Agra

Pop: 1.2 million Area Code: 0562

The main reason for coming here is to see the Taj Mahal. The other main tourist sites are the Agra Fort and 40km away, the deserted city of Fatehpur Sikri. There are also a few other impressive monuments in the area. Agra is located on the west bank of the Yamuna, 200km southeast of Delhi.

It is convenient to make a day trip to Agra from Delhi by train. A few express trains leave Delhi in the morning and return in the evening.

During the Taj Mahotsav Festival in February there are live music and dance performances at the Shilpgram craft village.

History
Sikander Lodi, the Sultan of Delhi, moved his capital here in 1504. Babur, the founder of the Mughal Dynasty, defeated the then Sultan of India, Ibrahim, at Panipat (80km north of Delhi) in 1526. He then sent his son Humayun to Agra to capture the city. In the 16th and 17th century, Agra was the capital of the Mughal Empire, which spread over most of Northern India. The great Mughal emperor, Akbar, constructed the Agra Fort during his reign, and his grandson, Shah Jahan, built the Taj Mahal. In 1638, Shah Jahan built a new city in Delhi, and the capital was moved there 10 years later by Aurangzeb. In 1761 the Jats took control of Agra, and later the Marathas took the city in 1770. Finally the British took control in 1803.

WARNING! Agra is one of the worst cities in all of India for touts (commission agents) and rip-offs. It is best to be prepared for this from the minute you get off the train or plane. If you want to go to a hotel that does not give commissions, it can be difficult to get a rickshaw driver to take you there. Some women told me that a few auto-rickshaw drivers absolutely refused to bring them to the Tourist Rest House (they don’t give commission), but brought them to a few other places with similar names. Be careful of auto-rickshaw drivers willing to bring you some where for Rs 5. If you agree, expect to be taken to a shop (or shops) and possibly they may bring you to where you want to go. I have seen this happen.

Getting Your Bearings
The Yamuna River flows through the eastern section of Agra. The Taj Mahal is on the bank of the Yamuna in the east-central part of Agra. Just south of the Taj is an area called Taj Ganj, where most of the budget hotels are located. A couple km south of this area is where many of the high-end hotels are located. One and a half km northwest of the Taj on the bank of the Yamuna is the Agra Fort. Northwest of the fort is the old section of the city. Located here is the Agra Fort railway station.

A km southwest of the Taj Mahal is the British cantonment area, where the streets are fairly wide and there are several hotels. Sadar Bazaar is located near here. West of this area is where the main railway station, Agra Cantonment, and the main bus station, Idgah, are located. The airport is 7km west of Agra.

Tourist Offices and Tours
The Government of India Tourist Office (363-959; fax 363-377), 191 The Mall, is open from 9 am to 5.30 pm weekdays, 9 am to 1 pm Saturdays, and is closed on Sundays. It has a map of Agra and a brochure on Fatehpur Sikri. They can help arrange a guide.

The Uttar Pradesh Government Tourist Office (360-517) is at 64 Taj Rd, near the Clarks Shiraz Hotel. There is also a tourist counter at the Agra Cantonment railway station.

The Rajasthan (360-017) and Haryana tourist offices are at the Taj Mahal Shopping Plaza.
You can book the Agra organized tour at the tourist office at The Mall or at the tourist counter on platform 1 in the Cantonment railway station.

You can also book the tour on either the Taj Express, which arrives at 9.45 am, or the Shatabdi Express, which arrives at 8.30 am. The tour lasts all day and goes to the Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri, and the Agra Fort. The tour begins at 9.30 am at the Government of India Tourist Office and then goes to Agra Cantonment railway station to pick up the passengers who just arrived on the Taj Express at 9.45 am. The tour ends at 6 pm, in time to catch the Taj Express as it returns to Delhi at 6.45 pm. The tour costs Rs 125.

You can hire a taxi for Rs 400 to Rs 600 for a day to take you around to the sites. The taxi drivers in Agra often speak English well and know the tourist sites. Of course they also know the best places to shop.

Information
The post office is opposite the Government of India Tourist Office on The Mall. You can have a letter sent to you at the Government of India Tourist Office and they will hold it for you. Postal Code: 282001

The Archaeological Survey of India (363-506), is at 22 The Mall.

The Foreigners’ Registration Office (367-563) is at 16 Idgah Colony.

Agra Color Lab, Sadar Bazaar, does one-hour film processing.

Global Enterprises (330-932), Chowk Thana, Taj Ganj, charges a low fee for call-back phone calls.
Note You can get a City Guest Pass for Rs 100 at the Taj Mahal ticket office, with which you can enter the Taj Mahal once (at any time), Agra Fort, Itimad-ud-Daulah, and Akbar’s tomb at Sikandra.

Money
You can change money at the State Bank of India, south of Taj Ganj; the Andhra Bank, Sadar Bazaar; and the Allahabad Bank in the Clarks Shiraz. The Central Bank of India, southeast part of Taj Ganj, gives small cash advances (around $100) on Visa and MasterCard. LKP Merchant Financing (330-480), Fatehabad Rd, changes travelers checks and also sells them (daily 9.30 to 8 pm).

Swimming
Some hotels that allow non-guests to swim in their pools are: Agra Ashok Hotel (Rs 200), Hotel Amar (Rs 100), Lauries Hotel (Rs 100), and the Clarks Shiraz Hotel (Rs 300). The pool at the Agra Ashok is nice.

Medical Treatment
The Jaggi Nursing Home (360-315), south of Taj Ganj, is said to be a good place for medical treatment.

There is a well-known homeopathic doctor named Dr RS Pareek (52786, 54422), 4/10 Bagh Farzana, Civil Lines, Agra, who has been recommended to me. He is supposed to be especially effective in treating skin disorders.

Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal is famous for being one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. This beautiful marble tomb was built between 1631 and 1653. Inside are the tombs of Shah Jahan and his wife, Arjumand Bann Begum. Arjumand Bann Begum was also known as “Mumtaz Mahal” (Elect of the Palace). Shah Jahan built the Taj in memory of his beloved wife. It took over 20,000 people 22 years to build. Experts were brought from all over the world, including Italy and France. The Taj Mahal is well worth a few visits, as it changes depending on the time of day. At dawn it is particularly impressive.

The Taj is made mainly of white marble from Makrana, Rajasthan. There are many semiprecious stones embedded in the walls taken from all over the world, including Russia, China and Yemen. The ceiling of the inner tomb is 25m (80 ft) high. The Taj Mahal is flanked by four minarets that are 39m (130 ft) high. They are built leaning outwards so they will not damage the tomb if they collapse. The main gateway has 22 domes on it, supposedly to represent the amount of years it took to build. The inlay work is so fine that no joints can be seen, even by looking through a magnifying glass.

Shah Jahan became the Emperor in 1628. Three years after becoming Emperor Shah Jahan’s favorite wife, Arjumand Bann Begum died while giving birth to their 14th child. Because of his great love for her and his grief, he built the Taj for her. Work began on the Taj in 1631, one year after Arjumand Bann Begum’s death. In 1658 Shah Jahan’s son, Aurangzeb, took over the throne from his father, killing his three brothers in the process. He imprisoned Shah Jahan in the Agra Fort, where he had a good view of the Taj Mahal. After his death in 1666, his body was placed next to his wife’s in the Taj Mahal.

You enter the Taj through the south, east or west gate. You then walk through Chowk-i-Jilo-Khana. The original main red Sandstone Gateway is 30m high, and it previously had a huge silver door, which was carried away in the middle of the 18th century. It is now used as the exit. You enter through a small doorway to the right of this entrance, after a security check. There is a cloakroom nearby to deposit bags. Cameras can be brought in.

Along the paths leading to the Taj Mahal are long waterways, from which the Taj is reflected. There are fairly well-maintained formal gardens.
After you come through the entrance you will be about 200m from the Taj. On its right and left are two red sandstone buildings. The one on the west (left) side is a mosque and the one on the right was built to add symmetry to both sides of the Taj Mahal. The Taj is on a gigantic square white marble base about 7m (22 ft) high.

Floral patterns were created by inlaying precious stones into the white marble. Arabic script decorates the Taj’s arches. From where you are standing all the letters appear to be exactly the same. The letters actually have different heights and width depending on how far they are from the ground, which gives this effect.

When you come up the stairs, in front of you are the cenotaphs of Shah Jahan and Arjumand Bann Begum. There is much detailed inlaid work on the cenotaphs. Arjumand Bann Begum’s cenotaph is inlaid with 99 names of Allah. The echo in the chamber is excellent. The real tombs of Shah Jahan and Arjumand Bann Begum are underground below the cenotaphs. Before entering the Taj you have to either take off your shoes or rent a cloth shoe-cover from the shoe deposit counter.

There is a small museum to the west of the Taj, which contains paintings of Shah Jahan and Arjumand Bann Begum. It has the original architectural drawings of the Taj Mahal and plates which change color if the food put on them contains poison. Open daily except Mon and Fri 10 am to 5 pm; admission free.

You can get a good view of the Taj from the Agra Fort. The Taj looks the most beautiful at dawn and dusk. It is not open at night, even for the full moon. It is open from 6 am to 7 pm. Admission is Rs 960 (US$20) for foreigner, and free on Fridays. The Rs 960 also includes entrance into the Agra Fort. It is closed on Mondays. You can enter from the east, south, and west sides, but tickets are only sold at the eastern and western gates. During the early morning, only the western ticket office is open. There is a sign that says you cannot take a photograph within 100m of the Taj, but there is no one there to enforce it, so people just do it anyway.

Agra Fort
This is one of the most impressive forts in India and is a site worth seeing. This fort, built on the banks of the Yamuna River, was begun in 1565 by Emperor Akbar.

Later it was expanded by Aurangzeb and he made the fort’s huge red sandstone walls 2.5km long. Aurangzeb overthrew his father, Shah Jahan, who built the Taj Mahal, and imprisoned him here in the Red Fort. He did give his father a room with a view of the Taj Mahal. The massive walls are over 20m high and they are surrounded by a moat.
You enter through Amar Singh Gate in the south.

The gate is said to be named after a Rajput Maharaja who killed the royal treasurer in front of Emperor Shah Jahan and then jumped over the wall here, while attempting to escape in 1644.

After entering the gateways you walk straight for about 300m and you come to the sandstone Diwan-i-Am (Hall of Public Audience), which is a three-sided structure where the Emperor would meet the public. It was built by Shah Jahan in 1628. It used to be decorated with opulent carpets and huge hanging curtains. The Emperor would sit on his throne on the platform on the east side of the hall. The Chief Minister would sit on the low marble platform in front of the throne.
In front of the Diwan-i-Am is a large courtyard. In the center of the courtyard is the tomb of John Russel Colvin, the Lieutenant-Governor of the North-Western Provinces, who was killed during the Uprising in 1857.

Behind the Diwan-i-Am, near the river, is where the Emperor and his family lived. Just in back of the Diwan-i-Am is the Macchi Bhavan (Fish Palace). Much of the mosaic work has been taken away. In the northwest corner is the marble Nagina Masjid (Gem Mosque), which is a mosque built by Shah Jahan for the women in his zenana (harem). Next to the mosque is the Zenana Mina Bazaar, which has peacock arches and lattice screens. It was used by the ladies for shopping. Chitor Gate was taken from the fort in Chitor by Akbar in 1568. It leads to the Raja Ratan Mandir, built in 1768 by the Jats, after they took control of the fort.

South of here, near the eastern wall of the fort, is the impressive Diwan-i-Khas (Hall of Private Audience), which was completed in 1637 by Shah Jahan. The Emperor would conduct his private business here and meet important people. The famous Peacock Throne used to be here, before Aurangzeb had it taken to Delhi. From the terrace you can get a good view of the Taj Mahal and Yamuna.

Southwest of the Diwan-i-Khas is the Mina Masjid, which is where the emperor would worship. South of the terrace is the two-storey Musamman Burj (Octagonal Tower), which has detailed inlaid work. It is said to have been where Shah Jahan lived his last days. South of the tower is the Sheesh Mahal (Palace of Mirrors), which is a bath that the women would use. Its walls are inlaid with thousands of small beautiful mirrors. Southwest of the Sheesh Mahal is the 80 square metre Anguri Bagh (Grape Vine Garden), which is a small formal Mughal garden. South of the garden is the Khas Mahal (Private Palace), which is said to be where the Emperor slept. Next to it are the Golden Pavilions, which is believed to have been the women’s bedrooms.

The large sandstone palace, Jahangir Mahal, is said to have been built by Akbar for his son. In front of this palace is the Hauz-i-Jehangri, a huge bowl made of a single rock.

A guide could be helpful, because there is much to see in the fort. The Agra Fort is 1.5km northwest of the Taj Mahal, on the bank of the Yamuna River. The Fort is open daily 6 am to 5 pm; admission Rs 15 except Friday when it is free.

Jama Masjid
Jama Masjid is the largest mosque in Agra and is still used for worship. It is made of sandstone and was built in 1648 by Shah Jahan. It has impressive ornamental marble work on its dome.

The mosque’s complex was damaged during the Uprising of 1857. The front gate, which was considered strategically important to the Red Fort, was blown up. Some of the front buildings of the mosque were also destroyed. The British even wired explosives to the mosque and threatened to blow it up if the Uprising did not end.

It is not as impressive as the mosque in Delhi, because it is smaller and in need of repair. It is a little northeast of the Agra Fort and about 200m west of Agra Fort railway station.

Kinari Bazaar is near the Jama Masjid, and there are several interesting old markets in this area.

East Side of the Yamuna

Itimad-ud-Daulah
This impressive, beautiful, small tomb was built for Ghiyag Beg, who was Emperor Jahangir’s chief minister. He was a Persian diplomat who was known as Itimad-ud-Daulah (Pillar of the Government) because of his distinguished service. The tomb was built by his daughter Nur Jahan, who was married to Jahangir in 1611. Ghiyas Beg designed the garden. The tomb was built between 1622 and 1628, and is made of white marble with semiprecious stones inlaid into the walls (pietra dura inlay). Several of Nur Jahan’s relatives were also buried here. It is worth seeing.

It is located 4km from the Taj Mahal on the other side of the river. Open daily 6 am to 5 pm; admission Rs 15 except on Friday it is free.

Chini-ka-Rauza and Ram Bagh
Chini-ka-Rauza is the tomb of Afzal Khan, who was a high minister under Shah Jahan. The tomb is in need of repair, only a few of the glazed tiles that covered it are left, and these are badly damaged. It is one km north of Itimad-ud-Daulah.

Ram Bagh is a garden, which is said to have been built by Babur in 1528. It is not well-kept and is covered with weeds. It is on the bank of the Yamuna, 1½ km north of Itimad-ud-Daulah.

Dayal Bagh Temple
Construction on the white marble Dayal Bagh Temple has been going on since 1904 and it is not scheduled to be completed for years. It is being built by followers of the Radha Soami. The marble work is extremely detailed. It is two km north of Agra.

Shopping Warning
Agra is one of the worst cities for touts, rickshaw drivers, and guides, who want to show you the best possible shops. Usually you will pay more for your purchases, and a percentage is given to the person who brings you there. Be careful of young guys innocently approaching you to find out more about your country. It is not a good idea to give your credit card number to anyone or to accept an offer to export goods for someone. Some of these guys can be real jerks. They are so good, that they can immediately tell if you are a sucker. If the deal is too good to be true, most likely it is.

I was told one story in which two people were each convinced to purchase $800 rugs. When they came back the next day to ask for their money back, they were asked to show their receipt. The owner then tore up the receipt and told them they had no proof of purchasing anything from him. They left in dismay. These types of stories are normal for Agra. If you are making a purchase of over $100, it is best to think about it for a day, as the shop owners here are extremely aggressive salesmen.

I asked my bike-rickshaw driver to bring me to my hotel and he apparently started to bring me there. He began to insist very strongly that he bring me to a few shops first. After a few minutes I told him to let me down, next to a few policemen. Before I could get out of the rickshaw he had already started driving away. When I checked the map to see where I was, I realized that he had taken me about one km in the wrong direction.

Shopping
The shops in the old part of the city around Pratapur are the cheapest places to get jewelry. Jaipur is a better place than Agra to get precious stones.

The Modern Book Depot (363-133), Sadar Bazaar, is a good bookshop. There are fairly good bookshops in the Taj View Hotel and the Mughal Sheraton.

Some good shops to get marble products are the Oswal Emporium, 30 Munro Road, and Subhash Emporium, 18/1 Gwalior Road. UP Handicrafts Place, 49 Bansal Nagar, has a good selection of marble goods and handicrafts. Some items are a very good quality. Akbar International, 289 Fatehabad Rd, near the Hotel Taj View, has high quality (expensive) marble products.
Mangalick and Co, 5 Taj Road, Sadar Bazaar, has a good selection of rugs. Harish Carpet, Vibhav Nagar Rd, has a good selection of rugs and is a good place to shop. Also good for rugs is Bansal Carpets, Naulakha Market and Cottage Industry, 18 Munro Rd.

Munshi Ganeshi Lall and Sons, 13 MG Road, and Kohinoor Jewellers, 41 MG Road, are reputable jewelers. Jewel Palace, 62 Pratappura, has good gems and can make custom jewelry.
Shilpgram Crafts Village and Emporium, is located about one km along the road leading from the east gate of the Taj Mahal. They have a good selection of high quality handicrafts from all over India, but the items are priced on the high side.

Festivals and Fairs
The Taj Mahotsava, is an arts and craft fair organized by UP Tourism at Shilpgram Crafts Village in February. During this fair there are music and dance performances.

In early October, during the Shardotsav Festival, some of the best musicians and dancers in India perform at various locations in the area.

Copyright ©2001 John Howley and Spiritual Guides