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About Agra:- Agra is a city of medieval era, which is situated on the bank of Yamuna River. It said the Agra city was founded by Sultan Sikandar Lodī in the year 1504, who was the Ruler of Delhi Sultanate. After the death of Sultan Sikandar Lodi the city was passed on Sultan Ibrahim Lodi. He moved his capital Agra to Delhi and ruled from there until fell to Babar in the first Panipat battle in the year 1526.
Hemu Vikramaditya, the great Hindu warrior, who is also famous as Samrat Hem Chander Vikramaditya, won Agra in 1556 as army chief of Adil Shah of Sori Dynasty of Afghan.
The golden age of the city Agra begin with the Mughals. That time the city was known Akbarabad. The Agra city remains the capital of Mughal Empire until 1649, when Shah Jahan his capital to Shahjahanabad later he shifted his capital to Delhi. Aurangzeb moved the capital back to Akbarabad (Agra now a day). After the decline of the Mughal Empire, the city came under the influence of Marathas and Jats and was called Agra and in the year of 1803 the city fell into the control of British.
In 1835 when the Presidency of Agra was established by the British, the city became the seat of government, and just two year later it was the witness to the Agra famine of 1837–38. During the Indian rebellion of 1857 British rule across India was threatened, news of the rebellion had reached Agra on 11 May and on 30 May two companies of native infantry, the 44th and 67th regiments, rebelled and marched to Delhi. The next morning native Indian troops in Agra were forced to disarm, on 15 June Gwalior (which lies south of Agra) rebelled. By 3 July the British were forced to withdraw into the fort. Two days later a small British force at Sucheta were defeated and forced to withdraw, this lead to a mob sacking the city. However, the rebels moved onto Delhi which allowed the British to restore order by 8 July. Delhi fell to the British in September, the following month rebels who had fled Delhi along with rebels from Central India marched on Agra - but were defeated. After this British rule was again secured over the city until the independence of India in 1947.
Agra is the birth place of the religion known as Dīn-i Ilāhī, which flourished during the reign of Akbar and also of the Radhaswami Faith, which has around two million followers worldwide.
How to Reach :- Agra, along with Delhi and Jaipur, forms the 'Golden Triangle', India's favourite tourist route. Situated just 125 miles (200km) south of Delhi, it makes an easy day trip by train. However it is worth spending at least a night here just to truly appreciate the wondrous Taj Mahal and its many moods; at dawn the mausoleum changes from grey to pink to brilliant-white.
Major attractions of the Agra
Agra Fort :- Not far from the gardens of the Taj Mahal stands the important 16th century Mughal monument known as the Red Fort of Agra. This powerful fortress of red sandstone encompasses, within its 1.5 mile-long (2.5km) enclosure walls, the imperial city of the Mughal rulers. It... see full details
Fatehpur Sikri :- The deserted city Fatehpur Sikri was the capital of the Mughal Empire between 1570 and 1585. It was built under the personal supervision of the Emperor Akbar; he was childless and, having tried all sorts of solutions to his plight, visited a Sufi... see full details
Taj Mahal :- "The epitome of love", "a monument of immeasurable beauty". The beauty of this magnificent monument is such that it is beyond the scope of words. The thoughts that come into the mind while watching the Taj Mahal of Agra is not just its phenomenal beauty, but the immense love which was the reason behind its construction. Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan got this monument constructed in the memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, with whom he fell in love at the first sight. The very first sight of the Taj Mahal, the epitome of love and romance leaves one mesmerized.
Standing majestically on the banks of River Yamuna, the Taj Mahal is synonymous with love and romance. It is believed that the name "Taj Mahal" was derived from the name of Shah Jahan 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 Taj Mahal travel gain a place amongst the most popular ones. However, unless and until, one knows the love story behind the Tajmahal of India, it will come up as just a beautiful building. But, the love behind this outstanding monument is what has given a life to this monument.
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