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Agra
is not synonymous with just the
Taj Mahal. The earliest
reference to the city is found
in the Hindu epic, Mahabharata,
which refers to it as Agrabana –
the city of paradise.
However, the town remained
insignificant until Sikandar
Lodi of the Delhi Sultanate made
it his seat of power in 1505.
It was here that Babur defeated
the Rajput king Rana Sangha in
the Battle of Khanua in 1527, to
sow the seed of the Mughal
Empire, which blossomed over the
next 200 years. In the 16th and
17th centuries, the sumptuous
courts of Akbar, Jahangir and
Shah Jahan transformed Agra into
a sophisticated, luxurious,
man-made paradise.
When the fortunes of the Mughals
dwindledin the 18th century, the
pre-eminence of Agra too
declined. |
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Main Attractions in Delhi |
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Tajmahal |
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Taj Mahal of India -
"the epitome of love",
"a monument of
immeasurable beauty".
The beauty of this
magnificent monument is
such that it is beyond
the scope of words. The
thoughts that come into
the mind while watching
the Taj Mahal of Agra is
not just its phenomenal
beauty, but the immense
love which was the
reason behind its
construction. Mughal
Emperor Shah Jahan got
this monument
constructed in the
memory of his beloved
wife Mumtaz Mahal, with
whom he fell in love at
the first sight. The
very first sight of the
Taj Mahal, the epitome
of love and romance
leaves one mesmerized.
Standing majestically on
the banks of River
Yamuna, the Taj Mahal is
synonymous with love and
romance. It is believed
that the name "Taj Mahal"
was derived from the
name of Shah Jahan wife
Mumtaz Mahal and means
"Crown Palace".
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Agra Fort |
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The Taj is just the
appetiser in the
architectural
smorgasbord that Agra
has to offer. On the
bend of the River Yamuna,
lies the crimson-coloured
Agra Fort, in the heart
of the city.
Approachable by two
imposing portals to its
west and south, the
citadel was built by the
Mughal Emperor Akbar
between the years 1565
and 1573.
Encircled by a moat, the
red sandstone monument
was the residence of
three emperors – Akbar,
Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb,
each of whom made
significant structural
contributions to the
complex. |
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Jama Masjid |
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The Taj is just the
appetiser in the
architectural
smorgasbord that Agra
has to offer. On the
bend of the River Yamuna,
lies the crimson-coloured
Agra Fort, in the heart
of the city.
Approachable by two
imposing portals to its
west and south, the
citadel was built by the
Mughal Emperor Akbar
between the years 1565
and 1573.
Encircled by a moat, the
red sandstone monument
was the residence of
three emperors – Akbar,
Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb,
each of whom made
significant structural
contributions to the
complex. |
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A Stay To Remember |
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There are number of hotels in
Agra which provide comfortable
stay to its visitors. The hotel
category may vary from deluxe to
budget. All the hotels are
present with requisite
facilities. |
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