Agra India Travel

With its architectural simplicity, perfect balance and proportion of structure, the taj mahal is perhaps the most beautiful building in the world. The subtlety of the building, made entirely with white marble, is enlivened by highlights of inlay and calligraphy in other coloured stones. The gentle white gives it a quality of weightlessness.

Agra has so much to offer to its tourist as cultural and heritage city. When ever planning a trip to Agra, the first and foremost name that strike your mind will be of course, The Taj Mahal, which is considered as a "Eternal Gift of Love". But the fact is that, Agra does not ends up with Taj Mahal itself. It has many other architectural splendor of the city which reflected the glorious monuments of medieval India built by great Mughal who ruled India for more than 300 years. So, to experience these unique feeling, you need to pack up your bags and should step towards Agra.

Taj Mahal, Agra India
What the statue of liberty is to America, the pyramids to Egypt, and the leaning tower of Pisa to Italy that is what the Taj Mahal is to India. It is regarded as India's most acclaimed architectural wonder, which is consider the eighth wonder of the world.

There is no other monument in the world, which can match the beauty and grandeur of the Taj Mahal. Set amongst the serene ambience of a well laid out garden the massive marble structure of the Taj Mahal is awe-inspiring. It is because of this everlasting charm that the Taj Mahal can boast of being one of the most popular world heritage monuments on earth. Apart from the tourist, it has become a regular feature of most foreign dignitaries to visit this grandeur gift of Shah Jahan to his beloved wife, the empress Mumtaz Mahal. "The world is divided between those who have seen the Taj Mahal and those who have not" this is how Bill Clinton, the then president of U.S.A, felt about the Taj Mahal.

Taj Mahal present itself in a different hue and colors at different time of the day. It is one such place, where you wouldn't get bored even after seeing them umpteen times. If you visit Taj Mahal in the morning you will find it radiating some different color than what it would present itself the rest of the day like The Taj at noon, the Taj Mahal at sunset, under the full moon, against the setting sun, and against the rising ball of fire, each time the mausoleum reflects various colors.

Agra Fort
Agra fort, which lies on the bend of the yamunna river , was built by the emperor akbar between 1565 and 1574. Its imposing walls of red sandstone and its gateways are decorated with coloured tiles echoing the traditions of central asia. It was akbar's great endeavour to synthesize the two great traditions of islam and hinduism and this is reflected in both his politics and architecture.

Fatehpur Sikri - The City of Victory
37 kms from agra is a city predominantly in red sandstone and is called fatehpur sikri. It is one of the finest examples of mughal architectural splendour .it was built by mughal emperor akbar during 1571 and 1585 and it is the best example of the culmination of hindu and muslim architecture though the city is in ruins, but the sunset over the ruins is sight to cherish. The city was later abandoned due to scarcity of water.

Salim Chisti's Tomb
The tomb of salim chisti is surrounded by marble, geometrical lattice work screens and the canopy above is inlaid with mother-of-pearl. Both hindus and muslims pray to the saint for the fulfillment of the their wishes. The buland darwaza (gate of magnificence) which towers above the courtyard of the mosque was built by akbar probably following his victory in battle in 1573 - hhen gujarat fell to him.

Akbar's Tomb, Agra India
Akbar's tomb in the former Lodi capital, is a grand affair, which could not missed out, once in Agra. Though it doesn't stand parallel to Taj Mahal, but holds its position among the most visited place. Akbar started building his mausoleum in the true Timurian tradition by pulling down most of the earlier structure and redesigned it according to his wishes, but the final construction was taken care by his son actually Jahangir.

Akbar's tomb is a medley of architectural styles, which display the architectural trend of experimenting designing than harmony of designs. Hindu element of architecture is evident in the sloping drip stones, finials surmounting all the domes, balcony windows and pierced screens.

Itmad-Ud-Daullah
The exquisite tomb of itmad-ud-daulah on the left bank of the yamunna river was built by noor jahan in memory of her father. This small but elegant structure is built entirely in white marble, a feature that appeared for the first time and was an inspiration for the taj mahal. The piedra dura or stone inlay work here is of the highest quality, especially in the blend of the colors of the semi-precious stones.

How To Reach Agra
Air:
Agra is one of the hottest tourist destinations in India and all facilities have been provided for the easy access to this place. It has its own airport which connects Agra with all the major places in India. The Agra airport or the Kheria airport has all the major domestic airlines having their services to this place of the Taj.

Rail:
Agra is a major railway station with almost all the trains from south India, Mumbai and many trains to Calcutta stopping here. Agra city is visited by the "Palace on Wheels" The city is well connected by trains to almost every corner of the nation.

Road:
Agra has the national highway roads numbers, 2, 3, 11 passing through it. So the premier tourist destination of India, Agra is also well linked by bus service from all part of the country.