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 The city of Agra has been the destination for the tourists for hundreds of years. It is generally held that Sikander Lodhi, the ruler of Delhi during the Sultanate period founded the city in 1504 AD. However, the city came into limelight during the period of Mughals. Mughal Emperors like Akbar, Jehangir and Shah Jahan built many marvelous monuments in and around the city which attract large number of tourists each year from all around the World. Tajmahal-tours.com provides you extensive information on the Tourism in Agra.
Tourism in Agra has been the result of the large number of historical monuments that the city exhibits. The most famous of which is the magnificent Taj Mahal. It was built by Emperor Shah Jahan to recognize his love for his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Built of pure white marble, Taj Mahal is considered as a dream in Marble. This splendid monument has also been recognized recently as one of the Seven Wonders of the World at Lisbon and is also listed in the UNESCO World Heritage list. Apart from the Taj Mahal, the city of Agra also has other attractions for the tourists, some of which are given below:
Fatehpur Sikri: It was a grand Capital during the period of Mughal Emperor Akbar. It is listed in the UNESCO World heritage list and has monuments like Diwan-i-aam, Diwan-i-Khaas, Jodha Bai’s Palace, Panch Mahal, and Buland Darwaza. The Buland Darwaza was built by Akbar in 1601 AD to commemorate the victory of Gujarat.
Keoladeo National Park: Formerly known as Ghana Bird Sanctuary, it is located in Rajasthan and is about 60 km from Agra. This park has over 375 species of birds, mammals and reptiles and is listed in UNESCO world heritage list.
Sikandra: It is the place where Akbar was buried. The construction of the tomb at Sikandra was started by Akbar himself, but was completed by Jahangir. It is about 4 km from Agra.
Mathura: It is a small town on the banks of River Yamuna and is believed to be the birthplace of Lord Krishna. It is situated at 58 km west of Agra and has been an attraction of Krishna devotees for centuries. Important places at Mathura include the Vishram Ghat, Dwarkadheesh Temple, Archaeological Museum, Govardhan Hill and the Mansarovar.
Agra Fort: This fort was built by Emperor Akbar in 1565 AD. However Shah Jahan replaced most of the structures by marbles. This fort has four gateways and its architectural plan was made in such a way so as to put the defenders in an advantageous position.
Jaipur: Popularly known as the pink city, Jaipur is located about 200 km from Agra and it takes around 5 hours to reach there. The city was founded by the Astronomer King Raja Sawai Jai Singh and was designed by Bengali architect Vidhyadhar Bhattacharya. This city has some important tourist destinations like The City Palace, Jantar Mantar, Amer Fort, Hawa Mahal, and the Nahargarh Fort.
Other important places of tourist interest in and around Agra include Haridwar, Khajuraho, Rishikesh, Vrindavan, and Gwalior.
To cater the need of the tourists, large number of Hotels has come up in and around the city of Agra. The hotels in the city ranges from Five Star Deluxe Hotels to Budget and Economy hotels from which the tourists can choose based on his taste and purse. Almost all of these hotels have travel desk to provide travel related guidance to the guests as well as to arrange sight tours for the guests on request. The intercity transport includes taxi, auto rickshaw, cycle rickshaw and bus. There are also pre-paid taxis and auto rickshaws from the Railway station.
How to reach Agra:
By Air: Agra is well connected by air from cities like Delhi, Khajuraho and Varanasi. Kheria Airport is about 6 km from the city centre and it takes around 30 minutes from Delhi to reach Agra.
By Railways: Agra Cantonment Railway Station is connected with all major cities by rails. There are daily trains that run between Delhi and Agra.
By roads: Agra is easy accessible by road from Delhi. The distance between Delhi and Agra is around 200 km and it takes around 4 hours to reach Agra from Delhi.
If you come to Agra to spend a holiday, it is necessary to have a complete knowledge about important tourist locations in and around Agra. Tajmahal-tours.com is an international travel site and a repository of useful information on Tourism in Agra and on other related information Agra.
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