Agra

Famous as one of the wonders of the world, the Taj Mahal at Agra, India, is epitome of true love and passion. The Taj Mahal was built by the famous Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaj Mahal. The architectural beauty and magnificence of the Taj Mahal has never been surpassed. It is said to be the most beautiful monument built by the Mughal rulers and represents the zenith of the Mughal architecture.

Built entirely out of white marbles, the beauty of the Taj Mahal is beyond description. The beauty of the Taj Mahal has been aptly summarized by the famous English poet, Sir Edwin Arnold, as “Not a piece of architecture, as other buildings are, but the proud passions of an emperor’s love wrought in living stones.”

Agra Fort was built in the year 1573 under the reign of Akbar – one of the greatest Mughal Emperors. It took more than 4000 workers and eight years of hardship to complete the fort. Knowing the significance of its location, Akbar built the fort to make it the main residence of the Mughals. The fort remained as the main residence of the emperors belonging to the Mughal dynasty until the year 1638.

The fort houses numerous impressive structures like the Jahangir Mahal, Khas Mahal, Diwan-i-Khass, Diwan-i-Am, Machchhi Bhawan and Moti Masjid. In 1638, the capital of the Mughal dynasty was moved from Agra to Delhi, causing the Agra Fort to lose its status as the main residence of the Mughal emperors. The fort is separated from its sister monument Taj Mahal by just 2.5 kilometers.

Constructing beautiful gardens was a great pastime for many Mughal emperors and most of them made eye-catching gardens using the Persian style of architecture. You can see some of the common features in these gardens such as fountains, canals and different species of trees, fruits, flowers, and aromatic grasses. Mehtab Bagh is a beautiful Mughal garden in Agra built on the banks of River Yamuna.

Constructed by Emperor Babur, Mehtab Bagh is a perfect place to capture beautiful shots of the stunning Taj Mahal. There is a large pond on the outer edges of this garden which reflects the mesmerizing image of Taj Mahal. It shall be exciting to take a walk along the broad walkways of this garden for watching its elegant fountains, breezy canopies, grand pools, and rich fruit trees.

Khas Mahal, also known as Aramgah-i-Muqaddar, is a private palace with heavily adorned ceilings. This grand architectural marvel also built by Emperor Shah Jahan. Designed by alcoves in its walls, the emperor built this palace for his daughters Roshnara and Jahanara.

The gorgeous Yamuna River on a side and the lovely Anguri Bagh on the other side are the great features of this palace. Plan a trip to the Khas Mahal for enjoying a stroll and take a look at its marble domes, large central hall, open courtyards, stunning fountains, and large tanks. Visiting this monument shall be a wonderful experience as it will take you to the bygone era.

Akbar Tomb is a must-visit tourist attraction in Agra located in Sikandra. Spread over more than 119 acres, it is a grand masterpiece from the Mughal period. Even though the construction of this tomb was initiated by Akbar himself, it was completed by his son, Jahangir. Flanked by four minarets, this red sandstone tomb is similar to Taj Mahal. One can enter this monument through its South gate.

Mariam’s Tomb is certainly a point-of-interest in Agra which is located in a suburb area of Agra almost 1 kilometer away of Sikandra. This massive sandstone structure is the final resting place of Marium-uz-Zamani Begum, Akbar’s wife.

A special feature of this monument is that it has no domes unlike other Mughal architectures but you can see large chhatris on top of the corners of this tomb. This beautiful monument is a fine combination of Hindu and Islamic architectural styles which gained much popularity during the reign of Akbar and Jahangir. You can see a grid of crisscrossing corridors for segmenting the interiors of the tomb. Visitors need to pay a nominal fee to enter this monument.