Travel to Agra India, the city of architectural wonders and see the spellbinding Taj Mahal. This beautiful marble monument, located on a bank of the Yamuna River in Agra India, has inspired poets and lovers throughout the world. You can see the beautiful Taj Mahal on tours to Agra with us.
Agra was the capital of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and his beautiful Queen Mumtaz Mahal. After she passed away in 1631, Shah Jahan created a mausoleum that is now known as a symbol of eternal love. See the Taj Mahal in all its splendor on tours to Agra with grace India Tour & travels and view many more grand Mughal monuments on tours to Agra India . We welcomes you to see the architectural wonders of Agra, including the enchanting Taj Mahal in Agra India.
Agra is a historic city, which is mentioned in the early Indian epic the Mahabharata. It was originally known as Agrabana and was a part of the region known as Brij Bhumi where Lord Krishna, the playful Hindu God, lived among the cowherds of Vrindavan. In 1475 A.D, the city of Agra became the center of the region ruled by Raja Badal Shah. The Lodi ruler, Sikander Lodi established his new capital called Sikandra near Agra in 1492 A.D.
After Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire defeated the Lodis and became the supreme ruler of north India, Agra remained the center of power of the new rulers. The Mughal emperors Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan were instrumental in adding to the monumental glory of Agra. Today you can see many historic monuments in Agra apart from the Taj Mahal. Monuments such as Agra Fort, the tomb of Itimad-ud-Daulah, the Jahangiri Mahal, the Rambagh and Dayalbagh Gardens and the Chini ka Rauza are other historic sights that you can see on tours to Agra India. Fatehpur Sikri near Agra was built by Akbar as his capital but was later abandoned. Sikandra is where Abbar’s tomb can be seen, is also near Agra India.
Agra is a great place to shop, while on tours to India. Since it was previously the Mughal capital, where the grand Mughal courtiers lived, different communities of craftsmen came to Agra India, and offered their wares to the Mughal court. Patronized by royalty, these hereditary craftsmen developed their art to the height of perfection. You can shop for fine marble handicrafts, decorated with exquisite marble inlay work, leather items, brassware, rugs and carpets and other handicraft items when you travel to Agra with Grace India Tour & Travels.
How to reach Agra
Agra, the location of the fabulous Taj Mahal, is situated in the North India state of Uttar Pradesh. Agra can easily be accessed by flights, trains and road transport
Flights:
Agra has an airport where domestic flights from major cities land. Both government and private airways operate to Agra. The Delhi Agra flight is a short flight of 40 minutes. There are daily round trip flights from Delhi to Agra, Khajuraho and Varanasi, with a return to Delhi. Agra airport is located 7 Km from the center of the city.
Trains:
Agra is conveniently connected to Delhi by railway lines. Many trains connect Delhi and Agra, including luxury trains such as the Palace on Wheels. Agra Station is known as Agra Cantonment Station.
Road Transport:
Agra is near Delhi, it is 204 Km from the capital of India. There is an excellent national highway connecting Delhi and Agra. You can drive down from Delhi in luxury taxi’s, coaches or buses and arrive in Agra in a about 4 hours. The main bus stands in Agra are Agra Fort and Idgah bus stand.
Agra is easily accessible by road from Delhi. The National Highway from Delhi is well maintained. The 204 km distance from Delhi to Agra is a smooth drive. Various government and private buses operate along this route, taxicabs are also easy to find. Agra’s main bus terminuses are Idgah bus stand and Agra Fort bus stand.
Place of Interest near Agra
Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal in Agra India is a monument that has inspired poets and architects to rapture. The Taj Mahal is a memorial to everlasting love. Prince Khurram was the son of Jahangir the Mughal Emperor. While still a teenager, he met the breathtakingly beautiful Arjumand Banu Begum, whose good looks inspired court poets of the Mughal court to say, “The moon, hid its face in shame before her.” Khurram told his father the Emperor that he had found his bride. Five years later they were married and from then on they were inseparable. Khurram ascended to the throne, as Shah Jahan – “the ruler of the world” in 1628. Arjumand Banu Begum was called Mumtaz Mahal – the chosen one of the place and was Shah Jahan’s constant companion. She died shortly after giving birth to their 14th child in 1631. Her dying wish was that Shah Jahan would build her a mausoleum unrivalled in beauty anywhere in the world, which he fulfilled when he built the Taj Mahal in Agra India.
A grief stricken Shah Jahan lost all interest in administering his empire and turned his energies towards the construction of this grand mausoleum. The Indian poet and Nobel Laureate, Rabindranath Tagore described the Taj Mahal as a teardrop that glistened “spotlessly bright on the cheek of time…” For the next 22 years the work continued and drained the Mughal treasury of 32 million rupees. According to the poet Sir Edwin Arnold, the Taj Mahal in Agra India, is “not a piece of architecture, as other buildings are, but the proud passions of an emperor’s love wrought in living stones.”
Today the Taj Mahal in Agra India stands as a symbol of eternal love, which continues to mesmerize tourists from around the world. You can enjoy seeing the Taj Mahal in Agra India on tours to Agra India with Taj Hub.
Agra Fort
The Agra Fort is situated on a bank of the River Yamuna in Agra. It was built during the years 1565 and 1574 by the Mughal Emperor Akbar the Great. Later, his grandson, the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, added to the palaces and structures within the fort. The Agra Fort has a mighty wall made of red sandstone, which runs for 2 ½ Kilometers around the perimeter of the fort. The main entrance to the Agra Fort is through a grand gateway called the Delhi Gate, which is decorated with inlay work in white marble. The Agra Fort is partially occupied by the Indian Army and sections of the fort are restricted for tourists. There is another entrance through which tourists can enter; this is called the Amar Singh Gate.
After entering the Agra Fort, you will find yourself in the grand courtyard. The Diwan-i-Am or Hall of Public Audience and Diwan-i-Khas or Hall of Private Audience are located within the fort and contain examples of exquisite Mughal carvings on their many pillars. There are grand palaces, such as the Khas Mahal and the Shish Mahal, within the Agra Fort. The rooms in the palaces within the Agra Fort were kept cool by an ingenious system of water channels that ran through all the rooms keeping them cool as the water evaporated. The high ceilings and marble latticed screens also provided natural cooling and blocked out the intense rays of the sun.
The mosques, Nagina Masjid and Mina Masjid, within the Agra Fort, were used by the royal family and the Mughal courtiers for prayer services and the Mina Bazar was a small market where the ladies of the Zenana could shop for perfumes, clothes, cosmetics, and jewellery. There are formal gardens with flowering plants and fruit trees in between the palaces within the Agra Fort. You’re sure to feel transported back to Mughal times when you explore the Agra Fort on tours to Agra India.
Fatehpur Sikri
The heritage site of Fatehpur Sikri is located 40 kilometers from Agra India. You can see this magnificent city with its amazing monuments of red sandstone and marble, built by the Mughal Emperor Akbar the Great, on tours to Agra .
According to legend, the Emperor Akbar, though he had many wives, did not have an heir. He went on a pilgrimage to Sheikh Salim Chisti, a Sufi saint who lived near Agra and sought his blessings. Akbar was blessed with an heir, who he named Salim, after the saint, in gratitude. (Salim later inherited the throne as the Mughal Emperor Jahangir.)
The beautiful monuments at Fatehpur Sikri are a synthesis of Islamic and Hindu architecture reflecting the religious tolerance of Akbar. Akbar also founded a syncretic religion called Din-i-Illahi, which inspired some of the buildings at Fatehpur Sikri. The city of Fatehpur Sikri was built as a sign of the Emperor Akbar’s gratitude to Sheikh Salim Chisti. Work on the city started in 1571 and was completed 15 years later. Grace India Tour & Travels takes you on tours to Agra which include the historic destination of Fatehpur Sikri.
Some of the grand structures at Fatehpur Sikri include the Panch Mahal, the Buland Darwaza, the tomb of Salim Chisti, the Jama Masjid Mosque and the life-size chessboard where courtiers could play the role of pieces. The architectural beauty of the monuments of Fatehpur Sikri have led to its being declared a World Heritage Site. Fatehpur Sikri is considered to be one of the finest examples of Mughal architecture in India. You can see the amazing monuments of Fatehpur Sikri on tours to Agra.
The city of Fatehpur Sikri was abandoned shortly after Akbar’s death because the lack of water made it difficult to sustain the city. The newly built city was deserted and remains in a pristine state, with the beautiful carvings and latticework on the buildings retained in their original state of preservation. You can see the heritage site of Fatehpur Sikri on tours to Agra.
Buland Darwaza
The Buland Darwaza is a grand gateway located in Fatehpur Sikri near Agra. This triumphal arch was built by the Mughal Emperor Akbar, when he defeated the king of Khandesh or Gujarat in 1573.
The name Buland Darwaza means ‘High Door’ and this victory arch rises to a height of 40 meters or 175 feet. It is the most striking monument in Fatehpur Sikri and can be seen from quite a distance. Rising impressively towards the sky, the Buland Darwaza is approached by a series of steps. You will pass under the massive arch of the Buland Darwaza when you enter the city of Fatehpur Sikri. You can see the impressive Buland Darwaza on tours to Agra.
The Buland Darwaza is a magnificent structure built in red sandstone with decorations in white marble. With calligraphic inscriptions from the Quran on its front and pillars and chattris on its height, the Buland Darwaza is an impressive sight. The Buland Darwaza is also evidence of the religious tolerance of Akbar the Great. The inscription on the Buland Darwaza is attributed to Jesus Christ. It reads, “The World is but a bridge, pass over but build no houses on it.”
Situated on a hill where the Jama Masjid Mosque is located, the Buland Darwaza is the entrance gateway to the Jama Masjid mosque in Fatehpur Sikri near Agra India. The soaring gateway of the Buland Darwaza is one of the grandest of Mughal monuments and one that you should not miss, on tours to Agra.