History of Agra

It was Badal Singh who had founded Agra in 1475 while Sikandar Lodhi made it his capital city. It was because Babur had defeated the Lodhis that the association of Mughals and Agra had started. Their love for architecture had created beautiful monuments like Taj Mahal, Sikandra and Fatehpur Sikri. You can still see skilled craftsmen and taste authentic Mughlai cuisine in the narrow lanes of the city today.

Location and climate

Agra is found on the southwest corner of the state of Uttar Pradesh. Its borders touch Rajastan, the district of Firozabad, Mathura and Etah. The best times to visit Agra are between the Spring to Autumn seasons, i.e. from March to October.

This is because like most of the Northern Indian cities, the weather and climate here is very tropical. The summers here are extremely hot with temperatures reaching 45 degrees while winters are very cold and foggy. The monsoon season here has heavy rains with hot and humid weather.

How to Reach Agra

Agra is most easily reached from Delhi and Jaipur. Agra has its domestic airport, which is located about 5 km from the city and which doubles as its military airport too. There is a well connected railway network here from major cities of the country. You also find government and private buses, with deluxe coaches connecting Agra with the important destinations in and outside Uttar Pradesh.

The Fairs and Festivals in Agra

With Agra comprising of many rural areas, it is greatly influenced by the sentimental and religious attractions of Mathura and Vrindavan. The fairs and festivals conducted here are mainly temple festivals, religious festivals and cattle and village fairs based on Krishna’s life.

Taj Mahotsav: This is the most famous festival of Agra that is organized for ten days in February. It is usually held in Shilpigram, as this village is near Taj. A visit here gives you a display of the varied arts, crafts and culture of India, with classical dances and songs. Children get to ride on camels and elephants while you get to taste traditional delicacies of India here.

Bateshwar Fair: The Bateshwar fair is organized annually in Bateshwar in the month of October or November. This village is located about 70 km from Agra, and is named after its presiding deity, Bateshwar Mahadeo.

The village is a spiritual and cultural center where you find 108 temples of different gods and goddesses of Hinduism, and is held in honor of Lord Shiva and spans for a month. Devotees flock here to take dips in the River Yamuna and to participate in the nearby Livestock and Cattle Fair.

Ram Barat: This festival marks the special marriage procession of Sri Ram, which is held every year in Agra before Dussehra. It is a part of the Ramlila, which depicts the life of Ram, to culminate with the killing of Ravana on Dussehra. The specialty of the festival is the many jhankis of deities and the ‘janakpuri’ the set palace of Raja Janak, the father of Sita.

Thousands of people attend the fair where the procession starts from Lala Channomalji Ki Baradari to the Janakpuri venue. The special chariot for Ram is covered with silver leaves while his brothers mount elephants. The female characters of the drama are all enacted by teenage boys.

Kailash Fair: The Kailash fair is celebrated in Kailash temple in honor of Lord Shiva, to commemorate the appearance of Lord Shiva as a stone lingam here during the monsoon months of August and September. Devotees from nearby areas flock to visit this fair.

The tourist attractions of Agra

The tourist attractions of Agra range from the famous structures like Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri and Agra Fort to the less famous tombs like Chini ka Rauza and Sikandra. Though the Ram Bagh and Swami Bagh temple of Daval Bagh is not famous, in Agra, it has a special impression in the natives of the city.

The Taj Mahal: is the seventh wonder of the world which attracts thousands of tourists every year. It is an epitome of love and a wonderful and extravagant monument of India. This monument was constructed as a tribute to the endless love and devotion of Emperor Shah Jehan to his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. A visit here is a rare experience where the Taj Mahal is a signature monument of Indian architecture that was designed as a palace, and finished as a jewel.

Ram Bagh: This was the first Mughal gardens that were laid by Babur in 1559, in Persian style. They were first known as Bagh-i-Gul Afshan but were later renovated by Jehangir to be named Bagh-i-Nur Afshan. However as these gardens were neglected for centuries, the gardens have now become wilderness, and are now called Ram Bagh.

The Ram Bagh was the first three-terraced garden of India with river drawn water that looks like a spring. It descends artificially from one terrace to another through canals, tanks and chutes with stairs on both sides which end in a red sandstone pond.

Chhatris platforms, pathways and a wonderful array of plants beautify the gardens. Two beautiful suites were also built by Jehangir on the sides of the main terrace while a Mahtab or island platform is found in the center, and is connected to the main water system.

Dayal Bagh Temple: The Swami Bagh temple is located at Dayal Bagh, 10 km from Agra and though its construction was started in 1904, it still hasn’t been completed after 100 years. It was Radha Swami who had founded the unique religion where all religions are under one umbrella, while preaching unity of mankind.

The aim of this temple was to build a temple for Hindus, a church for Christians, a mosque for Muslims and a gurudwara for Sikhs where each is found on a separate floor. It was constructed to depict brotherhood and unity in mankind; however locals feel that perfect harmony between religions is difficult. This is why the building will never get completed, and if it does, it will be damaged anytime.

Shopping in Agra

There is lots of shopping to do in Agra like the souvenirs and keepsakes of the city where mini Taj replicas are the fastest selling souvenirs here as they are thought to bring good luck for lovers.

Leather products are famous in Agra in the form of high class bags, purses, leather sandals and other decorative items. You find numerous emporiums here offering sandalwood and rose wood items, decorative brass pieces and stone carved images worth taking home. You also find exquisite Zari embroidery work here while the Petha (sweet) and Dalmoth (salty) are the most famous delicacies of Agra.