters
which was used as a summer retreat.
Diwan-i-Am
The Hall of Public Audiences, made of red
sandstone, was constructed by Shahjahan. It is here
the emperor met officials and commoners and listened
to the petitioners. The women of the palace could
watch the court without being seen by others from
the pavilion through jali (lattice) screens. The
open sided, cusped arched hall (64x23m) built of
plaster on red stone, is very impressive. The throne
alcove of richly decorated white marble completed
after 7 years work in 1634 was used to house the
famous Peacock Throne, later shifted to Delhi by
Aurangazeb and was finally carried away to Iran.
The Nagina Masjid or the gem mosque is a private
mosque raised by Shah Jahan with typical cusped
arches for ladies of the court. There is Mina bazar
for the royal ladies to buy things from the marble
balcony beneath the Nagina Masjid.
The Moti Masjid near the Nagina Masjid is a
perfectly proportioned pearl mosque built in white
marble. This grand mosque has three domes in white
marble raising their heads over the red sandstone
wall.
Climate
Summers are very hot and winters chilling cold. The
temperature difference between the summers and
winters is very high. The monsoon although provides
some respite from the heat but the rains leaves the
city very dirty. It is better to plan your Agra trip
between the months of March and October.
Reaching Agra -
Air : Well connected to Delhi, Khajuraho,
Varanasi by air.
Rail : The railhead at Agra is well linked to Delhi,
Mumbai, Jodhpur, Gwalior, Jhansi, Bhopal, Varanasi,
Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Cochin, Jaipur, Kathgodam,
Patna, Vishakapatnam, Madras, Trivandrum, Lucknow,
Indore.
Road : Idgah bus stand is the main bus stand of
Agra, from where one can catch buses for Delhi,
Jaipur, Mathura, Fatehpur-Sikri, etc. Buses for
Mathura also leave from Agra Fort bus stand.
STD/ISD Codes -
if dialing from India to Agra --- 0562 (number)
if dialing from outside India to Agra ---- ++ 91-562
(number)
Shopping in Agra -
The local artisans are also good at making leather
chappals (sandals), purses, bags, decorative items
and leather products. Agra is also famous for the
Zari and embroidery work, stone inlay work and
durries. The main shopping areas include the Taj
Mahal complex, Kinari Bazaar, Raja Mandi, Sadar
Bazaar. The Gangotri at Taj Mahal Complex and the
U.P Handlooms, UPICA at the Sanjay place are two UP
Government emporiums
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