Agra - At a Glance

1. Best Time To Visit: August to March

2. Official Language: Hindi

3. Languages Spoken: Hindi, Urdu, English

and Braj Bhasha

4. Climate: Semi-Arid

5. Main Attractions: Taj Mahal, Agra Fort,

Musamman Burj, Meena Bazar, Jahangir

Mahal

What to See?

Top 5 Places to Explore in Agra

#1 Taj Mahal

One of the seven wonders of

the world, the Taj Mahal needs

no introduction. It is the

undisputed symbol of India all

over the world. Located on the

southern bank of Yamuna, Taj

is a white marble mausoleum

built by Shah Jahan in the

memory of his beloved wife

Mumtaz Mahal. Surrounded

by gardens, the Taj Mahal is

an epitome of love. Marked

with beautiful calligraphic

engravings, the walls of the

wonderful facade are a treat to

the eyes.

#2 Agra Fort

The Agra Fort is a UNESCO

World Heritage site. Rebuilt by

Mughal Emperor Akbar, it is

just 2.5 kms away from the Taj

Mahal and is considered the

sister monument of the Taj. The

red sandstone Fort has

witnessed many wars and

acquisitions. It is spread over an

area of 94 acres and has a semi

circular architecture. The Fort

has four gates, amongst which

the Delhi Gate and the Lahore

Gate are the prominent ones.

The fort houses other spots of

historical significance like the

Meena bazar, Muasamman Burj

and Jahangir Mahal.

#3 Muasamman Burj

Musamman Burj was built by Shah

Jahan for his beloved wife Mumtaz

Mahal. It was built between 1631–

1640 and offers exotic views of the

Taj Mahal. The Musamman Burj is

made of delicate marble with

ornamental niches so that the

ladies could move around without

coming out in public gaze. The

walls are decorated in pietra dura

style. With a beautiful carved

fountain in the center, the chamber

has a marble dome on top and is

surrounded by a verandah. It is said

that Shah Jahan spent the last

days of his life here and died while

adoring the Taj Mahal.

#4 Jahangir Mahal

Jahangir Mahal is the most

noteworthy building inside the

Agra Fort. The Mahal was a

palace for women, and was

used mainly by the Rajput

wives of Akbar. It has a blend

of Hindu and Central Asian

architecture. It later became

the residence of empress

Noor Jahan. The complex has

a huge bowl called Hauz-i-

Jahangiri, which is carved out

of a single piece of stone and

was used as a container for

rose water.

#5 Fatehpur Sikri

Located almost 35 kms away from

Agra, Fatehpur Sikri was built by

Akbar. The city is the home of some

of the prominent monuments of

Mughal architecture like Diwan-i-

Khas, Panch Mahal, Tomb of Salim

Chisti and the famous Buland

Darwaza. Fatehpur Sikri served as

the capital of Mughal empire for a

brief period. Fatehpur Sikri sits on

rocky ridge, 3 kms in length and is 1

km wide. The palace city is

surrounded by a 6 km wall on three

side with the fourth being a lake at

the time. The city was constructed

using Indian principles exhibiting the

religious broad mindedness of Akbar.

What Else?

Wanna explore more…

Itimad-ud-Daula

Located on the left bank of the

Yamuna river, the mausoleum

of Itimad-ud-Daula is set in a

large cruciform garden, criss-

crossed by water courses and

walkways. The area of the

mausoleum itself is about 250

sq ft, and is built on a base

that is about 540 sq ft and

about one meter high. It is also

referred to as Baby Taj. Its

garden layout and use of white

marble, inlay designs and

latticework present many

elements of the Taj Mahal.

Mughal Heritage Walk

The Mughal Heritage Walk is a one

kilometre loop which is a part of

community development programme. It

connects the agricultural fields with the

Rajasthani culture, river bank connected

with the ancient village of Kuchhpura,

the Heritage Structure of Mehtab Bagh,

the Mughal aqueduct system, the

Humanyun Mosque and the Gyarah

Sidi.

Mankameshwar TempleThe Mankameshwar Temple

is one of four ancient temples

dedicated to Lord Shiva

located on the four corners of

Agra City. It is located near

the Jama Masjid and is

about 2.5 kilometres from the

Taj Mahal. Being located in

the old city, the temple is

surrounded by markets, many

of which date back to the

Mughal Era. The Shivlinga is

covered with silver metal and

is said to be founded by Lord

Shiva himself.

Tip: Try the special silver

coated paan which you will

get near the temple.

What to Eat?

Mughlai Food

Apart from the architecture, the

Mughals also left a dominant

stamp on the cuisine of Agra.

Marked with creamy, boldly

flavoured curries; lots of ground

and whole spices, dried fruits and

nuts; roasted meats, the

gourmets are up for a treat.

Chaat

Drawing inspiration from Delhi,

Agra is famous for its chaat. The

aloo ki tikki (it’s a fried potato and

chickpea patty that’s smashed

open and topped with grated

ginger and a spicy-sweet brown

sauce) which is also called bhalla

in Agra is an all time favourite.

Bedai and Kachori

It is a standard breakfast

menu of Agra. The bedai

(sometimes spelled berahi)

is a fried, puffy bread, much

like kachori, served with a

bowl of spicy green sabzi

dotted with chunks of potato

and a dollop of curd. A

serving of jalebi completes

the breakfast menu.

Dalmoth

Dalmoth is a traditional

namkeen, or savory dry

snack, in Agra, made from

fried lentils, nuts, spices,

and oil. Crispy, spicy, and a

little greasy, the dalmoth

serves as a perfect snack

with a cold beverage.

Petha

Well after Taj Mahal, the only

thing that can woo your heart in

Agra is the Petha. It comes in

many varieties: plain (white);

kesar (saffron); with nuts; in

colorful shades of pineapple,

coconut, mango; in small balls

or rectangular chunks; served

dry or in some syrup. It can be

very soft, chewy, and a bit

syrupy inside, or harder and

chewy, but it’s always sweet

and usually rather floral in

taste.

Where to Shop?

Sadar Bazar

It is the most popular market in

Agra. Sadar Bazar can offer

anything you wish to take home

from Agra. It is populated with

leather shops, petha outlets,

handicrafts and garments stores,

among other things. Located

west of Khari Baoli, the market

is conveniently located pretty

close to the Agra Cantt Railway

Station. The market opens at

around 11:00 in the morning and

closes at around 11:00 in the

night and is closed on Tuesdays.

Kinari Bazar

Kinari Bazar is a street market of

Agra. Situated amongst the

narrow streets behind Jama

Masjid, Kinari is a colourful

market. Kinari is an amalgamation

of many bazars each specialising

in different wares. You’ll find

clothing, shoes, fabrics, jewellery,

spices, marble work, snack stalls.

Even walking in this bazar is an

experience in itself.

Raja ki Mandi

Raja ki Mandi is famous for its

linen shops. From the latest

fashion to the cliché types, you

can find all sorts of clothes in this

market. The market is situated

around a railway station which

also shares the same name.

Sanjay Place

Sanjay Place is the financial hub

of Agra. Populated with shops,

restaurants and cinema theatres,

Sanjay place is located between

the Paliwal Park & M G Road. So

for a byte of some decent

recreation, Sanjay Place is the

place to go.

Where to Stay?

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