Agra District
Historical monuments of Agra city and mesmerizing Taj Mahal will take you back to its glorious past, which touched its peak during Mughal period. Agra is well known for its heritage monuments like The Taj Mahal, Fatehpur sikri, Red fort etc. Agra is also very famous for its Inlay work on marble, leather work, footwear, brassware, carpets, jewellery, zari and embroidery work.
Agra district is situated in the western part of Uttar Pradesh with the headquarters at Agra city. The district is bounded by Mathura District on the North, Dhaulpur District of Rajasthan state on the South, Firozabad District on the East and Bharatpur district of Rajasthan state on the west. Agra experiences extreme temperatures in summers and winters. Summer temperatures range from 25°C to 46°C, while winter temperatures hover around 1°C to 23°C and moderate in other seasons. The best time to visit Agra is October to March.
History of Agra
Agra was mentioned in the epic of Mahabharata as Agravan, before that it was known as arya griha. In 1475 Raja Badal Singh (Rajput king) founded the city. Modern Agra was founded by Sikandar Lodhi in 16th century who shifted his capital from Delhi to Agra. Ptolemy was the first person to refer Agra by its modern name. The association of Mughals stated when Babur defeated Lodhis and captured the city. Agra touched the peak of its glory during the reign of Akbar, Jahangir and Shahjahan. During the Mughal Empire the city was known as Akbarabad and remained the capital of Mughal Empire. Persian type of square gardens were introduced by Babur (founder of the Mughal dynasty). Emperor Akbar made Agra a centre of learning arts, commerce and religion, besides he built the Agra fort and Fatehpur Sikri near Agra. Fatehpur Sikri remained his capital for around fifteen years after which the city was left isolated in mysterious circumstances. His son Jahangir had love for gardens flora and fauna and did the work of beautifying Agra with palaces and gardens despite spending most of his time in Kashmir with which he was passionately attached.
Agra came to its own when Shahjahan ascended to the throne of Mughal Empire. He marked the zenith of Mughal architecture, when he built the Taj in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. In his later years, Shahjahan shifted his capital to the new city of Shahjahanabad in Delhi and ruled from there. Shahjahan was dethroned in 1658 by his son, Aurangzeb who imprisoned him in the Agra Fort. Aurangzeb shifted the capital back to Agra till his death. After the death of Aurangzeb, Mughal Empire could not touch its peak and many regional kingdoms emerged. The post-Mughal era of Agra saw the rule of the Jats, Marathas and finally the British taking over the city.
Infrastructure
Agra district is situated in the western part of Uttar Pradesh with the headquarters at Agra city.
The district is bounded by Mathura on the North, Dhaulpur of Rajasthan state on the South, Firozabad on the East and Bharatpur of Rajasthan state on the west.
Places of interest in Agra
Agra city, the district headquarter is located on the bank of river Yamuna. There are numerous sites to visit in and around Agra city. The city finds mention in the epic Mahabharata when it was called as Agrabana. During Mughal rules the city saw its utmost level of development. The Mughal emperor built several forts, tombs and mosques in and around the city. Today, Agra is the most sought after destination in India for travel and tourism.
Monuments : Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Sikandra, Itmad-Ud-Daulah, Fatehpur Sikri, Radha Swami Samadhi, Chinni Ka Roja, Mariyam's Tomb, Jama Masjid.
Religious Places : Kailash Temple, Mankameshwar Temple, Balkeshwar Temple, Prithvinath Temple, Rajeshwar Temple, Guru Ka Tal Gurudwara, Baptist Church, Catholic Church, Digambar Jain Mandir.
Facts & Figures
Area |
4027.00 sq. km |
Latitude |
27° 11' N |
Longitude |
780°' to 78° 2' E |
Population (1991) |
2751021 |
Males |
1501927 |
Females |
1249094 |
Literacy Rate |
48% |
No. of Tehsil |
6 |
No. of Blocks |
15 |
No. of Villages |
940 |
Average rainfall |
751mm |
Temperature |
Max.: 45° C, Min.: 4.2° C |
Postal Code |
282001 |
STD Code |
0562 |
How to Reach
By Air: Agra
has a domestic airport, at Kheria served by Indian airlines and some
other private players. It is connected with Delhi, Khajuraho and
Varanasi.
By Rail: Agra is a major railway junction on
main broad gauge routes to the south, east and west. Two of the best
trains viz. Shatabdi Express (between Delhi and Bhopal) and Taj Express
(between Delhi and Gwalior) are available to reach Agra. Also there are
express and super-fast trains available for most of the cities in India.
By Road: Agra
is situated on National Highways 2, 3 and 11 and is well connected to
all parts of the country. You can get direct luxury and express buses
to/from New Delhi.
Distance Chart
Bharatpur |
54 km |
Delhi |
204 km |
Gwalior |
119 km |
Jaipur |
232 km |
Khajuraho |
400 km |
Lucknow |
369 km |
Mathura |
45 km |
Nainital |
353 km |
Varanasi |
605 km |
Mussorie |
417 km |