Agra
City Information
Agra was once the capital of the
Mughal empire and even today it seems to linger
in the past. Not surprising, for the Mughal
emperors with their passion for building,
endowed the city with some of the finest structures
in the world. It is very easy to slip away
here through the centuries into the grandeur
and intrigues of the Mughal court. Agra is
an old city and it is said that its name was
derived from Agrabana, a forest thats finds
mention in the epic Mahabharta. In more recent
times Agra came into prominence when Sikandar
Lodi made it his capital city in 1501. The
Lodi rule was to end very soon and Agra passed
into the possession of the Mughals. It was
during the time of the third emperor Akbar
that Agra came into its own. He embarked on
the construction of the massive Agra Fort
in 1565. Though Akbar was diverted into building
a new capital at Fatehpur Sikari not far away,
Agra continued to retain its importance and
Shah Jehan, Akbar's grandson ornamented the
city with that masterpiece of Mughal architecture
-the Taj Mahal and built several other beautiful
buildings within the Agra Fort.
Main
Sightseeing of Agra
Taj Mahal
Described as the most extravagant
monument ever built for love, it was constructed
by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a memorial
to his queen Mumtaz Mahal, made out of white
marble took 22 years to complete (1630-1652
AD). Ustad Ahamad Lahori, a Persian Architect,
is said to be the main designer and planner
for this magnificent memorial. On full moon
nights, the glory of the Taj is at its best.
Legend has it that once the construction
was completed, Shah Jehan had Lahori's hands
cut off and his eyes gouged out, so he would
never be able to duplicate the structure.
Over the centuries, the Taj has attracted
more visitors than perhaps any other Monuments
in the country, and it is all too easy resort
to conventional superlatives when describing
it. What makes the Taj Unique is its perfect
proportions, distinct femininity, medium
of construction and ornamentation. Its marble
exterior reflects rose and golden tints
at sunrise and sunset, while it is dazzling
white during the day and glowes pearl-like
in the moonlight and during the monsoon.
Standing on a high plinth, the Taj Mahal
is visible for miles around and forms a
backdrop to mustard fields and mud-walled
villages. It can be seen from guestrooms
at some of Agra's hotels, as well as from
the landscaped gardens to the west of the
complex.
Itmad-Ud-Daulah's Tomb
This tomb belongs to the father
of Nur Jahan, Ghias-ud-Din Beg. He was the
Wajir or the Chief Minister of Emperor Jehangir.
This white marble tomb was built by Nur
Jahan between 1622 and 1628. The tomb may
not be as mammoth as the Taj but the inlay
designs and carvings are no less than Taj
if not more. The delicate marble latticework
in the passages allows the light to enter
the interiors. A similar tomb was built
by Nur Jahan for Jehangir in Lahore. This
tomb was the first complete marble Moghul
structure.
Agra Fort
Construction of the massive red
sandstone Agra Fort on the bank of the Yamuna
River was begun by Emperor Akbar in 1565,
though additions were made up until the
rule of his grandson, Shah Jahan. In Akbar's
time the fort was principally a military
structure, but during Shah Jaha regin it
had partially become Palace. It is an imposing
strcture with walls of red sandstone almost
three kilometers long. Entered through the
Amar Singh Gate, the eastern part of the
fort contain palace, audience hall and mosques
built by three emperors. The fort presents
a good sampling of their favoured architectural
styles. Akbar drew on Islamic and Hindu
traditions and the result is eclectic. By
Shah Jahan's time the style had become so
homogenized that it is impossible to seprate
the Hindu and Muslim strands. The Diwan-i-Am
(public audience hall), the beautiful Diwan-i-Khas
(private audience hall) and the magnificent
Moti Masjid (Pearl Mosque) were also added
by Shah Jahan
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Excursions
from Agra
Sikandra
Six miles north of Agra, is a glorious introduction
to the city of Mughal wonders, Sikandra. The
site of Akbar's mausoleum, Sikandra was begun
by Akbar and completed by his son Jehangir
in 1613 AD. It reflects the fusion of Hindu
and Muslim art and architecture which characterised
the era. The tomb is situated in the centre
of a large garden and four identical red sandstone
gates lead to the tomb complex. The building,
with three-storey minarets at each corner,
is built of red sandstone with white marble
polygonal patterns inlaid. Sikandra is named
after Sikandra Lodi, the Delhi ruler who was
in power from 1488 to 1517.
Fatehpur Sikari
This magnificent fortifield ghost city was
the capital of the Mughal emperor Akbar between
1571 and 1585. The downfall of this once magnificent
capital of the Mughals started with the rise
of the Jats when Emperor Aurangazeb left this
place never to return again. The credit for
preserving the ancient monuments situated
here goes to Lord Curzon. Since then , these
protected monuments and the environs of the
city have been well maintained by the Archaeological
Survey of India. The city is rectangular in
shape with nine huge gates - Delhi Darwaza,
Lal Darwaza, Agra Gate, Suraj and Chandra
Darwaza, Tehra Gate and Ajmeri Darwaza.
Palace of Jodha Bai
North-east of the mosque is the ticket office
and entrance to the old city. The first building
inside the gate is a palace, commonly but
wrongly ascribed to Jodh Bai, Jehangir's Hindu
mother and daughter of the maharaja of Amber.
The architecture is a blend of style with
Hindu columns and Muslim cupols. The Hawa
Mahal (Palace of winds) is a projecting room
whose walls are made entirely of stone lattice
work.
Panch Mahal
Panch Mahal, a five storey structure is an
architectural marvel. It was Akbar's personal
citadel for pleasure and relaxation. Each
storey is pillared and is smaller than the
other. The buildings resembles a Buddhist
temple. It tapers from the ground floor with
84 columns to its domed top supported by only
four columns.
Buland Darwaja
The Buland Darwaja or the gate of victory,
was built by Akbar in 1601 in commemoration
of his victory over Khandesh and Ahmednagar
in Southern India. Marble and sanstone have
been freely used in the construction of this
structure. Various other buildings situated
here are all worth a visit not only for their
historical importance, but also for the fine
architectural work of the Mughal period.
House of Birbal
It is double-storeyed building and is believed
to be constructed by Birbal, a famous wit
and a close associate of Akbar.
The Jamatkhana
This is a red stone structure which houses
the tomb of Sheikh Islam Khan, The grandson
of Sheikh Salim Chisti. Many other tomb of
the descendants of the Sufi saint lie scattered
around the place.
Shopping
& Entertainment
Agra is famous for its marble inlay work,
leather goods, brassware, finely worked precious
and semiprecious stone jewellery and ornate
zardosi or zari embroidery. Much of this is
available around the Taj complex. The main
shopping areas are the Sadar Bazar, Kinari
Bazar and Munaro Road
