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Agra is situated on the banks of the Yamuna River, Agra with its crowed alleys and predatory rickshaw riders, is much like any other north Indian city, once you are away from its imposing Mughul monuments. It is possible to take a day trip to Agra from New Delhi (there are many excellent train services making this eminently practicable).
When someone says Agra the first thing comes in our mind is the "Taj Mahal". The most expensive dream of the world. One the tourist said on his visit of the Taj Mahal that the Taj Mahal is a poem in the marble. Agra is the destination, which attract all the tourists who want to visit India and it is because of the Taj Mahal. |
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This most famous Mughul monument was constructed by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, the 'the Lady of Taj'. It was described as the most extravagant monument ever built for love, for the emperor was heartbroken when Mumtaz, to whom he had been married for 17 years, died in 1629 in childbirth, after giving birth to 14 children. |
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| Construction of the Taj began in 1631 and was not completed until 1653. Workers were recruited not only from all over the India but also from the central Asia, and in total 20,000 people worked in the building. Experts were even brought from as far away as Europe - the Frenchman Austin of Bordeaux and the Italian Veroneo of Venice had a hand in its decoration. The main architect was Isa Khan, who came from Shiraz in Iran. |
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| The most unusual (but almost certainly apocryphal) story about the Taj is that there might well have been two of them. Shah Jahan, it is said, intended to build a second Taj as his own tomb in black marble, a negative image of the white Taj of Mumtaz Mahal. Before he could embark on this second masterpiece he was deposed by his son, Aurangzeb. Shah Jahan spent the rest of his life imprisoned in the Agra Fort, looking out along the river to the final resting place of his wife. |
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The Taj Mahal is definitely worth more than a single visit as its character changes with the different lights during the day. Down is a magical time, and it is virtually deserted.
The Taj Mahal has inspired painters, writers, photographers, critics and poets; in more recent years it has been filmed, televised and profusely photographer. But nothing can equal the unforgotten experience of seeing such beauty and perfection for oneself. In the last 300 years there have been many so moved by the Taj Mahal that they have recorded their impress at length. Some have described what they |
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| found most beautiful about the mausoleums; others, while doing so, have also revealed the various activities that took place there. |
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| Other thing, which attracts the visitors, is the Agra Fort. Construction of the massive Agra fort was begun by the Emperor Akbar in 1565, and addition were made up until the time of his grandson, Shah Jahan. |
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| While in Akbar's time the fort was principally a military structure, by Shah Jahan's time it had become partially a Palace. A visit to the fort is an Agra 'must' since so many of the event, which led to the construction of the Taj, took Place here. |
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Getting there : Agra is a major airport of the region. The railway station is well served. Agra has two train stations, one is Agra Fort and another one is Agra cantt. Agra fort station nearby is the busiest railway junction in India. Agra is well connected with all the touristy area, like New Delhi and Agra.
Climate : Hot summers, chilly winters and heavy monsoon rains (July to September). Winter months are pleasant (October to March). |
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| Further Connections: Jaipur, New Delhi, Khajuraho and Varanasi. |
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