Agra Tourist Place

Agra is situated on the banks of the Yamuna River. The city achieved fame as the capital of the Mughal emperors from 1526 to 1658 AD and remains a major tourist destination because of the many splendid Mughal-era buildings, most notably the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri, all three of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Agra is a vibrant centre of Culture, Art and religious philosophies that have enriched mankind and shaped human thought over centuries.

Agra's climate is tropical and prone to extremes, reaching as high as 45ºC (113ºF) during the summers and as low as 4ºC (40ºF) in the winters. The rainy season is between June and September and the city receives an annual rainfall of 660 millimeters (26 inches).

It is often called the Mecca of Radhaswami religion. The holy ashes of the founder of the religion have been preserved here. On the sprawling lawns here, is a beautiful marvel temple with beautiful carving of fruits, flowers, leaves and plants which have been reduced into stone true to nature, and are distinctive specimens of the plastic arts.

Open Time : 9 A.M. to 5.30 P.M.

    * Kailash temple
    * Mankameshwar temple
    * Balkeshwar temple
    * Prithvinath temple
    * Rajeshwar temple
    * Guru ka tal gurudwara
    * Baptist Church
    * Catholic Church
    * Digambar Jain Mandir
 

One of the Seven Wonders of the World, Taj Mahal, is India’s most fascinating and beautiful monument.

The Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as the final resting place for his beloved queen, Mumtaz. The monument was completed in 1653 A.D. This perfectly symmetrical monument took 22 years (1630-1652) to complete. Approximately 20,000 workers, Masons and jewelers worked hard to build it.

Built by the Persian architect, Ustad Isa, The Taj Mahal is situated on the banks of the Yamuna River. It can be observed like a Mirage from the Agra Fort from where Emperor Shah Jahan looked at it, for the last eight years of his life as a prisoner of his son Aurangzeb.

It is a masterpiece of symmetry, which seems to be floating in the air from a distance. The verses of Holy Koran as inscribed on it and at the top of gate with 22 small domes signify the number of years the monument took to built.

The Taj Mahal has been built on a Marvel Platform that stands above a standstone platform. The most elegant dome of the Taj is the one with a diameter of 60 feet and a height of 80 feet. Directly under this dome is the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal. Shah Jahan's tomb was irected next to the dome by his son Aurangzeb. Fantastic Inley works using semi-precious stones decorate and interiors.

Open Time : 6 A.M. to 7.30 P.M. (Friday is closed)

The great Mughal Emperor Akbar commissioned the construction of the Agra Fort in 1565 A.D, although additions were made till the time of his grandson Shah Jahan. The forbidding exteriors of this fort hide an inner paradise.

The fort is crescent shaped, flattened on the east with a long, nearly straight wall facing the river. It has a total perimeter of 2.4 km, and is ringed by double castellated ramparts of red sandstone punctuated at regular intervals by bastions.

There are a number of exquisite buildings like the Moti Masjid-a white marvel mosque akin to a perfect pearl, Diwan-e-Am, Diwan-e-Khaas, Jehangir's Palace, Khaas Mahal, Shish Mahal and Musamman or Samman Burj-where Shahjahan was held captive in 1666 A.D.

Open Time : Sunrise to Sunset.


Sikandra

Agra FortSikandra
The mausoleum of Emperor Akbar represents his philosophy and secular outlook, combining the best of Hindu and Muslim architectures in a superlative region. Completed in 1613 A.D. by his son Jahangir, it is one of the well preserved monuments. This was also the last resting place of the Mughal Empror Akbar.

Open Time : Sunrise to Sunset.

Itmad-e-Daulah is the tomb of Mirza Ghyas Beg, a persian who offered his services in Akbar’s Court. The tomb was designed by Emperor Jehangir's Queen, Noorjahan, for his father Mirza Ghyas Beg during 1622-1628 A.D.

Open Time : Sun rise to Sunset.

 
Fatehpur Sikri was built by the Mughal Emperor Akbar during 1564 A.D.

Mughal Emperor Akbar had no heir. He visited holy men to enlist their prayers for his son. When he visited Sheikh Salim Chishti who lived at the village of Sikri, the saint foretold the emperor that he would be blessed with a son. When his son was born, he constructed his capital city and named it Fatehpur Sikri.

The beautiful marvel tomb of Sheikh Salim Chishti still attracts thousands who seek blessings of the revered saint. Other renowned places are Dewane-e-Am, Dewane-e-Khaas, Buland Darwaja, Panch Mahal, Jodha Bai Palace and Birbal Bhawan. Fatehpur

Sikri is about 39 K.M. from Agra.

Open Time : Sunrise to Sunset.
 

Chinni Ka Roja : This was constructed by Afzal Khan, A high official in the court of Shah Jahan. Decorated by glazed tiles on the facade, the structure clearly depicts the Persian influence in architecture.

Open : Sunrise to Sunset

Mariyam's Tomb : Emperor Akbar built this in the memory of his Goan Christian wife Mariyam. This unique tomb in red sandstone was built in 1611 A.D. The tomb has some exceptional carvings.

Open : Sunrise to Sunset

Jama Masjid : This building, with a rectangular open forecourt was constructed in 1648 A.D, by Shah Jahan's daughter, Jehanera Begum in memory of the famous Shiekh Salim Chistti and his grand son Islam Khan. It is wonderful assimilation of Iranian architecture.
 

By Air : Agra is connected by air with other parts of country.

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 from Agra. Some other train services from the city include the G.T. Express (New Delhi to Chennai), Dadar Express (Mumbai to Amritsar), Jhelum Express (Jammu to Pune), Kalinga Utkal Express (New Delhi to Puri), Karnataka Express (New Delhi to Trivendrum), Ujjani Express (Dehradoon to Ujjain) and Hyderabad Express (New Delhi to Hyderabad).

By Road : Agra, on cross roads of national highways 2, 3 and 11, is excellently connected to all parts of the country. Some important road distances from Agra are :

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. and Mussorie-417 km.