City Information

Agra is located 200 km from New Delhi and was founded by Raja Badal Singh in 1475 A.D. The splendour of Agra, on the west bank of the River Yamuna, remains undiminished to this day. The city is the third apex of the famed "Golden Triangle" tourist route along with Delhi and Jaipur and is dotted with spectacular attractions like the massive Agra fort and the magnificent Taj Mahal.

The Taj Mahal is the most famed architectural marvel in the city (not to mention, the country) and literally dominates the skyscape with its myriad domes. The zest exuded by the city travels westward from the Taj through the labyrinth of bazaars. Southeast across a swathe of open parkland lies the travellers' enclave of Taj Ganj.

The city gained importance with the arrival of Mughals in 1526. Its mention as Agraban also appears in the Mahabharata, which suggests that it might have been on the outskirts of Mathura. Today, the city is well connected by air to Delhi, Khajuraho and Varanasi. It can be reached from any part of India through Railway services and is accessible by road from any part of Uttar Pradesh.

Agra Fort
Built by Emperor Akbar in 1565 A.D, this huge fort is made of red sandstone. It houses a Pearl mosque and many other noteworthy structures.

Sikandra
Sikandra, 10 km north-west of Agra, is the final resting place of Emperor Akbar. The Tomb of Akbar shows an interesting fusion of Hindu and Mughal architecture reflecting the spirit of the Mughal Emperor, Akbar. Akbar began the construction of his own garden mausoleum during his lifetime. His mausoleum is a red sandstone structure in a chahar-bagh (4-square formal garden).

Fatehpur Sikri
37 km from Agra, the mini-city of Fatehpur Sikri's is made of red sandstone and combines influences from both Hindu and Mughal architecture. Mughal Emperor Akbar made this a capital once but deserted it later due to paucity of drinking water. This structure also houses Salim-Chishti's Dargah. This is a white marble canopy set in the courtyard of the royal mosque to honour a Sufi saint who reportedly blessed Akbar's wife with a son.

Itmad-ul-Daulah's Tomb
This tomb was erected by Noor Jahan in memory of her father, Ghiasud-Din-Beg between 1622-1628 A.D. This white marble structure was built before the Taj Mahal, but is often considered equal if not better than the more-famed Taj.

Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary
Called Keoladeo Ghana National Park, it is one of the finest water bird sanctuaries in the world. Spread over a 40 sq. km. area of swampy, lightly wooded terrain, the sanctuary attracts many species of birds including the Siberian Crane in the winter months. Hence it is considered as the ornithologist's paradise. It lies 57 km from Agra on Delhi-Jaipur highway.

Mathura and Brindaban
Mathura, on the bank of river Yamuna, is the birthplace of Lord Krishna. The groves and ghats (bathing tanks) of nearby Brindaban, with its thousands of temples, still echo stories and songs that recount the exploits of this charming God. The Government Museum here is a superb repository of fine sculpture, terra-cotta images, coins and bronze objects that date from the 5th century B.C to the 12th century A.D.