Ah, the allure of the Taj! Every single day, it calls out to hundreds upon thousands of visitors to itself. Many visitors are those that revisit this magnificent mausoleum year upon year since they find it difficult to wean themselves away from its splendor.
Agra Tourism is a growing industry. While the city is crowded and chaotic, its architectural history is a huge draw and pulls tourists from all over the globe. Agra, along with Delhi and Jaipur, forms the Golden Triangle. Most foreign tourists prefer to visit these three cities since they house most sites that are worthy of a dekko for any visitor.
Agra’s History
The history is Agra dates back to the age of the Mahabharata, where it is called Agrevana or the border of the forest. The city was formed by Sikandar Lodi, a ruler belonging to the Lodi Dynasty, in the sixteenth century. He ordered the construction of many buildings in the city, such as step-wells, forts, palaces, etc. He then moved his capital from Delhi to Agra and ruled from there. It was then ruled by his son upon his demise.
Sher Shah Suri ruled from here too, and then it became the capital of the Mughal Empire. It was renamed Akbarabad and several Mughal emperors like Akbar, Jahangir, and Shah Jahan. All of these kings had great love for beauty and beautiful architecture, gardens, forts, etc. and the addition of these gave a whole new perspective and dimension to this famed city. It can be rightly said that under their rule Agra’s golden age started and flourished for years altogether.
The best time to visit Agra is in the winter months, from October to February. This is because it has a hot, dusty geography. The summer months with their accompanying loo winds make it a sweltering, sizzling place to visit. The rainy season does bring relief along but the rains turn this dusty land all swampy, which really detracts from the charm of this city.
The pleasant temperatures of the winter months make this city a super gorgeous place to view all its attractions in all their glory. Most tourists prefer to visit this city in this season and this makes it very crowded. But these masses do not really take away from the many magical experiences that most visitors have in this fabled city.
Noteworthy places of interest
Apart from the beautiful TajMahal, there are several centers of attraction for the tourist, such as Agra Fort, FatehpurSikri, Itimad-ud-Daula’s mausoleum and others. In fact, Agra is home to three UNESCO World Heritage Sites, along with its jewel in the crown – the splendiferous TajMahal, which is among the Seven Wonders of the World.
The TajMahal needs no introduction. It is the paean of the love a devastated emperor had for his beloved wife who died in childbirth. His grief and deathbed promise to his wife led to the creation of this magnificent mausoleum that was built over a period of 22 years and through the combined efforts of 22,000 laborers. Its white beauty is dazzling in all lights and during all times of the day or night.
Then there is the Agra Fort. It was built by Emperor Akbar and made using red sandstone. Its beauty is unparalleled and there are many visitors that combine the viewing of the TajMahal with this fort and consider their Agra tour complete.
Apart from these, there are Itimad-ud-Daula’s mausoleum, FatehpurSikri, Akbar’s Fort, and several other hot tourist sports that make Agra such a delightful place to visit. It is widely believed that on the luxury train Maharaja Express TajMahal appears even more beautiful.
