Agra City Guide – Agra Travel Attractions
Agra is a historical Indian city located at the banks of River Yamuna in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Sultan Sikandar Lodi of Delhi Sultanate is believed to be the founder of this city. Agra’s golden age began with the Mughals. It was the capital city of Mughal Empire under Akbar the great, Jahangir, and Shah Jahan. Agra is a major tourist destination because it has three splendid Mughal buildings declared as World Heritage Sites by the UNESCO. Agra is one of the biggest cities of Uttar Pradesh. Its tropical climate has long summer usually form April to September and rainy winters form November to February.
Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal, one of the most famous buildings in the world is the mausoleum of Mumtaz built as a symbol of love by Shah Jahan. It is one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and it has been declared as a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO in 1983. The construction material for the tomb was brought form all over the world. It has around 28 precious and semi precious stones embedded in the white marbles of Rajasthan. A combination of Persian, Central Asian, and Islamic architecture has made its façade unique. Originally there was a traditional Persian char-bagh (four gardens) in the front, and it was replaced with Anglican style gardens by Lord Curzon during a restoration project.
Agra Fort
Agra fort also called as red fort was built in 1565 by Akbar the Great. This fort was constructed using red sandstone, and it protected the palatial paradise of the Mughal emperors. It is surrounded by a moat that is nine meters wide and ten meters deep. The valiant king Shivaji’s legendary escape form the fort is immortalized by an equestrian statue of Shivaji outside the fort. It is one of the three World Heritage Sites in Agra.
Fatehpur Sikri
The city of Fatehpur Sikri is located about 35 km form Agra. It was built by the great Mughal emperor Akbar. The city houses a number of significant buildings of historical importance. It is also one of the World Heritage Sites and is oftentimes visited by tourists to Agra. One of the greatest attractions of Fatehpur Sikri is the Buland Darwaza or the loft gateway built by Akbar to celebrate his victory over Gujarat.
MankaMeswar Temple
MankaMeswar, an ancient temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is located about 2.5 km form Taj Mahal. This temple, surrounded by Mughal buildings, is an excellent example for the peaceful coexistence of Hindus and Muslims during the Mughal rule. It is a worthy place to visit because it displays the traditional Hindu architecture.
Sikandra
The town of Sikandra is just four kilometers away form the city of Agra. It houses the mausoleum of Akbar the great built by his son Jahangir. It is a representation of his philosophy and secular outlook. It is a combination of the best Hindu and Muslim architecture. It is one of the well preserved monuments and a worthy place for tourists to visit.
There are also other attractions, such as Jama masjid, Radha swami Samadhi, Taj mahotsav (the 10-day celebrations in the month of February), Itmad-ud-daulah, and many more.
Transportation: The city of Agra is well connected by air, road, and railways. Located just seven kilometers form the city center is the Agra airport. Daily tourist shuttle flights are operated by the Indian airlines. To reach Delhi, it just takes 40 minutes. There are frequent buses to Delhi, Jaipur, Mathura, Fatehpur-Sikri, and many other locations form the Idgah bus stand of Agra.
There are direct trains form Agra cantonment station to Delhi, Varanasi, and other major cities of Rajasthan. To reach Agra form Delhi, one can avail the train services like Palace on Wheels, Shatabdi, Rajdhani, and Taj Express. To aid local travel, there are different modes of transports, such as Taxi, tempo, autos, rickshaws etc. Bicycles can also be hired form different parts of the city on hourly basis.
