Agra is a city in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, some 201 km from the Indian capital city of New Delhi.
Agra has the Taj Mahal, one of the most famous buildings and tourist destinations in the world, and two other UNESCO World
Heritage sites, the Agra Fort in the city and Fatehpur Sikri nearby.
The city has little else to recommend it. Pollution, especially smog and litter, is rampant and travellers are pestered by
swarms of touts and hawkers at every monument, mosque, temple or palace. That said, the sites are some of the wonders of the
world and no trip to India is complete without at least one visit to the Taj.
History :
The earliest reference to Agra is in the ancient epic, the Mahabharata. The first person to refer to Agra by its modern name
was Ptolemy. Modern Agra was founded by Sikandar Lodhi of the Lodhi dynasty, Delhi Sultanate, in the 16th century.
Agra reached its peak when it served as the capital of the the Mughal rulers of India at the peak of their empire, from 1526
to 1658. They built many monumental buildings in the Mughal architectural style, a distinctive mix of Indian and Islamic
styles, and Agra has some of the finest examples. The Agra Fort, originally built by Rajput rulers of Agra, was rebuilt by
the emperors Akbar and Shah Jahan, and it served as a model for the Red Fort in Delhi. The lovely tomb, Itmad-ud-Daulah
(1628), built by empress Noor Jahan, is a wonderful mix of Persian and Indian architecture and ornamentation. Mughal
architecture's crowning achievement, the Taj Mahal (1648) is the centerpiece of any visit to Agra.
Ironically, Agra's greatest builder, the Emperor Shah Jahan, was also responsible for the subsequent decline of the city. His
decision to move the capital to the new city of Shahjahanabad in Delhi marked the beginning of the eclipse of Agra as well as
the Mughal Empire. Despite its importance as a military town during the days of the British Empire as well as in independent
India, Agra lapsed into a second tier town on the banks of the Jamuna, and that's what it remains to this day.
Agra is 200 km southeast from New Delhi and is one of the points of the tourist's Golden Triangle of Agra-Delhi-Jaipur. Agra
is also very well connected via rail and road with other nearby cities and tourist destinations.
By Plane :
Kingfisher Airlines started a flight which connects Agra to Delhi, Jaipur and Jodhpur. This flight does not exist 30 Sept
2008
By train :
Agra is on the main train line between Delhi (Station Code : NDLS) and Mumbai (Bombay) (Station Code : CSTM) and between
Delhi and Chennai (Station Code : MAS) and many trains connect Agra with these cities every day. Some east-bound trains from
Delhi also travel via Agra, so direct connections to points in Eastern India (including Kolkata) (Calcutta) are also
available. There are close to 20 trains to Delhi every day, and at least three or four to both Mumbai and Chennai.
There are
three stations in Agra:
* Agra Cantt (Station Code : AGC) is the main railway station and lies southwest of the Taj and Agra Fort, both of which
are a short ride from the station by car, auto-rickshaw, or cycle rickshaw. There's a prepaid taxi stand right outside that
charges a flat Rs.120 to any hotel in the city.The station has a pretty good Comesum food court that also sells cheap,
hygienic takeaway snacks (sandwiches, samosas, etc).
* Agra Fort station (Station Code : AF) near Agra Fort, is infrequently serviced by the interstate express trains. The
station serves trains to the east (Kanpur, Gorakhpur, Kolkata) some of these trains also stop at Agra Cantt.
* Raja Ki Mandi (Station Code : RKM) is a small station. Some of the train which stop at Agra Cantt also stop here. Its a
very laid back station and springs into life at the arrival of Intercity exp and Taj express.
* Agra City is in the heart of Agra. A relic of the meter gauge era, this station is not particularly useful.
Delhi to Agra Close to 20 trains connect Delhi and Agra each day with journey times varying from 2 hours to 5 hours. The best
options are the Bhopal Shatabdi Express (departs New Delhi at 0615 arriving Agra Cantt at 0812; departs Agra Cantt at 2030
arriving New Delhi at 2230, daily except Friday) and the Taj Express (departs Delhi Hazrat Nizamuddin at 0715 arriving Agra
Cantt at 1007; departs Agra cantt at 1855 arriving Delhi Hazrat Nizamuddin at 2200, daily).
Agra/Jaipur The journey to Jaipur (Station Code : JP) takes around 4 hour by train no. 2988 which leaves Agra Fort Railway
Station at 6:25 PM and reaches Jaipur at around 10:20PM.
The luxury train - 'Palace on Wheels' stops at Agra on its eight day round trip of tourist destinations in Rajasthan and
Agra.
The Taj Mahal is an immense mausoleum of white marble, built between 1631 and 1648 by order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan
in memory of his favourite wife. Taj Mahal means "Crown Palace"; one of the wife's names was Mumtaz Mahal, "Ornament of the
Palace". The Taj is one of the most well preserved and architecturally beautiful tombs in the world, one of the masterpieces
of Indian Muslim architecture, and one of the great sites of the world's heritage.
The Taj Mahal has a life of its own that leaps out of marble, provided you understand that it is a monument of love. The
Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore called it "a teardrop on the cheek of eternity", while the English poet, Sir Edwin Arnold,
said it was "Not a piece of architecture, as other buildings are, but the proud passions of an emperor’s love wrought in
living stones." It is a celebration of woman built in marble and that’s the way to appreciate it.
Altough it is one of the most photographed edifices in the world and instantly recognisable, actully seeing it is
awe-inspiring. Not everything is in the photos. The grounds of the complex include several other beautiful buildings,
reflecting pools, and extensive ornamental gardens with flowering trees and bushes, and a small gift shop. The Taj framed by
trees and reflected in a pool is amazing. Close up, large parts of the building are covered with inlaid stonework.
There is an apocryphal tale that Shah Jahan planned to build an exact copy out of black marble on the opposite side of the
river. His plans were foiled by his son, who murdered three elder brothers and overthrew his father to acquire the throne.
Shah Jahan is now buried alongside his wife in the Taj Mahal.
If you're taking a camera, beware that because the Taj is white your camera may underexpose your photos. If it's a film
camera you won't find out until it's too late. Overexposure by 1 or 2 stops is recommended.
The Taj is open from 6 AM to 7:30 PM every day except Friday. Entry costs Rs. 250 (plus levy of Rs. 500) for foreigners and
Rs. 20 for Indians. Get there as early as possible to beat the crowds, and plan to visit the Taj at least two different times
during the day (dusk and dawn are best) in order to experience the full effect of changing sunlight on the amazing building.
It is also utterly stunning under a full moon.
The Taj is located pretty much in the middle of town. Expect a line to get into the grounds. There are three gates. The
western gate is the main gate where most tourists enter. A large number of people turn up on weekends and public holidays and
entry through the western gate may take hours. The southern and eastern gates are much less busy and should be tried on such
days.
Security is tight, so leave behind any pocketknives, as well as chewing gum, cigarettes, or anything that could mark the
building. Tripods are also not allowed. Strangely, even iPods and similar MP3 and music players are also not allowed. But you
can leave them at a locker service available for tourists (of course, at your own risk). Cell phones are allowed inside the
complex, providing they are on silent. Guidebooks are to be left at the booths on either side of the entrances. Do this
before you get into the line to get in.
There are night viewing sessions on the nights of a full moon and the two days before and after (so five days in total).
Exceptions are Fridays (the Muslim sabbath) and the month of Ramadan.
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