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Agra - The city of Mughals |
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Agra is the another city comes under
golden triangle, after Delhi. The ancient
city is situated on the bank of river
Yamuna. Agra is known all over the world
for housing World Heritage Sites like Taj
Mahal and Agra Fort. Agra city is
considered hopelessly romantic due to the
presence of massive monument of Taj Mahal.
The city of Agra is surrounded by various
places of historical significance. The
forts and palaces built in Mughal era
speaks of Mughal grandeur. Apart from the
monuments the city is famous for its
variety of cuisines, prominent among them
is the Mughlai cuisine. The city also
offers a variety of eating out options,
which are available on a reasonable
charge. |
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The History of Agra |
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The history of Agra is as variant as the
people of the city. The city become of one
of the principal cities of the Mughal
Empire during 1526 to 1658. Agra got its
best recognition, when the city was under
the rule of great Mughal Emperor Akbar.
After the death of Ibrahim Lodi in the war
of Panipat in 1526, emperor Akbar choose
Agra as his capital. |
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About Taj Mahal |
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The most
beautiful building in the world. In 1631
the emperor Shah Jahan built the Taj
Mahal in memory of his wife Mumtaz, who
died in childbirth. The white marble
mausoleum at Agra has become the
monument of a man's love for a woman.
Shah Jahan came to power in 1622 when he
seized the throne from his father, while
murdering his brothers to ensure his
claim to rule. He was known as an
extravagant and cruel leader. But he
redeemed himself by his generosity to
his friends and the poor, by his passion
in adorning India with some of its most
beautiful architecture, and by his
devotion to his wife Mumtaz Mahal -
"Ornament of the Palace." He had married
her when he was 21, when he already had
two children by an earlier consort.
Mumtaz gave her husband 14 children in
eighteen years, and died at the age of
39 during the birth of the final child.
Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal as a
monument to her memory and her
fertility, but then relapsed into a life
of scandalous behavior. This tomb was
only one of hundreds of beautiful
buildings that Shah Jahan erected,
mostly at Agra and in the new Dehli that
came into being under his planning.
Many architects have rated it as the
most perfect of all buildings standing
on earth. Three artists designed it: a
Persian, an Italian, and a Frenchman.
But the design is completely Mohammedan.
Even the skilled artisans who built it
were brought in from Baghdad,
Constantinople, and other centers of the
Muslim faith. For 22 years more than
20,000 workmen were forced to build the
Taj. The Maharaja of Jaipur sent the
marble as a gift to Shah Jahan. The
building and its surroundings cost more
than $200,000,000 in todays currency.
Passing through a high wall, one comes
suddently upon the Taj - raised upon a
marble platform, and framed on either
side by handsome mosques and stately
minarets. In the foreground spacious
gardens enclose a pool in whose waters
the inverted palace becomes a quivering
dream. Every portion of the structure is
of white marble, precious metals, or
costly stones. The building is a complex
figure of twelve sides, four of which
are portals. A slender minaret rises at
each corner, and the roof is a massive
spired dome. The main entrance, once
guarded with solid silver gates, is a
maze of marble embroidery; inlaid in the
wall in jeweled script are qotations
from the Koran, one of which invites the
"pure in heart" to enter "the gardens of
Paradise."
Shah Jahan had begun his reign by
killing his brothers; but he had
neglected to kill his sons, one of whom
was destined to overthrow him. In 1657
his son Aurangzeb led an insurrection
from the Deccan. Aurangzeb defeated all
the forces sent against him, captured
his father, and imprisoned him in the
Fort of Agra. For 9 bitter years the
deposed emperor lingered there, never
visited by his son, attended only by his
faithful daughter Jahanara, and spending
his days looking from the Jasmine Tower
of his prison across the Jumna to where
his once-beloved Mumtaz lay in her
jeweled tomb.
The new emperor Aurangzeb was a more
pious Muslim than his father Shah Jahan
had been. He memorized the entire Koran,
spent days in fasts, and campaigned
against infidelity. He cared little for
luxuries, but, paradoxically, gave the
world one of its most perfect works of
art: a marble screen inside the Taj
Mahal. Native and European thieves
robbed the tomb of its abundant jewels,
and of the gold railing, encrusted with
precious stones, that once enclosed the
sarcophagi of Shah Jahan and his Queen.
Aurangzeb replaced the railing with an
octagonal screen of almost transparent
marble, carved into a miracle of
alabaster lace. Few products of human
art have ever surpassed the beauty of
this screen.
From aftar the Taj Mahal, with its
delicate details, is not imposing. Only
a nearer view reveals that its
perfection has no proportion to its
size. When in our hurried times, we see
enormous structures of a hundred stories
raised in a year, and then consider how
20,000 men worked for 22 years on this
little tomb, hardly a hundred feet high,
we begin to sense the difference between
industry and art. And perhaps more
importantly, we sense the ultimate
lesson it offers: beauty and that which
lasts, is based on love. |
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Taj Mahotsav |
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The10 day festival held every year between
18 th - 27 th February. The festival
brings together the finest arts, crafts
and culture of the state. Taj Mahotsav is
conducted by the Uttar Pradesh tourism
department, in which the glorious past of
the Mughals is recreated by bedecked
elephants and camels, drum beaters, folk
artist and master craftsmen. The dance
festival is also organized during the
festival, in which the artists present
different kinds of dances. The food
festival is another attraction of Taj
Mahotsav.
Taj Mahal, Agra
The festivities commence with a
spectacular procession inspired by
Mughal splendour. Bedecked elephants and
camels, drum beaters, folk artists and
mastercraftsmen.... all help to recreate
a visual delight reminiscent of the
golden era of the Mughal Darbars.
Taj Mahotsav is where the legendary
artisans and mastercraftsmen breathe
life into their exquisite works of art.
Marble inlay apart, the Festival brings
forth an array of other fine crafts as
well- wood carvings from Saharanpur,
brass and other metalwasre from
Moradabad, handmade carpets of Badohi,
the blue pottery of Khurja, the Chikan
work of Lucknow, the silk of Banares...
to name a few. Agra with its legendry
tradition of exquisite craftmenship is
thus the ideal venue for holding a
crafts fair like the Taj Mahotsav.
At the Mahotsav, be sure to be a part of
the Food Festival. Relish the exotic
cuisine's and delicacies prepared by
some of the oldest exponents and the
typical preparations from the interiors
of Uttar Pradesh.
Throughout the Mahotsav, one can
experience a profusion of folk music and
dances of Dundelkhand, 'Nautanki'
(Drama), 'Sapera' dance of Rajasthan,
Lavani of Maharashtra.... performed just
the way they used to be centuries ago.
Agra is renowned for it's breathtaking,
centuries old monuments. For
experiencing the pomp and glory of the
eras gone by there are classical
performances held at these ageless
sites, recreating the splendor and
ambience once associated with Mughal
monarchs |
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When to Visit
Taj mahal |
Best
time of the day:
Dawn is a magical time when it's
virtually deserted and the first rays of
the sun light up the Taj. In the
afternoon, the Taj is a dazzling
spectacle in white, and in the evening
the Taj dons the orange glow of the
setting sun. Of course, there's nothing
more romantic than beholding the Taj on
a full-moon night.
Taj Mahal in the Morning
The glory of the monument is strangely
undiminished by the crowds of tourists
who visit each day, as small and
insignificant as ants in the face of
this immense and captivating monument.
That said, the Taj is at its most
alluring in the relative quiet of early
morning, shrouded in mists and bathed
with a soft red glow. As its vast marble
surfaces fall into shadow or reflect the
sun, its colour changes, from soft grey
and yellow to pearly cream and dazzling
white; it's well worth visiting at
different times. This play of light is
an important decorative device,
symbolically implying the presence of
Allah, who is never represented in
anthropomorphic form.
Beauty of Taj Mahal during Day
The Taj Mahal shows a different aspect
of beauty at different times of the day.
The sight of the Taj awash with the
subtle pinks of dawn is an unforgettable
sight.
Taj Mahal at Sunset
Sunsets stain the Taj an exotic shade of
orange. But nothing beats the poignant
beauty of the Taj seen when the cool
white marble is bathed in the soft
silver light of the moon. Even in the
bright light of the day, this wonder of
the world shines with an awe-inspiring
loveliness.
Try arriving just as it opens or is
about to close. A few minutes alone in
the perpetually echoing inner sanctum
will reward you far more than several
hours spent on a guided tour. |
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How to
Reach Taj Mahal |
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BY AIR
Indian Airlines (Domestic Airline in
India) runs daily flights from Delhi to
Agra. Kheria Airport (Airport of Agra)
is about 6 km from the Agra city centre
and is easily accessible by taxis and
auto-rickshaws at nominal rates.
BY RAIL / TRAIN
Agra is well connected by excellent
train services to Delhi such as The
Shatabdi Express (2 hrs), Taj Express
(2.5 hrs), Intercity Express (3 hrs).
BY ROAD
Express bus services (a/c and non-a/c)
are available from Delhi, Jaipur,
Lucknow, Gwalior, and Jhansi. For those
driving to Agra, the distances are: |
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CITIES
AROUND AGRA |
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Delhi: 203 km
Khajuraho: 393 km
Lucknow: 363 km
Nainital: 376 km
Sikandra: 10 km
Varanasi: 577 km
Dehradun: 381 km
Gwalior: 118 km
Jaipur: 232 km
Mathura - Vrindavan: 58 km |
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Attractions in and around Agra |
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Taj Mahal |
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The principal landmark of the city is
famous for its beautiful look. Designated
as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1983,
the monument is one of the seven wonders
of the world. The mausoleum was built by
Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of
his favourite wife Mumtaz Mahal. It houses
the graves of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. |
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Agra Fort |
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The dominating structure of Agra city is a
UNESCO World Heritage Site. Made of red
sandstone, the fort is also called as the
Red Fort of Agra. Emperor Akabr started
the construction work of the fort in 1565,
later on Shah Jahan renovated and
converted the fort into a palace. The
famous buildings inside the fort complex
are Jehangir's Palace, Diwan-e-Am and
Diwan-e-Khas, Pearl Mosque, Khaas Mahal,
Sheesh Mahal (Mirrored Palace) and
Musamman Burj etc. |
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Itmad-Ud-Daulah's Tomb |
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The tomb was built by empress Nur Jehan
for her father Ghiyasuddin Beg, the Chief
Minister of Emperor Taj. Small in
comparison to other tombs of Mughal era,
the tomb is sometimes called as the Baby
Taj. Described as th jewel box the tomb
has known for its garden layout ans use of
white marble, Pietra dura, inlay designs
and lattice work. |
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Sikandra |
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The small town of Sikandra is located at a
distance of 4 Kms from Agra. Akbar's tomb
is the main attraction here. Akbar started
the construction of the tomb while he was
alive and his son Jehangir completed it.
Similar to the Taj Mahal in some of its
design, the tomb has a large arched
entrance and green lawns. The entrance has
been decorated with marble inlay work
around the arch. The inner surface of the
tomb's dome is decorated with figures of
flowers, geometric designs and Islamic
calligraphy. |
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Fatehpur Sikri |
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Located at a distance of 35 Kms from Agra
this is yet another World Heritage Site.
Built predominantly in red Sandstone the
city was developed between 1571 and 1585.
Fatehpur Sikri is one of the best examples
of Mughal architectural style. Though the
city is mostly in ruins but it presents
the culmination of Hindu and Muslim
architecture. Fathehpur Sikri houses the
famous monuments like Dargah Of Sheikh
Salim Chisti, Diwan-I-Am,
Diwan-khana-I-khaas, Turkish Sultana's
House,The Treasury. |
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Vrindavan |
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Located very close to Agra, Vrindavan is a
sacred place of the Hindus. Vrindavan has
its connection with life of Lord Krishna.
Vrindavan houses around 4,000 temples most
of them dedicated to Lord |
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Palace of Jodha Bai, Hawa Mahal and Nagina
Masjid etc. |
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ATTRACTIONS AROUND AGRA |
Bharatpur
Bird Sanctuary
Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary
Panna National Park
Ranthambore National Park
Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary |
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