Agra is the city of the magnificent Taj Mahal. The story of Agra begins much earlier than the Taj. However, it finds mention in the epic Mahabharata when it was called Agrabana or Paradise. Ptolemy, the famous 2nd century AD geographer marked it on his map of the world as Agra. It was the Mughals who finally nurtured Agra with the finest monuments architects could design : the Taj Mahal of Shah Jahan, Red Fort of Akbar, Itmad-ud-Daulah and neighboring Sikandra are but few of the many that spangle the city, each of which stands in mute testimony to the city's grandeur over the ages.

Agra, an educational and business centre too, is known for its craftsmen and handicrafts. Marble and soft stone inlay work, zari work, carpet and leather goods are some important traditional crafts of the city.

TAJ MAHAL

Taj Mahal is not just beautiful art and fine architecture, but a memorial to love and faith. It is a sublime experience of the greatest love story ever told. The Taj has been a visual delight for viewers over the ages. The serene beauty and pristine purity of this famed splendor leaves abiding impression on the beholder's mind. The Taj is a joy forever and for any imaginative visitor a rare experience.   For the foreign travelers, Taj symbolizes India. Designed like a palace and finished like a jewel. Pure, gloriously perfect and superbly lovely. Set amidst landscaped gardens and backed by a turquoise sky. Like a jewel, the Taj sparkles in moonlight when the semi-precious stones inlaid into the white marble on the main mausoleum catch the glow of the moon. Becomes soft pinkish during the dawn and as the day fades away it reflects the fiery tints of the setting sun. These changes, they say, depict the different moods of a woman. The Taj Mahal is indeed a flawless gem, a timeless wonder, the last and the greatest architectural flowering of the Mughal period in Agra.  Open : Saturday to Thursday. (Friday Closed)

AGRA FORT   Within a radius of 3 km, on the banks of river Yamuna rises the crescent-like Agra Fort. Designed and built by Akbar in 1565 A.D., the fort is surrounded by a 70 foot high wall. It houses the beautiful Pearl Mosque and numerous palaces including the Jahangiri Mahal, Diwan-i-Khas, Diwan-i-Am, Machihi Bhawan and Moti Masjid.

SIKANDRA   12 km. Begun by Emperor Akbar and completed by his son Jahangir in 1613 AD, Akbar's tomb in Sikandra is a fusion of Hindi and Muslim art and architecture which, like the Emperor himself, characterized the era. Open : Sunrise to sunset.

FATEHPUR SIKRI   Thirty-km southwest of Agra lies a deserted sandstone city, Fatehpur Sikri, the royal capital of Akbar the Great. Fathepur Sikri is a concrete expression of the towering personality, the ambition and the exquisite taste of the great king. The walled city contains the mausoleum of the Sufi fakir, Saleem Chisti who is said to have granted Akbar and his Hindu queen Jodhabai their wish for a son. The main entrance to Fatehpur Sikri is through the 175 feet Buland Darwaza, the highest gateway in the world. It was built by Akbar.

Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary The above Sanctuary is approximately 60kms from Agra by road. The enterance fee is Rs. 200/- per person car charges are Rs. 50/- for each car. The Timings are 6am to 6pm. Mathura Virindavan The two cities are approximately 55-65 kms from Agra city. They are open from Sunrise to saunset.

Taj mahal  Described as the most extravagant monument ever built for love, it was constructed by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a memorial to his queen Mumtaz Mahal, made out of white marble took 22 years to complete (1630-1652 AD). Ustad Ahamad Lahori, a Persian Architect, is said to be the main designer and planner for this magnificent memorial. On full moon nights, the glory of the Taj is at its best. Over the centuries, the Taj has attracted more visitors than perhaps any other Monuments in the country, and it is all too easy resort to conventional superlatives when describing it. What makes the Taj Unique is its perfect proportions, distinct femininity, medium of construction and ornamentation. Its marble exterior reflects rose and golden tints at sunrise and sunset, while it is dazzling white during the day and glowes pearl-like in the moonlight and during the monsoon. Standing on a high plinth, the Taj Mahal is visible for miles around and forms a backdrop to mustard fields and mud-walled villages. It can be seen from guestrooms at some of Agra's hotels, as well as from the landscaped gardens to the west of the complex.
	Itmad-ud-daulah's tomb This tomb belongs to the father of Nur Jahan, Ghias-ud-Din Beg. He was the Wajir or the Chief Minister of Emperor Jehangir. This white marble tomb was built by Nur Jahan between 1622 and 1628. The tomb may not be as mammoth as the Taj but the inlay designs and carvings are no less than Taj if not more. The delicate marble latticework in the passages allows the light to enter the interiors. A similar tomb was built by Nur Jahan for Jehangir in Lahore. This tomb was the first complete marble Moghul structure.
Agra fort Construction of the massive red sandstone Agra Fort on the bank of the Yamuna River was begun by Emperor Akbar in 1565, though additions were made up until the rule of his grandson, Shah Jahan. In Akbar's time the fort was principally a military structure, but during Shah Jaha regin it had partially become Palace. It is an imposing strcture with walls of red sandstone almost three kilometers long. Entered through the Amar Singh Gate, the eastern part of the fort contain palace, audience hall and mosques built by three emperors.   The fort presents a good sampling of their favoured architectural styles. Akbar drew on Islamic and Hindu traditions and the result is eclectic. By Shah Jahan's time the style had become so homogenized that it is impossible to seprate the Hindu and Muslim strands. The Diwan-i-Am (public audience hall), the beautiful Diwan-i-Khas (private audience hall) and the magnificent Moti Masjid (Pearl Mosque) were also added by Shah Jahan.

	Jahangir mahal The biggest private residence in the Fort is the Jahangir Mahal, the Palace of Emperor Jahangir. It is an excellent blend of Hindu and Mughal architecture. The palace has a hall which is called Jodhabai's dressing Room. Jodhabai was Jahangir's Hindu mother. Its desigen and layout is essentially Hindu. Later the palace was used by Jahangir's Dressing Room. Jodhabai was Jahangir's Hindu mother. Its design and layout is essentially Hindu. Later the palace was used by Jahangir's queen Noorjahan,the Light of the World. Jahangir was very found of wine as well as his queen whom he adored even more. The love of wine interfered in the day do day running of the Government.To help him out in administering imperial justice, Noorjahan sat with her husband to advise him in taking decisions. She was an iron lady and never tolerated opposition.Those who came in her way ended mysteriously in the yamuna river.
Chisti's tomb  The Gateway buildings leads to the Friday mosque or the Jami Masjid. It is believed to be a copy of the main mosque at Meca. Nearby is the small white marble tomb of Sheikh Salim Chisti. It is ornamented with latticed screens and serpentine brackets. Shahjahan added exquiatie pieta dura work later as a mark of respect for the saint. The tomb was built over the exact spot where the holy man sat in meditation during his lifetime. Even, today, childess couples come to the tomb to seek the blessings of Sheikh Salim Chisti.
	Sikandra  Six miles north of Agra, is a glorious introduction to the city of Mughal wonders, Sikandra. The site of Akbar's mausoleum, Sikandra was begun by Akbar and completed by his son Jehangir in 1613 AD. It reflects the fusion of Hindu and Muslim art and architecture which characterised the era. The tomb is situated in the centre of a large garden and four identical red sandstone gates lead to the tomb complex. The building, with three-storey minarets at each corner, is built of red sandstone with white marble polygonal patterns inlaid. Sikandra is named after Sikandra Lodi, the Delhi ruler who was in power from 1488 to 1517.