Agra: The city of seventh wonder of the world

Agra, the previous capital of Hindustan, is a city on the banks of the river Yamuna in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is one of the most popular city of Uttar Pradesh and 19th City of India. Agra can also refer to the administrative district that has its headquarters in Agra city. rnThere is a great architectural heritage in India and Agra, or Agraban, as it was called in the Mahabharata times, a charmed city can boast of the most splendid monuments in the world, including three world heritage monuments. Millions of tourists visit Agra from all across the world every year to see the beauty of majestic Taj Mahal and other historical monument lying every where in the city. rnAgra is a part of Brijbhoomi the land associated with the birth and legendry activities of lord Krishna. In Agra City there are five Shiva temples which are the symbols of ancient culture. rnAgra has the Seventh wonder of the world the great Taj Mahal. This is a mausoleum of the King Shah Jahan’s beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. The construction of Taj Mahal was begun in 1630 and took 23 years to complete in the year 1653. Made up of white marble, Taj Mahal Agra changes its shades through out the day with the sun light. Taj Mahal in Agra is a symbol of a man’s ever lasting love for his wife. Now after three centuries since its construction, Taj Mahal has been seen by millions of people from all across the globe and it is still the most attractive monument in the world. rnApart from Taj Mahal, Agra has two other world heritage sites one of them is Red Fort and other is Fatehpur Sikri. The Red Fort Agra is also located on the other side of the river Yamuna and the top of the Fort presents a beautiful view of Taj Mahal. The Red Fort was constructed by the great Mughal King Akbar between 1565 and 1574 but most of the beautification work was done by his son Shah Jahan. Today a major part of the Fort is occupied by the armed forces and is closed for public. Etmad-Ud-Daulah and Sikandra are other two important sites to be visited in Agra. rnThe culture of Agra can be seen at its best in Agra’s festivals. If you are visiting Agra in the month of February then you must see the grand festival of Taj Mahotsav. This ten day long festival is being organized by Tourism Department every year at Shilpgram near to Taj Mahal. You will see the real culture of Agra in this festival along with exhibitions of art and craft. After the sight seeing, you should also visit major markets in Agra. There are many things available in big markets of tourist interests like marble replica to Taj Mahal. Agra in India has a big handicraft industry and you will find wide variety of handicrafts, carpets and leather items made by traditional craftsmen. Agra does have a well known leather industry in the world and supplies leather goods to the entire world. rnIf you are visiting Agra India for the first time then tourist offices and authorized travel agencies are good place to gather some basic information about the city to make your Agra Travel comfortable. There are many un-authorized Agra Travel Guide and touts in Agra especially in Taj Mahal area who will try to misguide you. Even auto rickshaw driver are also involved in this and they will try to take you to some specific shops. Hindi is the language of the mass in Agra but Urdu and English are also common. Majority of people in Agra are Hindu but Muslim, Christians and Jains are other minorities. rnThe general mode of city transport in Agra is by Auto Rickshaw and Cycle Rickshaw which are available very frequently from most of the places in the city. However recently UP Roadways has started city bus service in Agra that covers many public areas. Taxis are also widely available in the city but most of them can be hired from the railway stations and bust stands. The surrounding area of Taj Mahal is motor vehicle free to reduce the pollution so after parking your vehicle in parking area either you can walk to Taj Mahal or take a rickshaw. If we talk about stay in Hotel. There are number of hotels available. We can categorize those in Budget Hotels, Cheap Hotels, Luxury Hotels, 3 Star and 5 Star Properties. All these budget hotels in Agra or Cheap hotels in Agra offers well equipped rooms and every modern amenity which a guest can expects.