Best Places to visit in Agra - home to the iconic Taj Mahal

                                                            Taj Mahal, Agra, India

Agra is a City in the Northern state of Utter Pradesh (UP) in India, which is famous for historical monuments. It is situated on the banks of river Yamuna. The iconic Taj Mahal made up of white marble is World famous monument. (A namesake is Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai). Lucknow is the state capital of Utter Pradesh. Agra being a World famous Tourist Place is well connected by Air, Train, and Road. Delhi-Agra-Jaipur (also called as Golden Triangle tourist circuit) is a famous tour of three Cities when you visit North India. It is one of the main cities in India to see the signs of Mughal Empire.

Of course Taj Mahal!

The Taj Mahal is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1983, which was commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. The 42-acre complex has this ivory white marble mausoleum along with a mosque, a guest house, and a lush green Mughal garden. It is said that the construction was completed by more than 20,000 artisans and the main part of construction got completed in 1653. Around 7 to 8 million visitors visit this place every year. The large Tomb is the main focus of the construction. The four minarets (each is more than 40 metres tall) are surrounding the central structure.

Other Places of Tourist Interest

Agra Fort is another fort made up of Red sandstone (similar to Red fort in Delhi). This was the former residence of Mughal emperors. This is also a part of UNESCO World heritage sites since 1983. The fort is spread across 94-acres of land in a semi-circular shape. The fort has 4 gates and Delhi Gate is the masterpiece of all gates. The history of the fort is very confusing but it is an important Architectural structure and a must visit during the Agra tour.

Jama Masjid (Jama Mosque) is opposite to Agra fort, again built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in 1648. It is one of the largest mosques in India and built using red sandstone. There are more Mosques and more gardens to explore in this City.

Fatehpur Sikri built by Mughal Emperor Akbar in 1570 was a small City built as a tribute to the Sufi Saint. It’s a blend of Indian, Persian and Islamic Architecture and built using red sandstone like all other historical monuments in this area. This is another place declared as World Heritage site since 1986. For about 10 years, this City has served as the Capital of Mughal Empire. Buland Darwaza (Buland Gate) is definitely an architectural marvel of 54 metresto see and capture in your camera. The palace of Mughal queen Jodhabai, Diwan-I-Khas are other places to visit within this City.

‘Petha’ is a famous sweet food of Agra and one should definitely tastedifferent type of Petha from some good sweets shop. There are multiple street markets in the City to explore. The entire visit of North India is full of places related to history, kings and queens, emperors and love and wars. Don’t be surprised if you get confused with so many structures, buildings and places with similar names. The main part of touring in India is visiting the historical places in India along with Temples and Mosques and enjoying the architecture. We keep wondering how they must have built these huge structures without today’s earth moving machinery!