Agra
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Introduction
of Agra
Agra, the Mughal city is situated on the banks of the
river Jamuna between Mathura and Surajpur. Agra which is
about 200 kms from Delhi, covers an area of 62 square kms.
Agra is one of the most famous tourist destination in
India, which is visited by thousands of tourists from all
over the world. Today, Agra is one of the Uttar Pradesh's
larger cities. Agra witnessed the rule of several Mughal
rulers like Babur, Shah Jahan and Akbar. Their passion for
building endowed it with some of the loveliest buildings
in the world. It was during Akbar's period that Agra
became the center of art, culture, commerce and learning.
Agra is situated at an altitude of 169 meters above sea
level. The most famous monument in Agra is Taj Mahal,
which is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. In
Summers, the temperature is around 45.0 degree Celsius and
in winters it is around 4.2 degree Celsius. Hindi, Urdu
and English are the common languages which are spoken in
Agra. |
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History
of Agra
Agra is a town that lives mainly in the past. The
region originally formed part of the Surasena empire
with Mathura as its capital. Agra has two
dimensional history, one of the ancient city on the
left, on the banks of the river Jamuna, where it was
known as Agraban. This city in those days was
considered to be the sister of Mathura which was
more prominent than Agraban. According to an ancient
legend, the name of Agra is derived from Agra vans
of the twelve groves of Brijmandala, where teenager
Lord Krishna is said to have sported with his
companions. |
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The other part of the history deals with the rule of the
various rulers like Babur, Shah Jahan, Akbar. In the olden
days, Agra was the capital of the Mughals and one of the
great Mughal cities of South Asia. In the Mughal period,
in the 16th and 17th centuries, Agra was the capital of
India. Agra was founded by Raja Badal Singh around 1475
A.D. However, Agra came into limelight during the rule of
Afghan King Sikandar Lodhi. Sikandar Lodhi made this place
his capital in 1501 when the Lodhis ruled North India. The
Lodhi rule ended very soon and Agra passed into the
possession of the Mughals. Later in 1526 AD, the Mughal
Emperor Babar, the founder of the Mughal Dynasty took upon
himself the task for rendering Agra, a unique character
and beauty of its own. He chose this city as the base for
the Mughals and also his capital. He chose Agra as his
capital because it had been the capital of the Afghan king
he had defeated in a five hour battle. His own rule lasted
for only four years. Emperor Babar brought some change in
the culture and lifestyle among the people of Agra, which
then brought forward some of the finest craftsmen,
artists, statesmen, warriors and nobility, this part of
India had ever witnessed. The golden age of Agra's
history, thus began to set in. He also built the world's
first Mughal Garden in Agra. It was during the time of the
third emperor Akbar that Agra came into its own. Akbar
constructed the massive Agra Fort in 1565. Akbar also
built his new capital at Fatehpur Sikri. After that
Akbar's grandson Shah Jahan ruled Agra. During his rule he
built the world famous monument, the Taj Mahal. He built
this monument of love, with a continually fulfilling
beauty between 1631-52, as a tomb and memorial to his
beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. In later years of Shah Jahan's
rule, the capital was transferred again to Delhi. However,
after dethroned in 1658 by his son, Aurangzeb, Agra rose
once again as the capital. After the death of Aurangzeb,
the Mughal Empire faced its way down. The post Mughal era
of Agra saw the rule of the Jats, Marathas, and finally
the British taking the city. |
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Tourist
Attractions in Agra
The main tourist attraction in Agra is Taj Mahal.
This great monument of love was built by Shah Jahan
as a memorial to his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal in
the year 1631-52. It is one of the Seven Wonders of
the world and has fascinated visitors from all over
the world. This marvelous memorial became the
masterpiece of Mughal architecture among others as
seen around the city. In addition to Taj Mahal Agra
has many monuments that epitomize the high point of
Mughal architecture. Some of the other famous
monuments in Agra are the Mughal Garden, Red Fort,
Agra Fort, Jami Masjid, Chini-Ka-Rauza and
Itmad-Ud-Daulah's Tomb. Fatehpur Sikri and Sikandra
are also situated near by Agra. |
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Shopping in Agra
Agra is known for its superb inlay work on marble and soapstone by craftsmen who are descendants of those who worked under the Mughals. The city is also famous for it's carpets, gold thread embroidery, leather shoes, handicrafts and crafts.
How to get here:
By Air:
Agra is well connected to major metropolitan cities of India like Delhi, Bombay, Kolkata and Madras. It is also well connected to other cities as well through regular flights of Indian airlines, Jet Airways and Sahara Airlines.
By Rail:
Various important trains daily run between Agra and other major cities.
By Road:
Agra is well connected by road to the various parts of Rajasthan and North India. Regular bus service operates between Agra and major cities like Delhi, Jaipur and rest of the cities in India. Agra is about 200 kms from Delhi, 230 kms from Jaipur and about 119 kms from Gwalior.
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Agra
Attractions
