Travel Guide to Agra, India

Agra is one of the leading cities in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, and the city is mainly famous for its historical significance. It was crowned as capital of India during Mughal reign in India, and it houses the magnificent Taj Mahal. People generally opt for one day tour from Delhi to Agra. The city of Agra is personified with its “Tuk-Tuk” carts, which are nothing but cars that are pulled by horses. However, modernization has reduced the number as well as essence of such mean of transportation. But, the slow moving “Tuk-Tuk” ride is worth experiencing when you are in Agra for its antiquity and heritage.

Things That Make Agra Famous in the World

The city of Agra is not just famous for Taj Mahal, but also for a lot of reasons. Since Taj Mahal is the prime attraction of this place, people often overlook other attractions of this city. A passionate traveler would definitely love to explore those lesser known yet quite amazing things about this city.

  • Remembering Chatrapati Shivaji: Right in front of Agra Fort, there is a statue of the Great Maratha warrior Chatrapati Shivaji. He was kept as prisoner in this fort, and this is the place where he chalked his famous “Master Escape” plan.
  • Only City of India to Have Three Heritage Site: Agra is the only city to possess three heritage sites of the world, as declared by UNESCO. There three places are Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri.
  • Ghalib’s Birthplace: Agra is popular for being the birth place of the famous Urdu poet of all time, Mirza Ghalib.

Places to Visit in Agra

Being an ancient city, Agra is mainly famous for its history and heritage. The ancient monuments represent the real charm of the city. Here are the places that you must visit in Agra.

Taj Mahal

tajSituated at the south bank of Yamuna River in the city of Agra, Taj Mahal is an ivory white marble stone based structure or mausoleum, which was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan on memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz. In the year of 1983, Taj Mahal was listed in the World Heritage site of UNESCO. Thereafter, it added another crown to its name, as it was declared as one among the Seven Wonders of the World by UNESCO. According to surveys, more than 7-8 million visitors come to watch this tomb every year. Except Friday, the place is open for visitors from 8 AM to 5 PM. It would take around 1-1.5 hours to explore the place. This monument is the prime attraction of a day’s trip to Agra from Delhi.

Agra Fort

fortIf you are in the city of Agra, you shall definitely love to visit Taj Mahal. But, along with it, one must also visit the mighty Agra Fort, which is quite identical to Delhi’s Red Fort. This red sandstone fort of Agra has a lot of interesting tales or historic saga to unfurl for the travelers.

Baby Taj Mahal – Itmad-Ud-Daula

insideAgra is famous for Taj Mahal, though it is not the only visiting place for travelers. Several other interesting places are there, and a few of them are often considered as forgotten or neglected places for tourism. The Tomb of Itmad-Ud-Daula is one of such places. This tomb has been referred as Baby Taj due to its similarities in structure and construction with Taj Mahal. Some people often refer the place as “Forgotten Taj of Agra” as well.

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