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in
India, which is visited by thousands of tourists from
all over the world. Today, Agra is one of the Uttar Pradesh's
larger cities. Agra witnessed the rule of several
Mughal rulers like Babur, Shah Jahan and Akbar.
Their passion for building endowed it with some of during
Akbar's period that Agra became the center of art,
culture, commerce and learning. the loveliest buildings
in the world. It was
History of Agra
Agra originally formed part of the Surasena empire with
its capital at Mathura. Agra has two dimensional
history, one of the ancient city located on the banks of
the river Jamuna, where it was known as Agraban. This
city in those days was considered to be the sister of
Mathura which was more prominent than Agraban. According
to an ancient legend, the name of Agra is derived from
Agra vans of the twelve groves of Brijmandala, where
teenager Lord Krishna is said to have sported with his
companions. The other part of the history deals with the
rule of the various rulers like Babur, Shah Jahan, Akbar.
In the olden days, Agra was the capital of the Mughals
and one of the great Mughal cities of South Asia. During
the 16th and 17th century, Agra was the capital of
India. Agra was founded by Raja Badal Singh around 1475
AD. The Afghan king Sikandar Lodhi made this place his
capital in 1501 when the Lodhis ruled North India. The
Lodhi rule ended very soon and Agra passed into the
possession of the Mughals. Later in 1526 AD, the Mughal
Emperor Babar took upon himself the task for rendering
Agra, a unique character and beauty of its own and chose
this city as the base for the Mughals. He chose Agra as
his capital because it had been the capital of the
Afghan king he had defeated in a five hour battle. His
own rule lasted for only four years. Emperor Babar
brought some changes in the culture and lifestyle of the
people of Agra, which then brought forward some of the
finest craftsmen, artists, statesmen, warriors and
nobility. He also built the world's first Mughal Garden
in Agra. It was during the time of Akbar that Agra came
into its own. Akbar constructed the massive Agra Fort in
1565. Akbar also built his new capital at Fatehpur Sikri.
After that Akbar's grandson Shah Jahan ruled Agra.
During his rule he built the world famous monument, the
Taj Mahal. He built this monument between 1631-52 as a
tomb and memorial to his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. In
later years of Shah Jahan's rule, the capital was
transferred again to Delhi. However, after dethroned in
1658 by his son, Aurangzeb, Agra rose once again as the
capital. After the death of Aurangzeb, the Mughal Empire
faced its way down. The post Mughal era of Agra saw the
rule of the Jats, Marathas, and finally the British.
Industries in Agra
The industries that have developed are essentially
handicraft trades as no heavy industry is allowed.
Various families are involved in activities associated
with the manufacture of carpets, pietra dura work in
marble and soapstone, clothing and leather.
Tourist Attractions in Agra
The main tourist attraction in Agra is Taj Mahal. This
great monument of love was built by Shah Jahan as a
memorial to his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal in the year
1631-52. It is one of the Seven Wonders of the world and
has fascinated visitors from all over the world. This
marvelous memorial became the masterpiece of Mughal
architecture among various others. Some of the other
famous monuments in Agra that epitomize the high point
of Mughal architecture are the Mughal Garden, Agra Fort,
Jami Masjid, Chini-Ka-Rauza and Itmad-Ud-Daulah's Tomb.
More....
Shopping in Agra
Agra is known for its superb inlay work on marble and
soapstone done by the craftsmen who worked under the
Mughals. Agra is also famous for the carpets, gold
thread embroidery, leather shoes and handicrafts.
How to reach Agra
By Rail:
Various important trains daily run between Agra and
other major cities.
By Road:
Agra is well connected by road to the various parts of
Rajasthan and North India. Regular bus service operates
between Agra and major cities like Delhi, Jaipur and the
other cities. Agra is about 200 kms from Delhi, 230 kms
from Jaipur and about 119 kms from Gwalior. |
