Monday, October 1, 2007

The City Of Taj : Agra, Uttar Pradesh India

One of the most prominent destinations of the world tourism map, Agra is a beautiful town in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Agra is an old city and it is said that its name was derived from Agrabana, a forest that finds mention in the epic Mahabharata.

city has three heritage monuments - The Taj Mahal, Red Fort & Fatehpur Sikri. The city is a vibrant centre of Culture, Art and Religious philosphies that have enriched mankind and shaped humen thought over centuries.

Agra is a pleasant city with comparatively slow pace and it is known for its superb inlay work on marble and soastone by craftsmen who are descendant of those who worked under the Mughals. The city is also famous for its carpets, gold thread embroidery and leather shoes.

Erstwhile the capital of Mughal Empire, Agra seems even today to linger in the past. Not surprising, for the Mughal emperors with their passion for building, endowed the city with some of the finest structures in the world. It is very easy to slip away here through the centuries into the grandeur and intrigues of the Mughal court.Agra is considered the pride of Mughal cities. Agra is predominantly famous for two Mughal monuments – the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort also known as the Agra Fort. The Red Fort, seat of the Mughal dynasty in the 16th century, lies on the bank of the River Yamuna, almost in the heart of town. Akbar built it as his citadel over the years of 1565-1573.

Agra continued to retain its importance and Shah Jehan, Akbar's garndson ornamented the city with that masterpiece of Mughal architecture - the Taj Mahal and built several other beautiful buildings within the Agra fort.

The Taj Mahal is India’s star tourist attraction. The Taj Mahal – a poem, a feeling of love, in white marble, is a fine example of the fusion of many architectural styles. It has been described as the most extravagant monument ever built for love. It is also world heritage monument. This white marble monument commemorating Mumtaz Mahal, the beloved queen of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, is an unparalleled beauty among all historical monuments of India.

How to get there
By Air:
Agra has its own airport which connects Agra with all the major places in India. The Agra airport or the Kheria airport has all the major domestic airlines having their services to this place of the Taj.

By Rail: Agra is a major railway station with almost all the trains to south India, Mumbai and many trains to Kolkata stopping here. Agra city is visited by the "Palace on Wheels" .The Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains have also their stoppage in Agra. The city is well connected by trains to almost every corner of the nation.

By Road: Agra has the National Highway Numbers 2, 3, 11 passing through it. So the premier tourist destination of India, Agra is also well linked by bus services to other places in the State as well as outside the state. The state transports have deluxe as well as ordinary bus services for the place. There are conducted tours which take tourist not only to Agra, but the near by tourist spots too.

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