India-Tourist-Places.com

Archive for the ‘Agra’ Category

The former capital of Hindustan, is a city on the banks of the river Yamuna in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is 363 kilometres (226 mi) west of the state capital, Lucknow, and 200 kilometres (124 mi) south of the national capital New Delhi. With a population of 1,686,976 (2010 est.), it is one of the most populous cities in Uttar Pradesh and the 19th most populous in India.[1] Agra can also refer to the administrative district that has its headquarters in Agra city.

Top Attractions

Taj Mahal, one of the most recognisable structures in the world, attracts around four million visitors annually. This beautiful structure of white marble was built by the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, in the memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal.The construction of the monument started in 1632, a year after the death of his wife, and was completed in 1653. The Taj Mahal was constructed under the supervision of architects Abdul-Karim Ma’mur Khan, Makramat Khan and Ustad Ahmad Lahauri. This symbol of eternal love is the quintessence of Mughal architecture. Besides, it also combines elements from Persian, Turkish and Indian architectural styles. The tomb, which is a white marble structure, stands in the centre of a complex.

Fatehpur Sikri is a city in Agra District, which was constructed by Mughal Emperor Akbar in the beginning of 1570. The city was constructed to honour Sufi saint, Sheikh Salim Chisti, who used to live in a cavern on the ridge at Sikri.This saint predicted the birth of another son of Akbar, after the death of his twins. When in 1569, a son was born to Akbar he named him Salim to honour the saint. Prince Salim later succeeded Akbar to the throne of the Mughal Empire, as Emperor Jahangir.Akbar shifted his capital from Agra to Sikri in 1571 and named the city as Fatehabad. This city served as the capital of the Mughal Empire from 1571 till 1585 and was later called Fatehpur Sikri.Designed as per Mughal architecture, with an amalgamation of Indian, Persian and Islamic architecture, this city has a rocky ridge, which is 3 km long and 1 km wide. The entire city is built using locally quarried red sandstone, which is also known as ‘Sikri sandstone’.

Jama Masjid, popularly known as Jami Masjid or Friday Mosque, is one of the larger mosques in India. Situated opposite the Agra Fort, this mosque overlooks the Agra Fort Railway Station. The mosque was built by Shah Jahan in 1648, for his favourite daughter, Jahanara Begum.The mosque is set on a high podium which can be approached by stairs. There are five arched entrances to the courtyard of this mosque. The highlight of this mosque is the three large sandstone domes that crown the mosque. Pillared dalan, chhajja and chhatri on the roof are the prominent architectural elements of this mosque.

Buland Darwaza, located in Fatehpur Sikri, is also known as the ‘Gate of Magnificence’. This grand gateway was built by the Mughal Emperor Akbar, when he defeated the king of Khandesh in 1573.Built in red sandstone, this gateway stands 40 metres high and can be seen from far. Reflecting typical elements of Mughal architecture, the decorations of the gateway are done in white marble. The gateway also features calligraphic inscriptions from the Quran on its front pillars and chattris.

The Taj Mahal is the epitome of Mughal art and one of the most famous buildings in the world. Yet there have been few serious studies of it and no full analysis of its architecture and meaning. Ebba Koch, an important scholar, has been permitted to take measurements of the complex and has been working on the palaces and gardens of Shah Jahan for thirty years and on the Taj Mahal itself—the tomb of the emperor’s wife, Mumtaz Mahal—for a decade.

Standing majestically on the banks of River Yamuna, the Taj Mahal is synonymous to love and romance. It is believed that the name “Taj Mahal” was derived from the name of Shah Jahan’s wife, Mumtaz Mahal and means “Crown Palace“.

The postcard picture of Taj Mahal does not adequately convey the legend, the poetry and the romance that shroud what Rabindranath Tagore calls “a teardrop on the cheek of time”. Taj Mahal means “Crown Palace” and is in fact the most well preserved and architecturally beautiful tomb in the world. It is best described by the English poet, Sir Edwin Arnold, as “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.

According to one of the myths, the construction is sinking and it is known that in spite of all the precautions, cracks were discovered in it just 4 years after its completion and that it was tilting towards the riverside.

According to another myth a number of items such as diamonds, a gold leaf which covered the part of the dome, a pearl blanket etc that were originally a part of the Taj were stolen.

The Taj Mahal is the epitome of Mughal art and one of the most famous buildings in the world. Yet there have been few serious studies of it and no full analysis of its architecture and meaning. Ebba Koch, an important scholar, has been permitted to take measurements of the complex and has been working on the palaces and gardens of Shah Jahan for thirty years and on the Taj Mahal itself—the tomb of the emperor’s wife, Mumtaz Mahal—for a decade.

With the lovely River Yamuna flowing behind it, Taj Mahal Agra, the magnificent piece of art never ever fails to lure tourists from all the nook and corner of the world. Taj Mahal Tour lets travellers to explore its exquisite handwork and aesthetic beauty.

Taj Mahal Agra sparkles like a Jewel during full moonlit nights when the precious inlaid stone work of marbles on the dome catch the rays of the moon. And in the early mornings, it looks pinkish with sun rays kissing it. Taj Mahal Tour during evening hours is quite popular as it looks amazingly lovely in milky light of moon.

An underground vault of Taj Mahal contains the bodies of Shah Jahan and his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The story of these two lovers is an example of true and divine love. It took around 22 years to complete this enchanting building and about 20000 workers to make stand this masterpiece.

Standing majestically on the banks of River Yamuna, the Taj Mahal is synonymous to love and romance. It is believed that the name “Taj Mahal” was derived from the name of Shah Jahan’s wife, Mumtaz Mahal and means “Crown Palace”. The purity of the white marble, the exquisite ornamentation, precious gemstones used and its picturesque location, all make a visit to the Taj Mahal gain a place amongst the most sought-after tours in the world. However, until you know the love story behind the construction of the Taj Mahal, the beauty of the same would not enliven in your heart and mind and instead would come up as just another beautiful building/monument. It is the love behind this outstanding monument that has given a life to this monument. Come and explore the visceral charisma that it emanates!

If your are short on time, the ‘Best of India Tour’ is the best tour package to explore India. The ‘Best of India Tour’ combines the Golden Triangle tourist circuit and Udaipur to bring you the best of India.

Tour Information

Duration: 08 Days / 07 Nights

Destinations: ( Delhi- Agra- Fatehpur Sikri- Jaipur- Udaipur )

Day 01: Arrival Delhi

You will be received by our representative at the airport, who will take you to the hotel. You will be accorded a traditional welcome. Overnight at hotel.

Day 02: Delhi

After breakfast, head on a guided tour of New Delhi. Some of the monuments you visit on your sightseeing tour include Bahai Temple (Lotus Temple), Humayun’s Tomb, the Qutab Minar, Connaught Place and India Gate. In the afternoon proceed on a sightseeing tour of Old Delhi, visit Jama Masjid, Red Fort, Raj Ghat and other memorials. You also take a ride on a cycle rickshaw.

Dinner with an Indian family is the main highlight of your evening activity. You visit an Indian family for dinner to get an insight into the Indian way of life. Overnight at hotel.

Day 03: Delhi- Agra

After breakfast proceed to Agra. In the afternoon tour the massive Agra Fort, which was built by the Mughal emperor Akbar. The fort houses various beautiful palaces and mansions that you can visit on your tour of Agra Fort. In the evening visit Taj Mahal and watch the wonder monument change color as the sun sets. Overnight at hotel.

Day 04: Agra-Fatehpur Sikri-Jaipur

After breakfast proceed to the Pink City—Jaipur. En-route visit Fatehpur Sikri, the capital city of Akbar, the Mughal emperor. The city has some palatial buildings, a mosque and the shrine of saint Salim Chisti. Upon arrival in Jaipur, check in at hotel. Overnight at hotel.

Day 05: Jaipur

This is the day to take in the architectural beauty of the Pink City. You visit Amber Fort, City Palace, Jantar Mantar Observatory, Hawa Mahal and other important places on your sightseeing tour of Jaipur. Jaipur is rich with ancient monuments, which were built centuries ago. Overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 06: Jaipur-Udaipur

After breakfast transfer to airport to catch a flight to Udaipur. Upon arrival check in at hotel. The city was founded by Maharana Udai Singh about four centuries ago. On your tour you visit many important tourist places in Udaipur, which include the Jagdish Temple, the City Palace and Lake Pichola.

Day 07: Udaipur-Delhi

The day is at leisure. Take independent walks in the bustling bazaars of Udaipur. You can also visit Shilpgram, the crafts village to shop for some exquisite handicraft items. Afterwards transfer to airport to catch a flight to Delhi.

Day 08: Delhi

Upon arrival check in at hotel. Refresh and relax. Later transfer to airport to catch a flight back home. Tour ends.

Taj Mahal, the pinnacle of Mughal architecture, was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan (1628-1658), grandson of Akbar the great, in the memory of his queen Arjumand Bano Begum, entitled ‘Mumtaz Mahal’. Mumtaz Mahal was a niece of empress Nur Jahan and granddaughter of Mirza Ghias Beg I’timad-ud-Daula, wazir of emperor Jehangir. She was born in 1593 and died in 1631, during the birth of her fourteenth child at Burhanpur. Her mortal remains were temporarily buried in the Zainabad garden. Six months later, her body was transferred to Agra to be finally enshrined in the crypt of the main tomb of the Taj Mahal. The Taj Mahal is the mausoleum of both Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan.

The mausoleum is located on the right bank of the river Yamuna at a point where it takes a sharp turn and flows eastwards. Originally, the land where the Taj Mahal presently stands belonged to the Kachhwahas of Ajmer (Rajasthan). The land was acquired from them in lieu of four havelis as is testified by a court historian, Abdul Hamid Lahauri, in his work titled the Badshah-Namah and the firmans (royal decrees).

The symbol of eternal love, the Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan in memory of his beloved queen Mumtaz Mahal, who died at a young age of 38 while giving birth to their 14th child. Situated on the bank of Yamuna River, the Taj Mahal represents a fine blend of Mughal, Persian, Central Asian, and Islamic architecture. The most impressive and remarkable features of the Taj Mahal are its four tall minarets (162.5 feet high) at four corners of the structure, the black and white chessboard marble floor and the majestic dome (213 feet high and 58 feet in diameter) in the middle. The Taj Mahal is one of the most visited and most photographed monuments in the world.

As a tribute to a beautiful woman and as a monument for enduring love, the Taj reveals its subtleties when one visits it without being in a hurry. The rectangular base of Taj is in itself symbolic of the different sides from which to view a beautiful woman. The main gate is like a veil to a woman’s face which should be lifted delicately, gently and without haste on the wedding night. In indian tradition the veil is lifted gently to reveal the beauty of the bride. As one stands inside the main gate of Taj, his eyes are directed to an arch which frames the Taj. The dome is made of white marble, but the tomb is set against the plain across the river and it is this background that works its magic of colours that, through their reflection, change the view of the Taj. The colours change at different hours of the day and during different seasons. Like a jewel, the Taj sparkles in moonlight when the semi-precious stones inlaid into the white marble on the main mausoleum catch the glow of the moon. The Taj is pinkish in the morning, milky white in the evening and golden when the moon shines. These changes, they say, depict the different moods of woman.

Fatehpur Sikri was planned as a great town by Akbar with great care and planning in the honor of Sheikh Salim Chisti but had to be abandoned only after fifteen years due to scarcity of water in the town. Sheikh Salim Chishti was a Sufi saint who blessed the Akbar with his first son and heir, who was named Salim after him and later came to be known as Jehangir. The town was otiginally named Sikri after the village, where it was founded but its twin city Fatehpur (Victory Town) was erected to celebrate Akbar’s conquest of Gujarat in June 1573.

The two mosques in the village of Sikri have inscriptions, which announce their conception in 1314 under Mohd. Khilji. There have been records that Babur renamed the village ‘Sikri’ as ‘Shukri’, meaning ‘thanks to the god’. It was also the famous dwelling place and khanqah of Shiekh Salim Chishti, the famous Sufi saint whom Akbar revered for blessing him with child.

Hiran Minar

Hiran Minar is located in the open plains. This 21.34m high tower got its name after Jehangir converted the polo ground around the tower into a sanctuary for hiran (antelopes). The tower is entered through a flat-topped door bordered by sand stone panel and flanked by closed arched panels. There are 53 steps leading to the top inside the tower. One can get a bird’s eye view of Fatehpur Sikri from the top of the tower.

The tower is octagonal upto the height of 3.91m and circular to the rest of the height. The tower stands over an octagonal platform, which in turn stands on a square one. The lower square platform is 21.96m sq. and the octagonal platform is 1.2m high and is edged by a small cornice. Double flight of 9 steps has been provided on northern and eastern side, which is 3.05m high.

Karkhanas

Karkhanas is located near the northeast side of the Agra gate. The building is also popularly known as ‘Taksal’ or mint, which is a misnomer. This building was used as workshop where state commodities were produced and stored. It is believed that spices and dry fruits were stored in the building, while textiles were manufactured and precious stone work, ivory work, enameling work were carried out in this building grain.

The building is a single storied structure, which is entirely built of rubble masonry. Like other old buildings, this one is also in an ageing phase. Remnants of arched doorways and a few arcaded bays are survived only. The Karkhana surrounds a quadrangle courtyard of 72.58m by 80.21m in dimension and surrounded by a ruinous cloister. The cloister has a series of broad square bays, each made of four arches, and roofed by a cupola.

Even today Taj Mahal in Agra gets heads to turn in surprise and awe at its magnificence and symmetrical architecture. Built from 1631 to 1653, under the patronage of Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal who died in 1631 of childbirth. Taj Mahal in Agra, a symbol of undying love, is in reality a colossal mausoleum that houses the tombs of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan.

Built by nearly 20,000 skilled craftsmen under the expertise of architects from Arabia and Europe, Taj Mahal in Agra marks the height of Mughal architecture. Most of the men, it is believed, lost their fingers and hands so that Shah Jahan’s monument of love can stay unparalleled till infinity. Though there are many attempted replicas of Taj Mahal in Agra, adorning the streets of the world, none have managed to rival the magnificence of the marble mausoleum.

Four, purely decorative, minarets are present on each corner of the platform on which the Taj Mahal stands. The reflection of Taj Mahal in the watercourse, which cuts through the ornamental gardens, is a mesmerizing sight. These ornamental gardens of Taj Mahal in Agra were designed along the Mughal Gardens’ (charbagh) style that were in turn underlined by Persian Garden style first commissioned under Babar in Agra.

Even today Taj Mahal in Agra gets heads to turn in surprise and awe at its magnificence and symmetrical architecture. Built from 1631 to 1653, under the patronage of Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal who died in 1631 of childbirth. Taj Mahal in Agra, a symbol of undying love, is in reality a colossal mausoleum that houses the tombs of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan.

Built by nearly 20,000 skilled craftsmen under the expertise of architects from Arabia and Europe, Taj Mahal in Agra marks the height of Mughal architecture. Most of the men, it is believed, lost their fingers and hands so that Shah Jahan’s monument of love can stay unparalleled till infinity. Though there are many attempted replicas of Taj Mahal in Agra, adorning the streets of the world, none have managed to rival the magnificence of the marble mausoleum.

Four, purely decorative, minarets are present on each corner of the platform on which the Taj Mahal stands. The reflection of Taj Mahal in the watercourse, which cuts through the ornamental gardens, is a mesmerizing sight. These ornamental gardens of Taj Mahal in Agra were designed along the Mughal Gardens’ (charbagh) style that were in turn underlined by Persian Garden style first commissioned under Babar in Agra.

The red sandstone gateway inscribed with verses from Quran, fine floral engraving on marble, delicately carved marble screens that filter light into the mausoleum, inlaid semiprecious stones, and semi-translucent white marble and arches decorated with quotes from Quran and pietra dura are the details you cannot and should not miss out on, on your tour of Taj Mahal in Agra.

The Cenotaphs of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan, the western red sandstone mosque (for worship), and eastern red sandstone mosque (decorative) are some other places to visit within Taj Mahal in Agra upon your tour to Agra.