Agra Travel Guide

 INTRODUCTION:

 

Known as the city of the Taj, Agra welcomes tourists from all over the world with its aura of love that dates back to the days of Mughal Emperor Shahjahan. It is home to the Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World (now also one of the New Seven Wonders of the World), and many other major tourist attractions in the state of Uttar Pradesh in the northern part of the 'India. subcontinent. This beautiful city is located about 201 km from New Delhi, the capital of India. The borders are Agrahas Mathura to the north, Dhaulpur to the south, Firozabad to the east, Fatehabad to the southeast and Bharatpur to the west. The intricate architectural design of the mausoleums, forts and palaces testifies to the influx of powerful Mughals who made Agra their capital in the 16th and early 17th centuries. The famous heritage of marble and soapstone inlays is perpetuated by artisans descended from those who were occupied under the Mughals. As registered by UNESCO, there are three World Heritage Sites in this city namely Taj Mahal, AgraFort and Fatehpur Sikri. The magnificent view of the Taj, symbol of eternal love, is an experience to be lived!

 

STORY:

 

A city with a heritage as rich as the Taj Mahal has a rich history. Popular belief is that Sultan Sikandar Lodi, the ruler of the Sultanate of Delhi, founded this city in 1504. After Sikandar Lodi passed away, he was replaced by his son, Sultan Ibrahim Lodi. He ruled his sultanate of Agra until 1526, when he was overpowered by Babur during the First Battle of Panipat. The city flourished under Mughal rule and was the capital of three successive Mughal emperors, Akbar, Jahangir, and Shah Jahan, until 1649 when Emperor Shah Jahan moved his capital to Shahjahanabad for more efficient administration. Known then as Akbarabad, this city was adorned with beautiful buildings by the Mughals. Babar, the ancestor of the Mughal Empire, founded the first Persian garden on the banks of the Yamuna River, known as the Aram Bagh or Garden of Relaxation. Akbar, the most powerful of the Mughal emperors, promoted the development of art, commerce and religion in Akbarabad, as well as the construction of the great Red Fort and the establishment of the city of Fatehpur Sikri (a town near 'Akbarabad). Akbar's son Jahangir, a lover of plants and wildlife, adorned the Red Fort with many gardens. But the city of Akbarabad or Agra received its most impressive building, the Taj Mahal, from Shah Jahan, the emperor known as a connoisseur of architecture. This magnificent monument was erected in memory of Shahjahan's beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal, and is also his mausoleum. Shah Jahan then moved his capital to Delhi. However, his son Aurangzeb again made Akbarabad his capital and imprisoned his father Shahjahan in the fort. In 1653, Aurangzeb transferred its capital to Aurangabad in the Deccan. With the gradual decline of the Mughal Empire, the Marathas and Jats took possession of the city and named it Agra. In 1803 the city was finally occupied by the British and remained under their control until independence from India.

 

HOW TO REACH:

 

Reaching Agra is not a very difficult task. The city has good rail and road networks that connect it to other cities (including Delhi which is 200 km away) and to tourist centers. Other stations include Agra Fort Station near Agra Fort and Raja Ki Mandi Station in the city center. The main railway line connects Delhi to Agra. In addition to the regular trains, a luxury train called Palace on Wheels has been introduced exclusively for tourists with Agra as one of its destinations. In addition, tourists can also use the bus service from New Delhi to Agra. You can also take a bus from Jaipur on National Road 11, from Gwalior on National Road 3, and from Kanpur on National Road 2. Taxis and rickshaws are always available to get around the city.

 

ACCOMMODATION:

 

The city of Taj offers every traveler a comfortable accommodation according to their possibilities. Some of the famous five star hotels are Jaypee Palace Hotel, Welcomegroup Mughal Sheraton, Hotel Amar Vilas, Hotel the Trident, Hotel Clarks Shiraz, Hotel Agra Ashok and Hotel Taj View. The main four star hotels are the Howard Park Plaza International and the Holiday Inn Hotel, while the Amar Hotel, Deedar E taj Hotel, Athithi Hotel, Mansingh Palace, Grand Hotel and Kant Hotel are the main three-star hotels.

 

PLACES TO VISIT:

 

There are a variety of tourist attractions in Agra to attract tourists. The most famous and characteristic of these is the Taj Mahal, which has withstood the ravages of time to establish itself as a symbol of eternal love. It was completed in 1653 and is actually the final resting place of Shahjahan's beloved Queen Mumtaz Mahal. This magnificent monument is the result of years of hard work by Mughal artisans (the main architect was Ustad Isa) under the auspices of Shahjahan. The Taj Mahal appears as a mirage of Agra Fort, the place where Shahjahan spent the last eight years of his life in the prison of his son Aurangzeb. This chimerical effect is created through the skillful use of lime, brick, and white marble. As you enter through the front door, you will find the verses of the Holy Quran (the religious book of Muslims) and 22 domes. The number 22 indicates how many years it took the artisans to build the monument. The entire building, decorated with precious stones, rests on a marble platform, which in turn is built on a sandstone platform. The tombs of Mumtaz Mahal and Shahjahan (erected next to the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal after her death by her son Aurangzeb) are under the most beautiful dome of the Taj. Every little detail of this magnificent marble building, from the minarets to the beautiful garden with fountain, is as harmonious as the melody of love. This man-made beauty contrasts perfectly with the ever-changing beauty of the sky to offer an incredible view.

 

Another attraction is the Agra Fort, which is semicircular and located on the right bank of the Yamuna River. The Mughal Emperor Akbar began building Agra Fort in 1565. However, the structures were integrated until the reign of his grandson Shah Jahan. One of the exquisite features of this fort is its double wall of red sandstone (which gives it the name of Fort Rouge). The exterior wall reaches a height of approximately 40 feet while the interior wall is 70 feet high. A wide and deep moat surrounds the fortress. The fort consists of ramparts with towers and ramparts at calculated intervals. Two of the forts that line the Yamuna River are known as Shah Burj and Bengali Burj. There are four gates, namely the Delhi Gate on the west side which is the main entrance to the fort, the Amar Singh Gate or the Akbar Darwazah Gate on the southern part (today visitors enter the fort through this gate) , Jal Darwazah or Water Gate, an exclusive gate for women and the fourth gate on the northeast side. The various structures in Agrafort include Akbari Mahal, Anguri Bagh, Diwan-i-am, Diwan-e-khas, Jehangiri Mahal, Khas Mahal, Machchhi Bhawan, Mayura Mandapa, Mina Masjid, Moti Masjid, Musamman Buri, Nagina Masjid, and Shish Mahal . Each structure is beautifully sculpted to serve its purpose. Then there is Sikandra, the mausoleum of Emperor Akbar, founded by Akbar himself and completed by Jahangir in 1613. Religious opening. The entire building is a five-story truncated pyramid, while the main tomb is square in shape. It consists of three-story minarets finely carved from red sandstone. The ground floor is crossed by many airy corridors. In the southern part there is an antechamber richly decorated with sculptures and paintings. Other graves in this enclosure are those of Shakrul Nisha Begum and Aram Bano, daughters of Akbar. Another tourist attraction in Agra, Itmad-ud-Daulah is actually a tomb built by Nur Jehan, queen of the Mughal Emperor Jehangir, for her father Mirza Shiyath Beg. When Jehangir married Noorjahan, her father became Prime Minister of the Empire and received the title "Itimad-ud-Daulah", which literally means "Treasurer of the Empire". The characteristic marble work from this tomb was later used by Shahjahan in the construction of the Taj Mahal. The peculiarity of this tomb is that it is shaped like a silver jewelry box. Near Agrais the city of Fatehpur Sikri. This beautiful city was built by Akbar to express his gratitude to the holy Sheikh Salim Chishti when his son (Akbar) was born. The decorated marble tomb of Sheikh Salim Chishti in this city attracts many tourists and devotees who come here to be blessed by the saint.

Another tourist site, Radhaswami Samadhi, is the official center for followers of the Radhaswami religion. This sacred place, where the ashes of the ancestors of the Radhaswami religion rest, has a temple with exquisite stone carvings depicting a variety of flora. The Chinni Ka Rauza is the tomb of Mulla Shukrullah Shirazi, a famous poet (he wrote poetry under the name "Allami") and the prime minister of Mughal Emperor Shahjahan. This tomb was built by Afzal Khan, a court administrator in Shahjahan. The structure that surrounds the tiles is a perfect manifestation of Persian artistic excellence.

 

You can also visit the Jama Masjid, built in 1648 by Jehanera Begum, the daughter of Shahjahan, in memory of Shiekh Salim Chistti and his grandson Islam Khan. This open-courtyard building reflects the use of Iranian architectural models.

 

Then there is the Tomb of Mariyam, which Jehangir built for his mother, the Rajput queen of Akbar. Akbar named her Mariyam Zamani, which means “compassionate towards the world”. The tomb is made of red sandstone in the characteristic Mughal architectural style. Besides all these other monuments of Agra city, Battis Khambah, Chhatri Rani Hada, Tomb of Hessing, Humayun Mosque, Sarai Nurjahan, Tomb of Itibar Khan, Tomb of Salabat Khan, etc. There are also many other religious places, namely Kailash temple, Mankameshwar temple, Balkeshwar temple, Prithvinath temple, Rajeshwar temple, Guru kr Tal Gurudwara, Baptist church, Catholic church and Digambar Jain Mandir. Agra also offers the possibility of excursions to other tourist places outside the city like Bateshwar, Keetham Lake, Mathura, Vrindavan, Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur, Patna Bird Sanctuary, etc.

 

FESTIVAL:

 

The city of Agra is a party place with many fairs and festivals held throughout the year. The most popular of these is the Taj Mahotsav, which colors the whole city with the colors of joy. It is a ten-day celebration in February celebrating Uttar Pradesh's glorious tradition of culture, crafts, arts, cuisine, dance and music. The place is Shilpagram, almost near the Taj Mahal. The festival begins with a procession reflecting the magnificence of the Mughals. It seems that the Mughal era of splendor has come to life. The other big fairs are Kailash Fair, Sheetla Fair, Bateshwar Fair, Urs and Ram Barat.

 

ARTS AND CRAFTS:

 

As if all these tourist attractions were not enough, the city produces unique artifacts such as Zari Zardozi, Carving Strone and Inley, as well as rugs with various types of ornaments and leather shoes. To add a feather to the hat, there are two winners of the Padam Shree Prize for Handicrafts, Mr. Sekh Samruddin and Shri Hari Kishan Badal. Monuments, festivals and crafts make Agra a perfect blend of culture, heritage and harmony, which finds its highest embodiment in the Taj Mahal.

 

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