Namaste Fellow Travellers!
You are all ready to visit the phenomenal monument the Taj Mahal in Agra.
However, wondering if there are any other place to see besides the Taj Mahal?
No worries we have got you covered.
Today you are going to learn the top 10 places to visit in Agra, that should be in your list.
In the end I will also share one valuable tip that would come in handy on your Agra One Day Tour.
So without any further ado, let’s dive right in.
1. Taj Mahal
That’s “The Attraction when in Agra”, a must visit when in Agra. This is the place people go to Agra for. Taj Mahal needs no introduction, it is a world famous monument .
Taj Mahal was built by mughal emperor Shahjahan in memory of his beloved wife “Mumtaz Mahal”.
Taj Mahal is visited by more than 8 million tourists every year. Things to see in Taj Mahal includes the Mausoleum, Mosque, Guest House, Darwaza-i-rauza, a beautiful garden also knowns as the Char-Bagh. If you want to know about Taj mahal in an in depth manner, you should read this.
2. Agra Fort
The Agra Fort also known as Red fort. A must visit for any one who has never seen a fort built in mughal architecture style. In fact, we suggest to see the Agra fort before the Taj Mahal.
Why?
Agra Fort gives you a clear view to the Taj Mahal, it kind of gives you an overview of the Taj Mahal and what next to follow after visiting Agra Fort. Agra Fort was built by the great mughal emperor Akbar. Today, some part of the Agra Fort is used by the Indian Army. Things to see in Agra Fort includes: Amar Singh Gate, Jahangari Mahal, Khas Mahal, Anguri Bagh, Shish Mahal, Mussamun Burj, Diwan-e-Khas, Macchi Bhawan, Diwan-e-Aam, Nagina Masjid. If you are looking for an in depth info do visit this site
3. Itmad-ud-Daula
Did you know there is a mini-Taj Mahal in Agra too?
Itmad-ud-Daula is also known as the “Baby Taj of India” or the Mini Taj Mahal. It’s a kind of draft of the Taj Mahal. The look is extremely similar to the Taj Mahal.
It was built five years before the construction of the Taj Mahal by Noor Jahan for her father Mirza Ghiyas Beg. Itmad-ud-Daula is a mausoleum and literally means “protector of the treasure”. Things to look for are the intricate inlay work on the white marble in the exterior and the interior of the monument, the beautiful garden made in Charbagh style. To know more about it, read this.
4. Tomb of Akbar the Great
Tomb of Akbar is also known as the Sikandra Tomb. It’s a mausoleum built in the memory of one of the greatest and just emperor’s of India Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar.
In India there is know one who does not know about the noble king Akbar, at least we have all read about in our history books. He was the third mughal emperor who reigned from 1556 to 1605.
The Sikandara Tomb is located 10 kilometers from the Agra Fort.
Did you know — Akbar himself started the construction of his own tomb! But he died before the construction was completed. Later his son the muhal emperor Jahangir completed the construction. Things to look for while there includes the beautiful mughal architecture style, the intricate inlay work on marble, beautiful brass lamp, the internal symmetrical corridors, you will even get to see wild birds and animals like Antelopes, Peacock.
5. Mehtab Bagh
Mehtab bagh is located very close to the Taj Mahal, located on the opposite side of the Yamuna river flowing along side the Taj Mahal. Mehtab literally means moonlight. The Mehtab bag is based on Charbagh style, it’s a typical garden style used by mughals.
The garden was originally built by the first mughal emperor Babur long before the construction of the Taj Mahal. Later on the 6th Mughal emperor Shahjahan discovered that Mehtab bagh built by his great great fore father is the best place to witness the beauty of the Taj Mahal, especially when moonlight shines on Taj Mahal.
What you would see of Mehtab bagh today is the restored form of it, actually it was all buried by huge mounds of sand and mud. It’s only in the 90s it was completely restored in the present form. A must visit when in Agra.
6. Jama Mosque
You have all heard about the Jama Masjid or Jami Masjid or Friday Mosque in Delhi. The largest mosque in India, built by Shahjahan.
Did you know by the same name there is another Mosque in Agra! It is also one of the largest mosques in India, built again by the same Mughal emperor Shahjahan in 1648. The mosque was dedicated by him to his daughter Jahanara Begum, she was the eldest daughter of Shahjahan and Mumtaz Mahal.
At the age of 17 years she became the first lady of the Mughal empire, and was the favourite daughter of Shahjahan.
Jama Masjid is located opposite to the Agra Fort. One must visit the mosque for its shear architectural beauty.
6. Chini Ka Rauza
Chini ka Rauza is a significant monument in Agra. It is the funeral monument of the prime minister of the Mughal emperor Shahjahan. His name was Allama Afzal Khan Mullah, who was a multi-faceted personality a democrat by profession and a scholar and famous poet of his era.
The monument has glazed tile ornamentation that is supposed to be imported from China and that’s how it got its name — Chini (China) ka Rauza (Garden).
The monument is special because it is the only monument in India that has impressions of bboth Afghan and Mughal architecture style. A must visit if you have the time when in Agra. To know more read this.
7. Moti Masjid
Moti Masjid in Agra has a stark resemblance to St. Basils Cathedral in Moscow. It is a mosque located inside the Agra Fort in Diwan -i-Am complex, so you can not miss it if you are visiting Agra Fort. It was built by the Mughal emperor Shahjahan, it was built as a place of worship for the mughal royal family.
Why you should visit it ?
Well it is a one of a kind Mosque, as the name suggests Moti means pearl and Masjid means mosque, it attracts lots of tourists because of its white marble construction and inlay work.
8. Musamman Burj
The place has a very strong historical significance and make it a must visit in Agra.
The Musamman Burj is located inside the Agra Fort located very close to Diwan-i-Khas.
It is a tower built by Mughal emperor Shahjahan as a testimonial of his love for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. Eventually, this is the very tower where Shahjahan was imprisoned by his own son Aurangzeb where he spent his last 8 years of his life
Why you should visit it ?
For the historical importance and the view of Taj Mahal from the burj which is simply spectacular.
Know more here
9. Gurudwara Guru Ka Taal
The Gurudwara Guru ka Taal ( taal meaning reservoir or lake ). This is a famous Gurudwara draws lots of visitors irrespective of their religion. The Gurudwara is a historical sikh pilgrimage, built in tribute to the 9th Guru Shri Guru Tegh Bahadur ji, located near Sikandra. The place has a lots of historical importance, as this was the very place where he voluntarily offered to be arrested by Aurangzeb, as he refused to accept Islam. Later he was beheaded in Delhi with his disciples.
People remember him for giving up his life for freedom of Sikh religion. Do visit the place and enjoy the langar ( free meal is offered to visitors regardless of cast, creed or religion).
10. Fatehpur Sikri
A popular tourist attraction located 40 kilometers west of Agra and is one of the Halt points for tourists going from Agra to Jaipur via National Highway 21.
Fatehpur meaning “ City of Victory”.
Things to see when in Fatehpur Sikri includes :
The Buland Darwaza — a gigantic gate or the imperial gate, the gate of victory it was built by Mughal emperor Akbar to celebrate his victory of the Gujarat state. Did you know it is the highest gateway in the world.
Tomb of Salim Chishti — Salim Chishti was a sufi saint, Mughal emperor Akbar came to Sikri to meet the saint and asked him to pray for a male heir to the throne. Chishti blessed Akbar with a son who was the Mughal emperor Jahangir who was the father of the 6th mughal emperor Shahjahan who built the Taj Mahal
Jama Masjid, Panch Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri Fort, Birbal’s house, Diwan-i-Khas and lots more to see at Fatehpur Sikri. S
Did you know — the place was abandoned by Mughal only after 15 years of stay
It was the capital of the mughal empire Akbar until 1585.
Some Valuable Tips:
As promised, Here’s the Tip:
You may be wondering how many places can I visit in one day, as there are so many places to see.
Here’s the thing. Most of the tourists domestic or international visit Agra for one day, that is they normally depart in the morning and return to Delhi by night. Delhi is very well connected by both National Highway and railways.
For the majority of tourists, Agra is all about the Taj Mahal. Unfortunately, Agra at present lacks planned infrastructure, insufficient hotels catering to the needs of tourists, and shortage of recreational activities (source)
Thus, most of the tourists prefer one day for Taj Mahal tour.
And if you are looking for a reliable Agra One Day Tour — Agra One is your answer!
Why you should choose ?
● AgraOne is a premium name when it comes to Delhi to Agra Bus Tour.
● The tour has been reviewed as one of the top rated group tours from Delhi, rated 4.5 star in Tripadvisor and Google.
● Offers luxurious Volvo coach service from Delhi.
● It covers the Taj Mahal, Agra fort, Mathura as well as Vrindavan.
● They also provide Guide onboard bus for tourist facilitation and handholding.
● The best part, a local guide escorts you and let you know the story about the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort in more in-depth way. That makes the whole journey very satisfying.
Source: agraone.com
Author: Surojit Ghosh
I simply like to bring to you the very best of North Indian Holidays to you. Let’s Travel!
