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Agra
BriefAgra is the quintessential Mughal City, where the world marvels at the epitome of love, beauty and sacrifice - The Taj Mahal, one of the wonders of the world. So overwhelming is the magic monument, that Agra has been immortalized ,as the City of the Taj. As visitors walk down the narrow bustling streets, they can not help but wonder, if the man contentedly smoking a hookah, is a direct descendent of some bygone Mughal. Even the most modern areas of the town, such as the cantonment, dates back over a hundred years.
History
Agra finds mention in the Mahabharata as Agraban. This city of the Taj ,was established in 1475, by Badal Singh, but came into its own when Sikander Lodi, chose it as his capital ,but was eventually defeated by Babur, who laid the foundation of the Mughal empire. Agra reached its zenith during the reign of the Mughal Empire, to become the center of art, culture, commerce and learning. By mid 16th and the earlier 17th century, Agra witnessed a frenzied building activity purely in the contemporary Mughal style, and it was during this time, when the symbol of love - TheTaj Mahal was built.
Culture
Agra has witnessed the rise of the pomp and pageantry of the Mughal Monarchs, who lavished on this fabled city, their love and riches, bringing a change in the culture and life-style among the people. Agra is one of the most important centres for handicrafts, made of marble and soft stone inlay work. Major handicraft products of Agra, besides inlay work are leatherware, brassware, carpets, jewellery and embroidery work. The major languages spoken here are Hindi, Urdu and English.
Climate & Geogaphical Location
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. Agra is located
on the right banks of the river Yamuna.How to Reach
Agra is well connected by road, rail and air. By air, Kheria airport is 6 kms from Agra and is well connected to cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Khajuraho, Jaipur, Varanasi and other important cities. By rail, the nearest and main railheads are Agra Cantt, Raji-ki-Mandi and Agra Fort railway stations which are well connected to Delhi, Gwalior, Bhopal, Bangalore, Jammu Tawi and other parts of the country. By road, Agra is well connected by good motorable roads. For those driving from Delhi, the best route is by Mathura Road via Faridabad. It is well connected to the neighbouring state of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh as buses depart for Khajuraho, Jaipur, Jodhpur and Mathura frequently.
Tourist Places :
The Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal is one of the wonders of the world and the epitome of love, beauty and sacrifice. Built by Shah Jahan in the memory of his queen, Mumtaz Mahal, its construction is believed to have taken 22 years to complete with over 20,000 craftsmen working round the clock. Even as the world is caught in the skirmishes of War and peace, Nuclear and Non-Nuclear; Taj has stood as the epitome of love. One of the most visited and most photographed places in the world, this extravagant monument of love is the culmination point of Indo-Persian architecture.
Itmad-ud-Duala
Situated opposite the Taj Mahal on the other side of the River Yamuna, Itmad-ud-Duala houses a magnificent mausoleum of Ghias Beg, father of Noor Jehan and the Chief Minister of Emperor Jehangir. This white marble tomb and the first complete marble Moghul structure may not be as mammoth as the Taj but the inlay designs and carvings are no less than Taj if not more. The delicate marble latticework in the passages allows the light to enter the interiors. Nur Jahan built a similar tomb for Jehangir in Lahore.
Jehangirs Palace
Dayal Bagh is the birthplace of the Radhaswami sect, which was founded by a banker of Agra, Swami Shiv Dayal, in 1861. It is a place of pilgrimage for members of this sect and a temple is built here in honour of their fourth Guru.
Agra Fort
Agra Fort is situated in the center of the town. Built principally as a military establishment by Akbar in 1565, the red sandstone Agra fort was partially converted into a palace during Shah Jahans time. Though Akbar built the principle structure, his grandsons made many more additions.
SikandraThis deserted city lies along the top of a ridge. This new capital of Akbar had to be abandoned, only 14 years after it was created, due to lack of water. But the splendid palaces and mosques remain as a vanquished dream. However, this ghost city, is worth a view for its buildings, and can be classified into religious, secular and architectural wonders. The latticework of Jama Masjid and the Dargah of Sheikh Salim Chishti are among the finest in India. The Bais Palace, Birbals House, Mariams House, Panch Mahal, Shahi Darwaza and the Buland Darwaza definitely deserve a visit.
Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary
The eastern gateway to Rajasthan and a popular halting place on the Golden Triangle, Bharatpur is renowned for its World Heritage listed bird sanctuary. Once the hunting estate of the Maharajas with daily shoots recorded of upto 4,000 birds, the Keoladeo Ghana National Park is one of the finest bird sanctuaries with over 360 species which even non orinthologists visit. Well connected with three most important tourist destinations of India, namely Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, it holds an important place in the Indian history.
Mathura
Popularly known as Brij Bhoomi, it is a major pilgrimage place for Hindus. Although almost like a forgotten city after the great cultural, rich enduring past it had, Mathura has grown in recent years into a multi-faceted urban sprawl. A city of temples bustling with thousands of devotees, its most popular shrine is the Dwarikadhish Temple. Nearby is Vrindavan where Krishna sported with his gopis and where the Hare Krishna have their headquarters. Dotted with places of religious and historical interest and an important centre for the arts, the regions significance is largely incorporeal.
Others
CHINI - KA - RAUZA - A tomb of glazed tiles, the Chini-Ka-Rauza is a memorial dedicated to poet-scholar and later the Prime Minister of Shah Jahan, Allama Afzel Khal Mullah Shukrullah of Shiraz. It is located 1 km north of the Itimad-ud-daula.
FIROZABAD - 44 km away from Agra, it is an important handicraft and industrial center famous for glassware, especially glass bangles and cut-glass items.
JAMA-MASJID - AGRA - Built by Shah Jahan in 1648, the main gate of this mosque has an inscription mentioning it as built by Jahanara Begum. She was the favorite daughter of Shah Jahan and was imprisoned with him.
MARIYAM TOMB - The red sand stone tomb was built in 1611 and is dedicated to the wife of Akbar. The carvings on the tomb of Mariyam-us-Zamani are worth giving a closer look.
RAM BAGH - When Babur came to India he laid the first Mughal gardens 500 m North of the Chini Ka Rauza. These well-laid gardens are not even a fraction of what they used to be.
SUR SAROVAR (KEETHAM lAKE) - Situated within Surdas Reserved Forest is this scenic lake, ideal for relaxed outings. A wide variety of fishes and water birds add to the lakes natural charm and beauty.
VAN VIHAR WILDLIFE SANCTUIARY - Situated 50 km from Agra, it spreads over an area of 52 square km and harbors many species of animals and birds. It can be approached from Agra by taxi or bus or by train upto Dholpur.Situated across the Yamuna, about 4 km away, it houses the tomb of Emperor Akbar. An interesting feature here is that one cannot see all the four minarets situated here from one point - one of them is always behind the other in the viewers line of vision.
Fatehpur Sikri
This was built by Akbar for his favorite son Jehangir to provide him with the comfort and luxury inside the fort. This palace displays an excellent combination of Hindu and Muslim architecture.
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