Agra

The Hindu epic Mahabharata refers to it as 'Agraban', part of Brij Bhoomi, the homeland of Lord Krishna. The earliest recorded history of Agra, however, is its establishment by a local king in 1475. It grew into an important power centre under the Delhi Sultan Sikandar Lodi, who shifted his capital from Delhi in 1504. Agra attained full glory in the Mughal period, from the time Babur captured it in 1526. Babur's son, the Emperor Akbar, who was a great empire builder commissioned the Agra Fort in 1565 and the city grew around the nucleus of the fort.

However, Agra is best known for the Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the modern World. Emperor Shah Jahan built this exquisite white marble mausoleum for his favourite queen Mumtaz Mahal. Declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO, the Taj Mahal has always evoked varying emotions from wonder to ecstasy and often times, inspired poetic verse. Over the centuries, it has become the symbol of undying love and flawless beauty.

The monument was commissioned in 1631 and took 20,000 artisans, 22 years to complete. An entire township now known as Taj Ganj came up around the site. Here, craftsmen live and sell their wares of marble and stone inlay and replicas of the Taj. After the reign of the last great Mughal, Aurangzeb, Agra fell into the hands of the Jats and then the Marathas. In 1803, the British under General Lake captured the city. Once again, it secured its position of eminence as the capital of the north-western provinces. After the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, the capital of the Central Province and its High Court were moved to Allahabad. From the rule of the Jats to the early British period, Agra's monuments were plundered and exquisitely crafted pieces transported away. The city fell into decline and disarray till modern times, when people rediscovered its historical importance and tremendous tourist potential.

Agra, the city of the inimitable Taj Mahal is now an educational and business centre-known for its craftsmen & handicrafts. Marble and soft-stone inlay work, carpet and leather goods are some important traditional crafts of the city.

Taj Mahal:The Taj Mahal stands serene and awesome, on a raised marble platform, by the banks of the Yamuna, testifying to the timelessness of art and love. Its pure white marble shimmers silver in the soft moonlight, exudes a shell - pink glow at dawn, and at the close of the day, takes on the tawny, fiery hue of the majestic sun. Shahjahan built the monument in memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal, the 'lady of the Taj', who died giving birth to their 14th child. It has been called the most extravagant monument ever built for the sake of love. The construction of the Taj commenced in 1631, and was completed in 1653. Workers were gathered from all over the country and from Central Asia, and about 20,000 people were recruited to translate this wild dream into a reality. The main architect was Isa Khan, who was brought all the way from Shiraz in Iran. After he was deposed and brutally imprisoned in the Agra Fort, by his son Aurangzeb, Shahjahan spent the rest of his life looking wistfully at his wife's final resting place, just across the river. The Taj remains a symbol of eternal love where the heart - broken Shahjahan was subsequently buried, re-united finally with his beloved Mumtaz.

Agra Fort:Built by three of the greatest Mughal emperors. The construction of this massive structure began in 1565, under Akbar, and continued till the time of his grandson, Shahjahan. Armed with massive double walls, punctuated by four gateways, the fort houses palaces, courts, mosques, baths, gardens and gracious pavilions within its premises. Among the fascinating structures that are to be found within the fort is the red sandstone Jehangiri Mahal built by Akbar for his Hindu queen, Jodhabai, was one of the earliest constructions illustrating the fort's change from a military structure to a palace. The palace is also notable for its smooth blending of Hindu and central Asian architectural styles. The Diwan-i-Aam, the Diwan-i-Khas, the Khas Mahal, the Palace of Mirrors, the Pearl mosque, the Nagina Masjid, the Garden of Grapes, and the Fish Pavilion are the other monuments in the fort complex.

Sikandra:10 km north of Agra lies Akbar's tomb, in Sikandra. Named after the Afghan ruler Sikander Lodi, Sikandra is the final resting place of Emperor Akbar. Akbar began the construction of his own garden mausoleum during his lifetime, a red sandstone structure in a chahar - bagh, or 4 - square formal garden. An impressive marble - inlaid gateway leads to the spacious four - tiered monument which is crowned by a white marble cenotaph and screen. This last was added by Jahangir, who completed the tomb after the demise of his father.

Fatehpur Sikri:40 km west of Agra, is the perfectly preserved 'phantom city' of Fatehpur Sikri. Between 1570 and 1586, during Akbar's reign, the city served as the capital of the Mughal empire, and was then abruptly abandoned. Today, albeit deserted, the city's palaces, courts and other monuments stand in mute testimony to the greatness, and amazing vision of the greatest emperor of all times, who was also a fine human being. The dargah or tomb of Sheikh Salim Chisti, the renowned saint, set in the courtyard of the Royal Mosque, still draws hordes of pilgrims who come to have their wishes fulfilled.

Other attractions: Khas Mahal, Nagina Masjid, Sheesh Mahal, Musamman Burj, Sikandra, Jama Masjid, Chini ka rauza, Ram Bagh, Diwan-I-Am, Diwan-I-Khas,Panch mahal,Dayal bagh.

Note: Taj Mahal is closed on fridays.