Agra

Call (559) 446 0499 or email: brij@indiatravelerusa.com to book a tour to visit Agra

Agra is about 200 kilometers or 125 miles southeast of the capital of India, New Delhi. Most of the historic Agra City is on the west bank of River Yamuna although the most ancient pre-historical city was probably settled on its eastern banks. Linguistically it is in the region of Braj Bhoomi, the area where the Brajbhasha dialect of Hindi is spoken. It is also the territory where the incarnation of the Hindu Trinity God Vishnu, Lord Krishna had lived. His birthplace, Mathura, is about 50 kilometers or 30 miles northwest of Agra. The city was a suburban Aryan settlement in northeast India and is referred to as Arya Grah – home of Aryans in ancient Hindu religious literature. The area of Agra is mentioned in the Hindu epic Mahabharata as Agraban or the forest of Agra. Ptolemy, the historian and companion of Alexander mentioned it as Agara in 4th. century BCE. The Chinese Buddhist pilgrims Fa-Hsien (401-410 CE) and Hueng-Tsang (seventh century CE) have also mentioned Agra in their descriptions of north India.

In 1504 second last Sultan of Lodi Dynasty, Sikandar Lodi, decided to build a capital in Agra region, so that he could subdue the Hindu Rajas of Dholpur, Itawah and neighboring areas. He named the new capital Sikandara. A few derelict ruins still remain of this capital city but the area where this city was built is still called Sikandara. The third Mughal Emperor, Akbar, made his mausoleum in this area and it is popularly called Sikandara. After winning the Indian empire in the First Battle of Panipat in 1526, the founder of the Mughal Dynasty, Emperor Babur, decided to make his capital in Agra. He had many beautiful, geometrically laid out Gardens planted on the eastern bank of the River Yamuna. He did not live long enough to patronize any grand architectural projects. Only one of his gardens with a few palatial buildings, the Ram Bagh, has survived the ravages of time. Parts of another of his gardens, the Zuhara Bagh, have also survived.

The second Mughal Emperor, Humayun ruled from the old fort of Delhi. Much of his constructions in the old fort of Delhi were demolished or altered by Sher Shah Suri, the Afghan ruler who deposed him.

The third Mughal Emperor, Akbar, moved his capital back to Agra and built the Agra Fort on the ruins of an earlier fort. Originally there were over 500 red sandstone buildings in the Fort. He also built a substantial fort in Lahore and smaller forts in Ajmer, Allahabad, Attock and Jaunpur. When he did not have a male heir to the throne, he sought the blessings of a Sufi saint, Sheikh Salim Chistie, who lived with stone cutters in the village of Sikri where red sandstone was quarried for building material. The saint correctly predicted that Akbar would have three sons. When his senior queen was pregnant with his son, Salim (named after the saint), Akbar decided to move with the queen to the village of Sikri to enjoy the company of the saint. Construction of Fatehpur Sikri started when Emperor Akbar moved, probably as early as 1569. By 1571 the formal building of a new capital city in Sikri village had started in full swing and Emperor Akbar took personal interest in its construction as chronicled by Father Monserrate, the Jessuit priest, who lived in Fatehpur Sikri in 1580. Father Monserrate mentions: "He even quarried stone himself, alongside the workmen". Buland Daraza, the gigantic south gate of Jama Masjid was constructed after the triumphant return of Emperor Akbar to his new capital to commemorate the victory in Gujarat in 1573. Emperor Akbar consulted scholars and priests of many religions and religious sects in March 1582 and finally launched his own religion, the Din-i-Ilahi or the divine faith. Abul Fazl, his dear friend, philosopher, a very highly respected minister and official chronicler, described this religion quite elaborately in his Ain-i-Akbari manuscript. The architecture of his palaces in the Agra Fort was already inspired by his philosophy of religious tolerance. In architecture of Fatehpur Sikri it was even more emphasized. The most remarkable buildings where the assimilation of architectural influences of many religions is very obvious are the Diwan-i-Khas and the Kiosk for astrologer but the design of almost all the palaces was inspired by this philosophy. Sometime in 1585 Emperor Akbar deserted this new capital of Fatehpur Sikri. Too much population and lack of water are just two among many other factors for the reason behind deserting this remarkable Mughal capital city. Emperor Akbar remained in Lahore to suppress the constant uprisings in the north-west of Mughal Empire until 1598. The Mughal capital at Fatehpur Sikri remained almost deserted until the beginning of 20th century when the British Viceroy, Lord Curzon, took personal interest in its renovation by the Archaeological Survey of India. This work is still ongoing in 2010. A small village below the Buland Darwaza and the complex of Jama Masjid was never completely deserted as followers of the Sufi saint visited his white marble mausoleum in the courtyard of the mosque. The tomb of Sheikh Salim Chistie was originally also built in red sandstone like all other buildings in Fatehpur Sikri. Emperor Jahangir mentions in his memoirs that his foster brother, Qutubuddin Khan Koka, had outer white marble screens installed and a white marble ambulatory floor paved in 1606. The complete lamination of the exterior of the mausoleum was completed much later in 1866.
Prince Salim, the eldest son of Emperor Akbar and his heir apparent was born in the short lived capital city of Fatehpur Sikri in 1569.

The fourth Mughal Emperor, Jahangir, also chose Agra as his capital initially until he moved to Lahore and Srinagar in Kashmir. His Persian queen Mehr-un-Nisa, who was honored with the title of Nur Jahan or the light of the universe, had the first major white marble mausoleum constructed for her parents on eastern banks of Yamuna River. It was named after the title of her father, Mirza Ghiaz Beg, the Tomb of Itmad-ud-Daulah. She also built the mausoleum for her husband, Emperor Jahangir, in Lahore in present day Pakistan. The main gate of the tomb of Emperor Akbar at Sikandara may also have been influenced by her ideas.

The fifth Mughal Emperor, Shahjahan, had many buildings in Agra Fort demolished and replaced with grand white marble edifices. His most remarkable architectural feat in Agra was the mausoleum famous as Taj Mahal that he built for his queen, Arjumand Bano Begum. She received the title of Begum Mumtaj Mahal or the crown of the palace. She was the niece of Nur Jahan and the favorite queen of Emperor Shahjahan, his most trusted advisor and constant companion. She died delivering his fourteenth child while they were camped near the battlefield of Burhanpur in central India, about 1000 miles away from Agra. The emperor was heartbroken and decided to build for his beloved queen the most beautiful mausoleum ever constructed. Shahjahan also built a complete new capital in Delhi and named it after him, the Shahjahanabad. The most prominent buildings in this new capital were his Red Fort of Delhi, the Jama Masjid and the Chandni Chowk bazaar.

The sixth Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb, remained in Agra for the initial years of his rule but later moved to Aurangabad where he is buried. The Mughal monuments in Agra and elsewhere were ransacked and looted in eighteenth century by Maratha and Jat rulers among many others and remained in disrepair during the British Raj until the beginning of 20th century.

Tourism provides employment to a large section of the population of Agra. There are two main non-tourism related industries in Agra. One is the leather shoe industry that produces more than 200,000 pairs of shoes daily in the organized shoe factories. Thousands of people work from home in the cottage shoe industry of Agra. The ferrous and non-ferrous casting as well as molding industry is the other very big employer in Agra. The casting and molding industries were mainly based in an industrial area in north-eastern Agra and on the east bank of the River Yamuna. Because of pollution from coal fired furnaces, these industries have been re-located in the north-western part of Agra, further away from Agra.

Monuments of Agra:

The World famous Taj Mahal - Rauza-e-Begum Mumtaj Mahal

Arjumand Bano Mumtaj Mahal Begum died on June 17, 1631 while she was camped at a battle field near Burhanpur in west-central India delivering her fourteenth child, a daughter that was still born. She was temporarily buried in Burhanpur the same day.

On January 8, 1632 Begum Mumtaj Mahal was again temporarily buried in a red sandstone enclosure very close to the white marble mausoleum in the northwest side of the garden of the Taj Mahal. This enclosure can still be seen in the garden of Taj Mahal. On March 4, 1633 the locality of Taj Ganj was established for all the construction workers to live near the site. There is confusion about the main architect of the Taj Mahal. It was most probably designed by a committee consisting of several persons including the emperor himself. Ustad Ahmad Lahori was one of the specialists in construction who served Emperor Shah Jahan between 1624 and 1635. He was honored with the title of Nadir-al-Asr or wonder of age. Amanat Khan who was originally from Persia worked on the calligraphy inside the central chamber during the years 1635 and 1636 and elsewhere in the building according to an inscription on the main gate. On December 19, 1637 Shah Jahan honored him for his calligraphy work. In 2004 a team of researchers from the Archaeological Survey of India discovered the names of 670 previously unknown persons who specialized in various artistic areas. These names were inscribed in the vaults in the foundation of the Taj Mahal. Apart from these names there is sufficient evidence to believe that Ismail Khan from Turkey (or of Turkish origin from central Asia) was the designer of the dome of the Taj Mahal. Qazim Khan was from Lahore and specialized in the casting of solid gold finial on top of the dome. A local lapidary from Delhi was the chief sculptor and the specialist for mosaic work. Muhammad Hanif was given the task of supervising the thousands of masons. Mir Abdul Karim and Mukkarimat Khan of Shiraz in Persia were the paymasters for the thousands of specialists and ordinary construction workers who were employed by Shah Jahan. Apart from these few there were sculptors from Bukhara (in Uzbekistan), calligraphers from Syria and Persia, specialists in inlay of semi-precious stones in marble from South India and stone cutters from Baluchistan (frontier province of Pakistan). There was a man who specialized in the construction of turrets. There was another specialist for carving flowers from marble slabs. In all there were thirty seven men who had special talents and formed a creative nucleus in the monumental task of building the Taj Mahal. The ordinary labor force of about twenty thousand was employed mostly from various cities in North India.

The materials required for the building were imported from all over India and some from various countries in Asia. The white marble was from Makrana, a region in the kingdom of Mirza Raja Jai Singh I of Amber. There are original firman with seal and signature of Emperor Shah Jahan that confirm that Emperor Shah Jahan asked Raja Jai Singh I to expedite the delivery of marble. More than 1000 elephants were used to transport the marble pieces and also for lifting huge pieces of marble over a seven mile long ramp. Jasper stone came from Punjab. Jade and crystal came from China. The turquoise stone came from Tibet. The Lapis Lazuli came from Afghanistan. Sapphire was imported from Sri Lanka. The Cornelian came from Arabia. Various shades of Agate were available in India. The total cost of the construction of the mausoleum surpassed Rupees forty million (about one million dollars) in the period of Emperor Shah Jahan when one could buy one gram of gold for Rupees 1.3.

Originally there was a solid gold screen around the grave of Mumtaj Mahal. This screen was replaced with a larger and very beautifully carved white marble screen that we see at present in 1642. The marks of the pillars of the golden screen can still be seen on the floor around the grave of Begum Mumtaj Mahal. This suggests that the construction of main building may have been finished by 1642. On January 31, 1647 the best friend of Arjumand Bano Begum and another queen of Emperor Shahjahan, Sati-un-Nisa died. She must also have been temporarily buried somewhere. In early 1649 a red sandstone mausoleum was built just outside the western gate to the southern courtyard of Taj Mahal where Sati-un-Nisa is buried. Across the road on its southern side is the Fatehpuri Mosque built with brick and mortar that was later laminated with red sand stone like all peripheral buildings of the Taj Mahal. The tomb of Akbarabadi Begum, the other queen of Emperor Shahjahan, is on the southeast corner of the southern courtyard. Both the mausoleums for Sati-un-Nisa and Akbarabadi Begum are referred to as the Saheli Burj or the towers for the girl friends of Begum Mumtaj Mahal.

Ustad Ahmad died in 1649. The year 1648 is inscribed on the main gate of Taj Mahal and many historians and archaeologists of the Archaeological Survey of India believe that the entire complex of Taj Mahal must have been complete in 1648. According to this construction the Taj Mahal took 17 years to complete. The Emperor Shah Jahan himself died on January 31, 1666 and his body was carried on a boat through the gate in the moat of Agra Fort. The body was transferred in the night in absolute secrecy through the Khizri Gate of Agra Fort over the Yamuna River to the tomb of Mumtaj Mahal through the riverside entrance to Taj Mahal that is now closed. Emperor Aurangzeb feared that there could be a revolt against him in Agra if people found out that the beloved Emperor had passed away in captivity. Shah Jahan was still very much beloved by the local population in Agra even at the time of his death.

The total length of the Taj Mahal complex from the south gate of the southern courtyard to the north wall of Taj Mahal on the banks of River Yamuna is 579.2 meters or 1900.3 feet. The width of the complex from its eastern wall to the western one is 304.8 meters or 1000 feet. This entire area has seven very conspicuous elements:
The Darwaza or the main gate to enter into the gardens in front of the mausoleum; the Mughal Charbagh or the garden that is divided in four parts that is in front of the Taj Mahal; the Masjid that was constructed for the royal family and their guests to pray when they visited the mausoleum; the Mehman Khana that was built to maintain symmetry with Masjid on the western side of mausoleum and finally the main white marble mausoleum that is the focus of attention of every visitor immediately after one enters the red sandstone main gate of the Taj Mahal. In the middle of the garden is a white marble platform with a fountain pool, where most visitors to this tomb like to be photographed.

All royal mausoleums built by Mughal Emperors had a Charbagh Garden around them or the mausoleum was placed in the middle of the garden with four divisions. In Taj Mahal’s design the main mausoleum was placed in the north of the Charbagh. The reason for this change in tradition was probably esthetical. By this placement it is reflected in the still waters of Yamuna River. The site was chosen at a specific location where even the River makes a symmetrical U-curve flowing from the northwest towards the mausoleum and flowing away from the mausoleum towards the northeast. The other advantage was that there was no building behind the mausoleum. In the bright moon light when the white marble of Taj Mahal shines, the building appears to be suspended because the gardens in front are dark and there is only open sky behind the building. There were two entrances designed in the Taj Mahal. In the north there are two stairways in the red sandstone platform leading to a gate opening on to banks of River Yamuna. The boats could come right up to the River gate bringing the royal visitors during the reign of Emperor Shahjahan and even subsequently. This entry is now closed. The other entry in to the Charbagh is through the massive red sandstone main gate of the Taj Mahal that in itself is a very impressive building. It is 151 feet wide, 117 feet deep and 100 feet high. One gets just a glimpse of white marble mausoleum as one approaches the gigantic arch in the main gate. As one proceeds further inside gradually more and more of the mausoleum is visible. When one is standing in the middle of the interior of this main gate, the entire mausoleum is beautifully framed in the northern arch of this gate. From the main gate to the red sandstone platform on which the white marble mausoleum is standing the total distance is 1000 feet. The entire area between the main gate and the mausoleum is covered by the Charbagh that is 1000 feet wide also.

The red sandstone platform at the end of Charbagh is 970 feet 7 inches wide and 364 feet 10 inches deep. This platform is about four feet higher than the garden level. There are three buildings on this Chameli Farsh red sandstone platform. The mosque is on its western side, in the center is the main mausoleum and on its eastern side is the ‘Mehman Khana’ guest house.

From the top of this red sandstone platform another white marble platform rises further 5.79 meters or 19 feet higher. This white marble platform is 57 meters or 187 feet long and its width is exactly the same. On the southern side of this white marble platform there are two stairways leading up to it. At each of the four corners of this platform are four minarets with three balconies jutting out regular levels in each of them. These minarets are 40.2 meters or 132 feet high. They were planned to be slightly leaning outwards. In case of an earthquake they would fall away from the mausoleum and not on it. From this white platform one climbs another 3 feet over the white marble steps in front of the mausoleum’s entrance. The total height of the mausoleum from the bottom of the 19 feet high white marble platform to the top of metal finial crowning the main dome is 74.2 meters or 243 feet 6 inches. On the roof of the Taj Mahal the dome rests on a drum shaped structure that is 39 feet tall. From the bottom of this drum to the top of the metal finial crowning the dome it is 44.4 meters or 145 feet 8 inches high. The metal finial on top of the dome alone is 32 feet 5.5 inches tall.

The foundations of the Taj Mahal are also very special. Shah Jahan had wells dug on the River bank below the Chameli Farsh platform. The walls of these wells have masonry arches on top. The Chameli Farsh Platform of Taj Mahal is resting on these arches. There are two domes in the Taj Mahal to reduce the weight of the dome and to harmonize the height of the dome inside the monument with its interior and its height outside with the exterior architecture of the mausoleum. On the roof of the Taj Mahal there is stairway leading into the empty space between the two domes. Entry to the roof of the Taj Mahal is closed to public. The Taj Mahal was used by officers of the English East India Company for a considerable period as a private club. On the roof of the mausoleum one can still see marks left behind by roller skates used by the British. The East India Company Governor General, William Bentinck once proposed the marble of Taj Mahal and other Mughal monuments to be sold in Europe for building material. The English Parliament considered the proposal but found it to be financially not feasible because marble from Italy, Bulgaria and other European sources was cheaper.

Arjumand Bano Begum, for whom the Taj Mahal was built, was of Persian origin. Persian influence in the design and decoration of Taj Mahal was very natural. The founder of the Mughal Empire in India was brought up by her mother and grandmother who were very well versed in Persian language. His son, Humanyun, was forced to spend many years in exile in the court of Persian ruler, Shah Tahmasp. The Mughal Emperors from period of Emperor Humayun were very much influenced by Persian language, literature and culture. Persian was the official language of India under many Islamic dynasties before Mughals and the Mughals as well as for some time even under the British East India Company until Lord Bentinct replaced English as national language instead of Persian. For many years after independence of India in 1947 the legal documents like property deeds etc. remained in Persian language. In the reign of Emperor Akbar the influence of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain art and architectural forms was pervasive as one sees in Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri. Many forms of architectural decoration from these religious cultures had become universally accepted by the time when Shah Jahan started his grand scale constructions. In the Taj Mahal there are some very obvious Hindu influences like the inverted lotus flower motif at the base of the finial on top of the dome. In the interior of central chamber in Taj Mahal there is a beautiful Sunflower motif carved in marble in the center of the dome. The grave of Emperor Shah Jahan was not planned originally to be placed in the building. It is the only element in the entire Taj Mahal Complex that disturbs the absolute symmetry. His grave is on the western side of the grave of the queen. This second grave was added to the monument in the period of Emperor Aurangzeb who followed a very strict and rigid form of Islam. He did not allow the use of Arabic language on the gravestone. On the grave of the queen her name is written in Arabic language and there are the classic 99 names of Allah inlaid with semi-precious stones on the sides of her gravestone. The name of the Emperor on his gravestone is written in Persian language and instead of the 99 names of Allah, a motif of Poppy Flower with two leaves on its sides is repeated in the rectangular spaces on either side. The Poppy Flower was used to symbolize that the Emperor was in eternal sleep. On top of the gravestone on grave of Shah Jahan there is a very beautiful Sun motif that reminds one of such motifs used in many Hindu temples. In the center of this motif a large stone is missing. It could have been a very large Sapphire or Ruby that could have been looted during the Jat, Maratha and other invasions of Mughal monuments during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

There are only three forms of architectural decoration used in the Taj Mahal. The carvings in marble on its exterior are very limited and are done in spaces that are protected by an overhanging stone. That is why there is no space on its exterior where rain water could accumulate and erode the marble. Almost all decoration on its exterior is done with very large motifs made with semi-precious stones inlaid in white marble using geometrical and floral designs and inlay of black marble in white marble for Arabic calligraphy. The calligraphy around the arches on all four sides of the mausoleum is also done with inlay of black marble in white marble. As one proceeds in the interior of the main building the decoration with carvings and also with inlay work gets more and more intricate. On the tombstones and the latticed screen around them, the inlay-work as well as the carvings are most intricate. On the screen a single lotus flower motif that is repeated many times is made up with more than 60 pieces of semi-precious stones in an area of less than two square inches. On the screen the inlay work is done even on curved surfaces that would have been an extremely delicate work and also very time consuming to execute. In the red sandstone main gate of the tomb, in the mosque towards the west and in the Mehman Khana (guest house) in the east there is some painting done with white mineral color on red sandstone surface.

Taj Mahal is open for tourists from 6 AM to 7 PM on all days except Fridays when local Muslim offer prayers in the royal mosque of Emperor Shahjahan. This mosque during the reign of Mughal Emperors must have been only for royal family and close friends as well as royal guests because it has a separate section for ladies to pray which one usually does not find in Islamic mosques. Entrance Fee for foreigners is Rupees 750 per person and this ticket is valid for entry on same date in Agra Fort, Tomb of Itmad-ud-Daulah, the Tomb of Emperor Akbar at Sikandara and Fatehpur Sikri.

Taj Mahal is open on full moon night and 2 nights before and after but not on Fridays and Muslim holidays. Entrance costs Rupees 750 per person for foreign adults and Rupees 500 for foreign children between the ages of 3 to 15 years. The children that are younger than 3 years old have free entrance. The tickets are non-transferable. The entrance tickets have to be purchased 24 hours in advance between 11 AM and 5 PM on the preceding day. Entrance tickets cannot be purchased on the day tourists wish to visit. Opening Time is 10.30 PM to 12 mid-nights. In total 400 persons are allowed in batches of 50 for 30 minutes each. Tourists have to collect at Shilpigram artisan village near east gate of southern courtyard, 30 minutes before the allotted time. During the full moon night in the month of Ramzan, the Islamic holy month of fasting and prayers, entry for tourists is not allowed. The Taj Mahal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Agra Fort

Agra Fort has also been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is located on the western bank of River Yamuna about 2.5 kilometers or 1.6 miles northwest of the world famous Taj Mahal mausoleum. All the initial six Mughal Emperors lived in this or the fort that existed at this place before the present structure was constructed. Many European travelers visited and wrote about this fort. There could be a fort at this location even earlier and there is historical evidence that Chauhan Rajput rulers controlled this fort before early eleventh century. In 1080 CE an army of Mahmud Ghazni conquered it. The Sultanate rulers did not seem to have lived in this fort but they may have controlled it until the second last ruler of Lodi dynasty, Sultan Sikandar Lodi (1487 to 1517) moved to Agra Fort to suppress the constant rebellion of Jat chieftains of Bharatpur and Dholpur region. His son, Sultan Ibrahim Lodi controlled this fort for 9 years and built several palaces, wells and mosque in it, although he ruled from Delhi.

After defeating Sultan Ibrahim Lodi at the First Battle of Panipat in 1526, Emperor Babur came to this fort although he lived mostly in his favorite garden, Aram Bagh, on the east bank of River Yamuna. Babur sent his son, Humayun, to Gwalior to secure the treasure of the Hindu ruler, Vikramaditya, who had sided with the defeated Sultan Ibrahim Lodi. His queen presented Humayun with the famous Kohinoor diamond to secure her welfare and the fortunes as well as property of her family. After defeating the 2nd Mughal Emperor, Humayun, Sher Shah Suri controlled this fort for 5 years. Emperor Akbar was crowned in Kalanaur town in Punjab on border with Pakistan and initially lived in the old fort of Delhi but he decided to move his capital to Agra in 1558. His friend, philosopher and official historian, Abul Fazl mentioned that the fort in Agra was called Badalgarh and was in ruined condition when the 3rd Mughal Emperor saw it for the first time. Emperor Akbar had the Fort reinforced with thick and high walls made of the typical thin medieval bricks with mortar. He had the entire interior and exterior facades of the fort laminated with red sandstone. The fort was then called Lal Qila or the red fort. About 4000 laborers toiled for 8 years to complete the fort in 1573. When the fort was ready it had more than 500 buildings within the two moats that surround it. The outer moat was filled with water from the River Yamuna. The inner moat was dry. Many of the original buildings of the fort of Emperor Akbar were replaced with beautiful white marble palaces by Emperor Shahjahan who spent the last eight years of his life as a prisoner in his own palaces. The British East India Company and later the British colonial rulers also destroyed some of the buildings of the period of Emperor Akbar to build barracks for the army. The western part of the fort is still occupied by military. The Jat, Maratha and other rulers ransacked the palaces of this fort before and during the 1st War of Indian Independence in 1857 and earlier.
The exterior walls of Agra Fort are about 70 feet high and about 2 miles in circumference. The fort had 4 massive gates originally. Of these the Khizri Gate that opened towards the River Yamuna is now closed. The majestic Delhi Gate on the western side is used by the military. This gate leads to the impressive interior gate, Hathi Pol, so called because it is flanked by life sized statues of 2 elephants with riders on top. The gate used by public now was originally called Lahori Gate but is now popularly called Amar Singh Gate after a warrior who made a daring escape from this fort during Mughal rule. There are 2 draw-bridges in front of the Delhi Gate and the Amar Singh Gate that are still functional but they are no more used. Emperor Akbar was very impressed by the Bengal and Gujarat architecture that he saw in his campaigns to conquer these provinces of India. Abul Fazl mentions in his Akbar Nama that buildings of Emperor Akbar used many elements of the architecture of these two provinces in combination with Islamic features. At present only 30 buildings on the eastern side of the fort facing the River Yamuna exist and have been maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India. The palace that is popularly called Jahangiri Mahal was most probably part of the Zanana or female quarters. The overwhelming Hindu style of the palace suggests that it may have been used by the Hindu Rajput queen, Jodha Bai, of Emperor Akbar from the Kachchwaha family of Amber. Much of the interior decoration that originally used a lot of real gold foil was destroyed during the tumultuous period after the downfall of the Mughal rulers in the beginning of 18th century. In some palaces where parts of original decoration had survived, restoration has been done to give the visitor an idea of how the entire palace interior would have looked. In the Jahangiri Mahal there is a central rectangular courtyard around which all the residential spaces are built. On its eastern side is a spacious terrace with a high wall towards the riverside. This wall is penetrated with balconies from where one can have beautiful views of River Yamuna and the distant Taj Mahal mausoleum. Walking through the palaces along the riverside one enters the section that Emperor Shahjahan reconstructed with white marble. It is in stark contrast to the red sandstone palaces of Emperor Akbar. In these palaces Emperor Shahjahan spent the last 8 years of his life after his son, the 6th Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, imprisoned him and usurped the throne, killing all his brothers. The most beautiful part of this section is the Mussamam Burj where Emperor Shahjahan is supposed to have passed away. This palace has beautiful carvings in marble on the floor to create fountains inside and outside the palace. The decoration also uses Pietra Dure – inlay of semi-precious stones in white marble. A staircase from this palace leads to the Diwan-i-Khas or the hall of private audience, another palace that Emperor Shahjahan rebuilt in Agra Fort. The interior of this palace is also decorated with floral and geometrical motif created by carving in marble and with inlay of semi-precious stones. The terrace in front of this palace has a huge black marble royal throne that was cracked in two pieces by bomb that landed on it. Across this throne is a smaller white marble throne that may have been used by the chief minister or Wazir. Below the terrace is a beautiful rectangular garden in which the flower beds are created by beautifully shaped red sandstone partitions, walkways, streams of water and fountains. This courtyard was called Machi Bhawan and was also used by the ladies of harem. A door in the verandah around this courtyard leads to the Pavillion of the Emperor in Diwan-i-Am or hall of public audience. Beside this another door leads to a short stairwell through which one enters the majestic pillared hall of public audience. This hall was surrounded by a huge rectangular courtyard where canopies and tents were hung to create shade for the general public. On the raised platform of the hall of public audience only noblemen and courtiers could stand during official Mughal ceremonies. There is a white marble throne just below the gallery of the Emperor that was used by the Wazir. The gallery of the Emperor is very intricately decorated with Pietra Dura work. A gate in the north of this massive courtyard leads to the Moti Masjid or the Pearl Mosque the largest white marble mosque in the world that was also built by Emperor Shahjahan.

Mausoleum of Itmad-ud-Daulah

Mirza Ghiyas al Din Muhammad Beg was the father of Merh-un-Nisa, who later got the title of Begum Nur Jahan (the light of the universe). She was the queen of Emperor Jahangir and paternal aunt of Arjumand Bano, Begum Mumtaj Mahal for whom the Taj Mahal mausoleum was built. Mirza Ghiyas Beg passed away in 1622 followed shortly afterwards by his wife, Asmat Begum. Nur Jahan personally designed a unique mausoleum for them on the eastern banks of River Yamuna in Agra. She envisioned the mausoleum on the model of a jewelry box. She was the first to use white marble for the entire main building of the tomb. Like all other contemporary Mughal buildings this mausoleum is also made of thin, baked bricks and mortar. The brick surfaces were then laminated with white marble in the interior and the exterior of the mausoleum. It was set in the middle of a Charbagh (a garden divided in 4 equal parts). In the east was the main entrance and on the west there was an entrance from the River Yamuna. In the north and south there were mock gateways for maintaining the symmetry. These gateways as well as the surrounding wall of the tomb are made of brick and mortar that were laminated subsequently with red sandstone.

The mausoleum is very feminine in character. The overwhelming Persian influence is also very obvious in the motifs used for decoration. The cypress trees, vases with fruit and flower motifs are very typical Persian in character. It rests on a white marble platform that is about three feet high. The tomb has two floors. On the ground floor in the central chamber are the graves of Mirza Ghiyas Beg and Asmat Begum. Their gravestones are each carved out of single pieces of Jasper stone. In the 4 corner chambers there are the graves of their relatives. On the upper floor, there is a spacious terrace surrounding the central chamber where in a hall with huge screens carved out of single pieces of marble on all sides are the replicas of graves of Mirza Ghiyas Beg and his wife. The design on the floor of this upper central chamber is also very unique. Unlike all other Mughal mausoleums this floor has a floral pattern in its decoration. On the four corners of the upper terrace there are four minarets that have spiral staircases inside to climb up to a kiosk that is topped with a dome. The exterior of these four minarets also has Persian motifs that are inlaid in white marble using different shades of Jasper and black marble. The entire decoration in the mausoleum is done with very fine carvings and inlay of various shades and varieties of Jasper stone as well as black marble. The interior of Archways leading into the mausoleum from the four sides is decorated with very special carved design. The design used in these arches reminds one of Chikan kurta embroidery. Many scholars believe that Chikan Embroidary was invented by Queen Nur Jahan.

Sikandara - Emperor Akbar's mausoleum

Emperor Akbar started the construction of his mausoleum in his own lifetime in 1604. The famous historical chronicle, Akbarnama, that was composed by the philosopher, official historian and one of his Navratnas, the nine most important jewels of his court, Abul Fazl. He was also a dear friend of Emperor Akbar. The mausoleum according to this chronicle was variously called Behistan and Behistabad meaning the abode in paradise. There are inscriptions on its south gate that is more majestic and lofty than the mausoleum itself. These inscriptions state that its construction finished between 1612 and 1614. Akbar wanted the mausoleum to be very simple in style but reflecting his preference for a blend of Hindu, Jain and Islamic architecture. One learns from contemporary historical accounts of the period of Emperor Jahangir who ruled from 1605 to 1625 that the fourth Mughal was displeased by the slow progress in the completion of the monument. The main gate of the mausoleum was added during his reign. Jahangir had married the Shia Muslim daughter of a powerful courtier, Mirza Ghiyas Beg, Mehrunissa Begum. Emperor Jahangir honored her initially with the title of Nur Mahal meaning the light of the palace and later with the title Nur Jahan or the light of the universe. From the decoration of the main gate it is very apparent that she must have also influenced the construction of the main gate of the mausoleum of Emperor Akbar.

Following the Mughal tradition initiated in the tomb of the second Mughal Emperor Humayun in Delhi, the mausoleum of Emperor Akbar was also placed in the center of a Char Bagh or a garden with four squares. The last construction in the mausoleum was its main gate in the south. There are three other much smaller gates in the center of eastern, northern and western walls. The main gate is a square building that has one very high arch in the center of each of its four facades. This arch is flanked by two smaller arches, one on top of the other, on either side. The main gate as well as all the other buildings in the mausoleum complex are constructed with brick using mortar and then clad with red sand stone. There are beautiful inlaid decorations in the sand stone laminate that use white and black marble. The inscriptions on the main gate were designed by the famous Abd-Al-Haqq Shirazi whose services were later utilized by the fifth Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan, in the decoration of the world famous Taj Mahal mausoleum. The inscription in the north of the main gate eulogize the Emperor Akbar and those in the south side that one views as one approaches the mausoleum complex praise Emperor Jahangir as the patron of the tomb. On four corners of the main gate are four white marble minarets that are three stories high with a round balcony at each floor level. The top of the four minarets are capped with a white marble domes resting on white marble pillars.

The main mausoleum is also a square building that is five stories high reminding one of Panch Mahal that Emperor Akbar constructed in his short lived capital of Fatehpur Sikri. There is a massive arched gate in the center of each of its four sides. These arched gates of the main building reach up to three stories in height. A white marble kiosk that is rectangular in shape, perhaps an influence of the architecture of the eastern state of Bengal, is placed on top of this massive arched gate. This kiosk reaches almost as high as the fifth floor of the mausoleum. Only the high arched gateway in the south side of the mausoleum has an access to the grave of the Emperor in the center of the building. Two daughters of Emperor Akbar, Shakrul Nisha Begum and Aram Bano Begum, are also buried in the chambers left of the main arched gateway of the mausoleum. On the topmost floor is a replica of the grave of the Emperor, just like in the Taj Mahal and the tomb of Itmad-ud-Daulah. The topmost floor has a beautifully decorated open terrace with white marble latticed screens surrounding it.

Jama Masjid

This is another beautiful Mosque constructed during the reign of Emperor Shahjahan. This mosque in Agra was built under the patronage of the younger daughter of Emperor Shahjahan, Roshanara Begum. Its most remarkable feature is the zigzag pattern done with inlay of white marble in red sandstone on its three main domes. This mosque is also unique in that it does not have any minarets. The congested locality behind the mosque is still called Roshan Mohalla after the name of the Mughal princess.

Ram Bagh

Babur died on Monday, December 26, 1530, merely four years after conquering the Sultanate of Delhi with its vast territories in northern India. In this short period he laid beautiful gardens in the typical Charbagh (a garden divided in 4 parts) style along the east bank of Yamuna River in Agra. Only one of these gardens has survived in its entirety. It was originally called Aram Bagh and is now commonly called Ram Bagh. As one crosses the River Yamuna over the new road bridge, one cannot fail to notice the surrounding wall of this garden on the banks of the river and just beside the main road on its right hand side that is in its geographical north. There are partial remains of his second garden, Zuhra Bagh, named after the daughter of Emperor Babur near Rambagh. Babur was buried in Aram Bagh at Agra initially. About one year after his death his body was exhumed and transferred from Ram Bagh to his favorite garden in Kabul, Afghanistan under the supervision of his widow and one of his younger sons. He was buried in one of his favorite gardens according to his last wish.

Maryams Tomb

A couple of miles further west of the Mausoleum of Emperor Akbar at Sikandara is the tomb of his Hindu queen, Jodha Bai. The tomb is located in the center of a Char Bagh – a garden divided into 4 parts. It has a simple grave in a central chamber that is surrounded by rooms and pillars all around. Emperor Akbar honored his Hindu queen with the title of Maryam Makani or the Mary of the House.

Chini ka Rauza

This mausoleum is located about 1 kilometer or a little over half a mile north of Itmad-ud-Daulah's tomb on the east bank of Yamuna River. Mir Afzal Khan was the original name of Mulla Shukrullah Shirazi who was the Prime Minister of Mughal Emperor Shah Jehah and also a famous poet. He initially entered the service of Emperor Jahangir in 1618. Emperor Shahjahan also gave him the title of Wazir-e-Ala when he was promoted to rank of Prime Minister. He composed poetry under the pseudonym of 'Allami'. He took fancy to building his own mausoleum around 1635 CE with elaborate ornamentation. He chose glazed tiles as his medium to create the masterpiece that would enshrine his tomb forever. He died in Lahore in 1639 CE and his mortal remains were brought to Agra to be buried in the tomb that he built for himself. Every portion of this unique monument was profusely adorned with bright glazed tiles in blue, green and yellow colors. The glazed tiles lend the monument its name and are the most prominent feature of this building. Chini ka Rauza is a classic example of the Persian influence on Mughal architecture of that period. Unfortunately very little of the glazed tile decoration in its exterior and interior has survived. Originally high walls enclosed this entire building complex and there were gateways in North and South. All the peripheral buildings including double storied minarets are no more there. Only the main tomb has survived and it was in very dilapidated condition until it was recently restored by the Archaeological Survey of India. The building's exterior is square in shape with each side being 79 feet or 24.1 meters in length. The central chamber is octagonal in shape with eight arches surrounding it. On its exterior each side has a large arch with inscriptions in blue colored tiles on its sides. There is a border surrounding the inscriptions done with stylized design in blue, yellow and green tiles. The spandrels of the arches are decorated with arabesque and floresque patterns, laid in blue and orange tiles. The shafts on sides of the arches contains zig-zag design in crimson, orange and white colour. Chevrons of the pinnacles are decorated with bands of blue tiles. The remaining spaces on each facade are divided into panels each having floral designs in variegated colors like blue, green, orange, vermillion etc.

Mirza Ghalib's Birth Place - Mirza Asadullah Khan was a famous and influential poet of Urdu & Persian languages who initially wrote under pen-name of "Asad" but when he found out that some other poet had used this name earlier and he did not like his poetry, the great poet decided to use the pen-name of "Ghalib". He was born on December 17, 1797 in Kala Mahal locality of old Agra city. The house that his family used is now "Indrabhan Girl's Inter College" but the room in which the poet was born is still preserved in his memory. He later married a rich woman and moved to an impressive Haveli (aristocratic mansion) in Gali Qasim Jaan in Ballimaran - a narrow lane in Chandni Chowk area. That house is preserved as a museum of Mirza Ghalib and one can read many of hand written verses and letters. Mirza Ghalib died on February 15, 1869 and was buried in a mausoleum near the shrine of Sufi saint Khwaja Nizamuddin Aulia in a locality in south Delhi named after the saint.

5-star deluxe hotel:

Oberoi Amarvilas Hotel is about 600 yards from the east gate of the Taj Mahal – 109 rooms.

5-star hotels:

Taj Gateway Hotel (formerly Taj View) has many rooms with view of the Taj Mahal – 100 rooms
ITC Mughal Sheraton has views of the Taj Mahal from one of its restaurants – 285 rooms
Clarks Shiraz Hotel is less than a mile from the Taj Mahal, has many rooms with views of the Taj Mahal – 237 rooms
Trident Hilton is close to the Taj Mahal – 138 rooms
Taj Orient Hotel - 153 rooms

4-star hotels:

Yamuna View Hotel – 58 rooms
Jaypee Palace Hotel – 350 rooms
Howard Sarovar Portico (formerly Park Plaza) Hotel – 85 rooms
Holiday Inn Hotel – 145 rooms
Man Singh Palace Hotel – 100 rooms
Hotel Taj Resorts, 500 meters from east gate of Taj Mahal - 28 rooms

3-star hotels:

Crystal Inn - 32 rooms
Hotel Royale Residency - 25 rooms
Pushp Vila Hotel - 51 rooms
Utkarsh Vilas - 52 rooms & 10 suites

Distance from Agra in kilometers and miles:

Fatehpur Sikri: 40 kilometers or 25 miles
Bharatpur: 60 kilometers or 37 miles
Ranthambhore: 227 kilometers or 141 miles
Mathura: 60 kilometers or 37 miles
Gwalior: 118 kilometers or 73 miles
Jhansi: 221 kilometers or 127 miles
Khajuraho: 295 kilometers or 183 miles
Lucknow: 363 kilometers or 227 miles
Delhi: 200 kilometers or 125 miles
Jaipur: 232 kilometers or 144 miles