Agra
Travel Guide
Perhaps
no other historical monument has evoked as much awareness and admiration from
tourists and travellers alike, as the magnificent Taj Mahal - fondly called
by people as the ultimate requiem of love, from a great Mughal Emperor to his
beloved.
So overwhelming is the exquisite beauty and presence of this marble mausoleum
that centuries later today, even the very land where it has been located - Agra
- has been immortalised as the City of the Taj. Yet, it doesn’t take much
for the roving eye to discover that there's more to Agra than just the fabled
Taj Mahal.
The city is a virtual gateway to a world of discovery… a freeze-frame from
a resplendant era that's long since gone by. In the great epic 'Mahabharat'
the region of Agra is described as 'Agraban' (an integral part of the Brij Bhumi
or the land of Lord Krishna). The latter part of Indian history outlines the
origins of Agra to 1475 A.D., when the reign of Raja Badal Singh.
However,
Agra came into limelight during the rule of Afghan King Sikandar Lodhi - who
had made it the capital of his empire.Later in 1526 A.D., the Mughal Emperor
Babar took upon himself the task for rendering Agra, a unique character and
beauty of its own. The visionary that he was and a great patron of the arts,
Emperor Babar brought in a change in the culture and life-style among the people
of Agra, which then brought forth some of the finest craftsmen, artists, statesmen,
warriors and nobility, this part of India had ever withnessed. The golden age
of Agra's history, thus began to set in.
The next few hundred years of Agra witnessed the rise of the pomp and pageantry
of three great Mughal monarchs - Emperor Akbar, Jehangir and ShahJahan - all
of whom lavished on this fabled city, their love and riches immeasurable to
transform the land into one of the great centers of art, culture, learning and
commerce.
Much of the city's impressive past lives in evidence even today, in the hunting
presence inside the monuments, the majesty of the buildings, the exquisite arts
and crafts and not to forget, the lure of an exceptional cuisine… all,
cherished as priceless legacies of a nostalgic past. The older city of Agra
has impressively retained much of its resplendent history… captivating
every visitor with fond memories to take back home. Today, luxury and modern
convenience also exist adjacent to tradition - luxury hotels, shopping malls
and plazas, wide avenues and a superb choice of venues for recreation, business,
sports, pleasure, education and the arts.
Interested
? Book Tour through our Members
