Agra Travel Guide

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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.

The Legacy of the Past
Agra the famous Mughals city of Taj the seventh wonder of the world, is located on the west bank of river Yamuna. A small city but an intrinsic part of the Indian tourist triangle of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. The present city was first made the capital by King Sikander Lodi. It gained it's importance after the arrival of the Mughals in 1526.

Agra had been the capital of the Mughals period in the 16th and 17th century. Babar the founder of the Mughals dynasty laid out the first formal Persian garden on the banks of river Yamuna. His grandson Akbar made Agra his capital and raised the towering ramparts of the Great Red Fort. Akbar made it a centre for learning arts and commerce. His son Jehangir built rose-red palaces, courts and gardens inside the red fort, and emperor Shahajahan, better known for his all-consuming passion for architecture embellished it with marble mosques, palaces and pavilions of gem-inlaid white marble. The Mughals capital moved to Delhi in 1648. Later the city suffered as it passes on to the Jats and later the Marathas and eventually came into the hands of the British in 1803. The modern city of Agra still reflects its Mughal heritage.

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.

Getting There
By air: Agra is on the popular regular tourist route Delhi/Agra/Khajuraho/Varanasi and return. Flights connect Agra to Delhi, Khajuraho and Varanasi.

By rail: Agra lies on the Delhi to Mumbai broad - gauge railway line. Express trains from Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta, and Chennai halt at Agra.

By road: Agra is connected to Delhi, Rajasthan and other cities of Uttar Pradesh by an excellent bus service.

Accommodation In Agra
Being the most important travel destination in India (almost of fourth of travelers coming to India visit Agra), there are hundreds of hotels located in all parts of the city. New additions are coming every year increasing the facilities for tourist visiting the city. Their are number of luxurious world-class hotels as well as budget and economy class city hotels.

5 Star hotel
» HOTEL AMAR VILAS, AGRA
» TAJ VIEW HOTEL (5 Star), AGRA
» JAYPEE PALACE, AGRA

3 Star hotel
» Grand hotel Agra
» Hotel Amar
» The Myriad Attractions of Agra

Taj Mahal
An architectural hallmark in the world, Taj Mahal is known as the eighth wonder in the world. The ceaseless labour of 20,000 workers led to the construction of this geometrical miracle in India. An exceptional exhibit of Piedra Dura (stone inlay work), the Taj Mahal displays three major elements of the Muslim decorative arts and architecture - the Ayatein (sayings) from the Q'uran, use of various geometrical shapes and a variety of plant forms and flowers dominant in the borders.

Dayal Bagh
Situated 12 km from the hotel, this is the headquarter of the Radhasoami religious sect, founded in 1861 by Shri Shiv Dayal Singh, also known as Swamiji Maharaj. Being built to commemorate the Supreme Creator, this tall, unfinished facade of marble, lined with exquisitely carved pillars and panels, was estimated to cost about five million rupees when it was conceived. Today, the cost of work finished and work still to be done will run into ten million.

About 500 devotees stay in the colony adjoining the samadhi. It is claimed that it may rival the Taj Mahal in splendour when it is completed.

Agra Fort
The construction of the imposing Agra fort, built of blocks of red sandstone, began in 1156 during the reign of the great Mughal Emperor Akbar. The fort was completed in 1605 during the reign of his grandson Shah Jahan in 1605. Built in the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture, which was the hallmark of the Mughal period, this sprawling fort stretches 2.5 km along the banks of the Yamuna River in Agra, in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

Chini Ka Roza
The tomb of Afzal Khan, the persian poet and minister at Shah Jehan's court gets its name from the brightly coloured glazed tiles that decorate it . Lies just 1km beyond itmad -ud -daula.

Jama Masjid
Opposite the fort and overlooking Agra Fort railway station, the Jami Masjid or "Friday Mosque" was built by Shah Jahan in 1648 and dedicated to his favourite daughter, Jahanara Begum. Standing on a high plinth approached by stairs, and with five arched entrances to the courtyard, the mosque is crowned by three large sandstone domes distinguished by their zigzag bands of marble.

Sikandra
Sikandra is 8 km north-east on the Agra-Delhi road. It is on the same side of the river Yamuna as the Taj. Sikandra was built in 1492 by Sikander Lodhi, a ruler of one of the last dynasties of the Delhi Sultanate.Akbar, in his time, ordered the construction of Sikandra again, this time as a site for his mausoleum, but he died before it could be completed. The work was completed by his son Jehangir in 1613. The tomb is a combination of Muslim and Hindu architectural styles. The building of red sandstone is four storeys tall, approximately 31 metres in height. The first three storeys are of red sandstone, while the fourth is entirely of marble.

Itmad-ud-daulah Tomb
The Itmad-ud-daulah tomb stands in the centre of a grand Persian garden, an architectural gem of its times. It is the tomb of Mirza Ghiyas Beg, Emperor Jahangir's father - in- law. The structure was built by Empress Noorjehan in memory of her father, between 1622 and 1628 and is very similar to the tomb she constructed for her husband, near Lahore in Pakistan. This splendid garden tomb is believed to be the precursor of the magnificent Taj Mahal, and was the first Mughal structure to be built entirely of marble, and the first, again, to make use of pietra dura, the inlay marble work that came to be typical of the Taj.

Excursions from Agra

Fatehpur Sikri
Fatehpur Sikri was the imperial city of the Mughal dynasty between 1571 and 1584. Built by the Mughal emperor Akbar, this royal city is one of a kind. The architectural grandeur of this deserted city cannot be described in words and one can only experience the aura of its magnificent edifices by seeing them.

Jaipur
Jaipur the capital city of the northern Indian state of Rajasthan is one of the most vibrant and colourful cities of India. Famous for its colourful culture, forts, palaces. It is also considered as one of the world heritage city.

Mathura
Located 47 km northwest of Agra, Mathura (or Brajbhoomi) is famous as the birthplace of Lord Krishna, an important deity in the Hindu religious pantheon. Mathura makes an exciting getaway if you are planning to travel to Agra. Mathura also belongs to the Agra circuit of the Golden Triangle of India i.e. Agra-Delhi-Jaipur circuit.

Vrindavan
At a distance of 10 kms from Mathura, Vrindavan centres on Krishna and its major landmarks are temples, ghats and groves. Vrindavan is also the hub for Vaishnavite sects and their followers. In a centuries-old tradition, Hindu widows have been coming to live out the rest of their lives in Vrindavan.

Bharatpur
Bharatpur is today known as the country's finest bird sanctuary. The 55-km long journey by road from Agra drives you to the town of Bharatpur the eastern gateway to Rajasthan. Bharatpur is popular for its bird sanctuary near the Keoladeo Ghana National Park, which is the finest in Asia with a rich avian variety. Every year, the rare Siberian cranes come to spend the winter in the warmer climate of Bharatpur.

Delhi
Delhi, the capital of India, is an amalgam of the old and the new. The ancient and the modern times are in juxtaposition here, not only in the remains of a succession of empires, but equally in present social structure and lifestyles. The name Delhi, Dehali, or Dilli is derived from Dhillika, the name of the first medieval township of Delhi, located on the southwestern border of the present Delhi, in Mehrauli. This was the first in the series of seven medieval cities. It is also known as Yoginipura, that is, the fortress of the yoginis (female divinities).

Festivals of Agra

Kailash Fair (Aug./Sep.)
Held at Kailash, 12 km. It is a major fair celebrated in honour of Lord Shiva who is believed to have appeared here in the form of a stone lingam.

Sheetia Fair (July/Aug.)
It is held near Delhi Gate.

Bateshwar Fair
Situated at a distance of 70 km. from Agra on the banks of river Yamuna, Bateshwar is an important spiritual and cultural centre. The place is named after the presiding deity of the region, Bateshwar Mahadeo and has 108 temples, dedicated to the gods and goddesses of the Hindu pantheon.

During the months of October & November, a large fair is organised from Shashthi of Kartik month to Panchami of Agrahayan month. The fair holds a lot of importance for the Hindus. Devotees congregate here in large numbers to worship Lord Shiva and take holy dips in river Yamuna. A Livestock Fair is also organised and owners and buyers conduct serious business combined with the gaiety of a market place.

Urs (Fatehpur Sikri)
This fair is organised at Sheikh Salim Chisti's Dargah during the month of Ramzan.

Taj Mahotsav
The Taj Mahotsav, held in the February, at Agra is an apt introduction to the majesty of the country and the state. A vibrant mosaic that brings together the cream of Indian arts, crafts and cultural nuances.