NEARBY ATTRACTIONS :


Taj Mahal
This most famous Mughal Monument was constructed by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, 'the lady of the Taj'. It has been described as the most extravagant monument ever built for love. The emperor was heartbroken when Mumtaz, to whom he had been married for 17 years, died in 1629 in childbirth. Construction of the Taj began in 1631 and was not completed till 1653. Workers were not recruited only from all over India but also from central Asia were recruited and total 20,000 worked on the building. Experts were even brought from as far away as Europe - The Frenchman Austin of Bordeaux and the Italian Veroneo of Venice in its decoration. The most unusual story about the Taj is that there might well have been two of them. Shah Jahan it is said intended to build a second Taj, as his own tomb, a negative image of the white Taj of Mumtaz Mahal. Before he could embark on this second masterpiece he was deposed by his son, Aurangzeb. Shah Jahan spent the rest of his life imprisoned in the Agra Fort looking out along the river to the final resting place of his wife. The Taj is definitely worth more than a single visit as iis character changes with the differing lights during the day. Dawn is a magical time and it is virtually deserted. Fridays tend to be impossibly crowded and noisy. The main entrance to the Taj is a high red sandstone gate, set on the northern edge of an ornamental courtyard which is lined on the western side with tourist shops while the eastern side has a police station and some administrative offices.

Agra Fort
Emperor Akbar started constructing this massive fort on the banks of the river Yamuna in 1565. Additions were made to it even by his grandson Shah Jahan. During Akhar's reign, the fort was principally a military structure., by Shah Jahan's time it was partially turned into a palace. The huge walls of the fort stretch for 2.5 km and are surrounded by a 10 m wide moat. Out of the three gates, only Amar Singh gate is open now. The fort is open from sunrise to sunset.

Jama Masjid
Across the railway tracks from the Delhi Gate of Agra Fort the Jama Masjid was built by Shah Jahan in 1648. An inscription over the main gate says that it was built in the name of Jahanara, Shah Jahan's daughter who was imprisoned with Shah Jahan by Aurangzeb.

Dayal Bagh Temple
In Dayal Bagh, 10 km north of Agra. The white marble samadhi of the Radah Swami religion is currently under construction. It was started in 1904 and is not expected to be completed until sometime in the next century. You can see pietra dura inlaid marble work actually being worked on. Dayal Bagh is 2 km north of Agra and can be reached by bus or cycle.