Agra - Tourist Attractions in Agra

Agra

Agra originally formed part of the Surasena empire with its capital at Mathura. Agra has two dimensional history, one of the ancient city located on the banks of the river Jamuna, where it was known as Agraban. This city in those days was considered to be the sister of Mathura which was more prominent than Agraban. According to an ancient legend, the name of Agra is derived from Agra vans of the twelve groves of Brijmandala, where teenager Lord Krishna is said to have sported with his companions. The other part of the history deals with the rule of the various rulers like Babur, Shah Jahan, Akbar. In the olden days, Agra was the capital of the Mughals and one of the great Mughal cities of South Asia. During the 16th and 17th century, Agra was the capital of India. Agra was founded by Raja Badal Singh around 1475 AD. The Afghan king Sikandar Lodhi made this place his capital in 1501 when the Lodhis ruled North India. The Lodhi rule ended very soon and Agra passed into the possession of the Mughals. Later in 1526 AD, the Mughal Emperor Babar took upon himself the task for rendering Agra, a unique character and beauty of its own and chose this city as the base for the Mughals. He chose Agra as his capital because it had been the capital of the Afghan king he had defeated in a five hour battle. His own rule lasted for only four years. Emperor Babar brought some changes in the culture and lifestyle of the people of Agra, which then brought forward some of the finest craftsmen, artists, statesmen, warriors and nobility. He also built the world's first Mughal Garden in Agra. It was during the time of Akbar that Agra came into its own. Akbar constructed the massive Agra Fort in 1565. Akbar also built his new capital at Fatehpur Sikri. After that Akbar's grandson Shah Jahan ruled Agra. During his rule he built the world famous monument, the Taj Mahal. He built this monument between 1631-52 as a tomb and memorial to his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. In later years of Shah Jahan's rule, the capital was transferred again to Delhi. However, after dethroned in 1658 by his son, Aurangzeb, Agra rose once again as the capital. After the death of Aurangzeb, the Mughal Empire faced its way down. The post Mughal era of Agra saw the rule of the Jats, Marathas, and finally the British.

Shopping in Agra
Agra is known for its superb inlay work on marble and soapstone done by the craftsmen who worked under the Mughals. Agra is also famous for the carpets, gold thread embroidery, leather shoes and handicrafts.

How to get here
By Air: 
Agra is well connected to major metropolitan cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. It is also well connected to other cities as well through regular flights of Indian airlines, Jet Airways and Sahara Airlines. 

By Rail: 
Various important trains daily run between Agra and other major cities. 

By Road: 
Agra is well connected by road to the various parts of Rajasthan and North India. Regular bus service operates between Agra and major cities like Delhi, Jaipur and the other cities. Agra is about 200 kms from Delhi, 230 kms from Jaipur and about 119 kms from Gwalior.