Agra,आगरा, آ گرہ

Agra (English pronunciation: /ˈɑːɡrə/; Hindi: आगरा, Urdu: آ گرہ) is a city on the banks of the river Yamuna in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is located at the banks of river Yamuna, 363 kilometres (226 mi) west of state capital, Lucknow and 200 kilometres (124 mi) south from national capital New Delhi. With a population of 1,686,976 (2010 est.), it is one of the most populous cities in Uttar Pradesh and the 19th most populous in India. Agra can also refer to the administrative district that has its headquarters in Agra city.

The city finds mention in the epic Mahābhārata where it was called Agrevaṇa, or 'the border of the forest'. Legend ascribes the founding of the city to Rājā Badal Singh (around 1475), whose fort, Badalgarh, stood on or near the site of the present Fort. However, the 11th century Persian poet Mas'ūd Sa'd Salmān writes of a desperate assault on the fortress of Agra, then held by the Shāhī King Jayapala, by Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni. Sultan Sikandar Lodī was the first to move his capital from Delhi to Agra in the year 1506; he died in 1517 and his son Ibrāhīm Lodī remained in power there for nine more years, finally being defeated at the Battle of Panipat in 1526. It achieved fame as the capital of the Mughal emperors from 1526 to 1658 and remains a major tourist destination because of its many splendid Mughal-era buildings, most notably the Tāj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpūr Sikrī, all three of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Climate

Agra features a semiarid climate that borders on a humid subtropical climate. The city features mild winters, hot and dry summers and a monsoon season. However the monsoons, though substantial in Agra, are not quite as heavy as the monsoon in other parts of India. This is a primary factor in Agra featuring a semiarid climate as opposed to a humid subtropical climate.

Agra
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D 15 22 7 12 26 10 11 32 16 3 38 22 11 42 27 52 41 29 217 35 27 283 33 26 124 34 24 31 34 20 6.2 29 13 3.5 24 8 average max. and min. temperatures in °C precipitation totals in mm source: IMD
Imperial conversion

Demographics

According to the 2001 India census, Agra has a population of 1,275,134, while the population of Agra cantonment is 50,968 and that of Agra district is 3,620,436. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Agra district population grew by 31% in the decade 1991–2001. Roughly 57% of the population of Agra district lives in urban areas. Agra has an average literacy rate of 81%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with 86% males literate. Literacy rate of males is considerably higher than that of women. Agra district literacy rate is 62.60%.

Hinduism, Islam, and Jainism are three major religions in Agra district with 89.6%, 8.93%, and 0.51% of the population following them. Roughly 22% of the population belongs to the Scheduled Castes, of which the Chamar, Kori, and Balmiki are the most numerous. Some Scheduled Tribes like the Bhotia and Jaunsari have marginal presence (about 0.02% of the population).

52.5% of Agra's population is in the 15–59 years age category. 11% of the population is under 6 years of age. Hindi is the most widely spoken language in Agra. Urdu and Punjabi is also spoken.

History

Though Agra's history is largely recognised with Mughal Kingdom,but the place was established much before it and has linkages since Mahabharat period and Mahirshi Angira in 1000 BC. It is generally accepted that Sultan Sikandar Lodī, the Ruler of the Delhi Sultanate founded Agra in the year 1504. After the Sultan's death the city passed on to his son Sultan Ibrāhīm Lodī. He ruled his Sultanate from Agra until he fell fighting to Bābar in the First battle of Panipat fought in 1526.

In the year 1556, the great Hindu warrior Hemu Vikramaditya, also known as Samrat Hem Chander Vikramaditya, won Agra as the Prime Minister cum Chief of Army of Adil Shah of the Afghan Sūrī Dynasty. The commander of Humāyūn / Akbar's forces in Agra, Tardi Beg Khan, was so scared of Hemu that he retreated from the city without a fight. This was Hemu's 21st continuous win since 1554, and he later went on to conquer Delhi, having his coronation at Purānā Qil'a in Delhi on 7 October 1556 and re-established the Hindu Kingdom and the Vikramaditya Dynasty in North India.

The golden age of the city began with the Mughals. It was known then as Akbarabād and remained the capital of the Mughal Empire under the Emperors Akbar, Jahāngīr and Shāh Jahān. Shāh Jahān later shifted his capital to Shāhjahānabād in the year 1649.

Since Akbarabād was one of the most important cities in India under the Mughals, it witnessed a lot of building activity. Babar, the founder of the Mughal dynasty, laid out the first formal Persian garden on the banks of river Yamuna. The garden is called the Arām Bāgh or the Garden of Relaxation. His grandson Akbar raised the towering ramparts of the Great Red Fort, besides making Agra a center for learning, arts, commerce and religion. Akbar also built a new city on the outskirts of Akbarabād called Fatehpūr Sikrī. This city was built in the form of a Mughal military camp in stone.

His son Jahāngīr had a love of gardens and flora and fauna and laid many gardens inside the Red Fort or Lāl Qil'a. Shāh Jahān, known for his keen interest in architecture, gave Akbarabād its most prized monument, the Tāj Mahal. Built in loving memory of his wife Mumtāz Mahal, the mausoleum was completed in 1653.

Shāh Jahān later shifted the capital to Delhi during his reign, but his son Aurangzeb moved the capital back to Akbarabād, usurping his father and imprisoning him in the Fort there. Akbarabād remained the capital of India during the rule of Aurangzeb until he shifted it to Aurangabad in the Deccan in 1653. After the decline of the Mughal Empire, the city came under the influence of Marathas and Jats and was called Agra, before falling into the hands of the British Raj in 1803.

Agra, Main Street, c.1858

In 1835 when the Presidency of Agra was established by the British, the city became the seat of government, and just two year later it was the witness to the Agra famine of 1837–38. During the Indian rebellion of 1857 British rule across India was threatened, news of the rebellion had reached Agra on 11 May and on 30 May two companies of native infantry, the 44th and 67th regiments, rebelled and marched to Delhi. The next morning native Indian troops in Agra were forced to disarm, on 15 June Gwalior (which lies south of Agra) rebelled. By 3 July the British were forced to withdraw into the fort. Two days later a small British force at Sucheta were defeated and forced to withdraw, this led to a mob sacking the city. However, the rebels moved onto Delhi which allowed the British to restore order by 8 July. Delhi fell to the British in September, the following month rebels who had fled Delhi along with rebels from Central India marched on Agra - but were defeated. After this British rule was again secured over the city until the independence of India in 1947.

Agra is the birth place of the religion known as Dīn-i Ilāhī, which flourished during the reign of Akbar and also of the Radhaswami Faith, which has around two million followers worldwide. Agra has historic linkages with Shauripur of Jainism and Runukta of Hinduism ,of 1000 BC.

Tāj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpūr Sikrī, all three of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Transportation

Air

Agra Airport is about 12.5 km from city center

Rail

Main article: Rail transport inIndia

Agra is on the main train line between Delhi (Station Code: NDLS) and Mumbai (Bombay) (Station Code: CSTM) and between Delhi and Chennai (Station Code: MAS) and many trains like Bhopal Shatabdi, Bhopal Express, Malwa Express, Gondwana Express, Jabalpur - Jammutawi Express, Shreedham Express, Garib Rath, Tamil Nadu Express, Chennai Rajdhni etc. connect Agra with all major Indian cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Pune, Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Ujjain, Jaipur, Lucknow etc. every day. Some east-bound trains from Delhi also travel via Agra, so direct connections to points in Eastern India (including Kolkata) (Calcutta) are also available. There are close to 20 trains to New Delhi and Gwalior Junction every day, and at least three or four to Bhopal, Indore, Nagpur, Mumbai and Chennai. There are three main railway stations in Agra:

Agra Cantt. Railway Station

See also: Rail transport inIndia

Agra Cantt (Station Code: AGC) is the main railway station and lies southwest of the Taj and Agra Fort, both of which are a short ride from the station by car, auto-rickshaw, or cycle rickshaw. There's a prepaid taxi stand right outside that charges a flat Rs.120 to any hotel in the city. The station has a pretty good Comesum food court that also sells cheap, hygienic takeaway snacks (sandwiches, samosas, etc.).

Agra Fort Railway Station (Station Code: AF) near Agra Fort, is infrequently serviced by the interstate express trains, it is one of the oldest railway station in the country. The station serves trains to the east (Kanpur, Gorakhpur, Kolkata, Guwahati) and central India Ratlam, Nagda, Kota (Haldighati Express). Some of these trains also stop at Agra Cantt.

Raja Ki Mandi (Station Code: RKM) is a small station. Some of the trains which stop at Agra Cantt also stop here. It is a very laid back station and springs into life at the arrival of Intercity Express, Mahakoshal Express, Indore - Amritsar Express and Taj Express. Other stations are Idgah, Billochpura, Agra City, Yamuna Bridge.

The luxury trains - the Palace on Wheels, and the Royal Rajasthan On Wheels also stop at Agra on their eight day round trip of tourist destinations in Rajasthan and Agra. The Buddhist Special Train also visits Agra. There is urgent need of Metro Train in Agra that connect all historical monuments (Taj Mahal, Red Fort, Sikandara [Tomb of Akbar], I'timād-ud-Daulah's Tomb and Radha Swami Temple). It will give thrust to tourism as well as provide efficient and rapid public transport.

Road

Main article: Indian Road networks

Idgah Bus Stand and Inter State Bus Terminal (ISBT) are the major Bus Stands in Agra and is connected to most of the bigger cities in North India.

From Delhi: NH2, a modern divided highway, connects the 200 km distance from Delhi to Agra. The drive is about 4 hours. The primary access to the highway is along Mathura Road in Delhi but, if coming from South Delhi or Delhi Airport, it is easier to take Aurobindo Marg (Mehrauli Road) and then work up to NH2 via Tughlakabad.

From Jaipur: National Highway 11, a Four lane divided highway, connects Agra with Jaipur via the bird sanctuary town of Bharatpur. The distance of around 255 km can be covered in around 3–4 hours.

From Gwalior A distance of around 120 km, takes around 1.5 hours on the National highway 3, also known as the Agra - Mumbai Highway.

From Lucknow / Kanpur NH2, the divided modern highway, continues on to Kanpur (285 km, 5 hours) and from there to points East ending in Kolkata. From Kanpur, NH25 heads for the city of Lucknow (90 km, 2 hours).

Agra has a major Road named as Mahatma Gandhi(MG) Road at the ceneral part known as heart line of agra.Agra is a main tourist attraction

Taxi

Main article: Taxis in Inindia

Tourist can hire a taxi for local sight seeing or agra visit from local taxi stand. A prepaid taxi counter is available at agra cantt railway station.

Local Transport

Recently, under JNNURM (Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission) in order to revamp city's urban infrastructure Tata-Marcopolo's city buses are being run by Agra Municipal Corporation covering whole city in an efficient way.

Other para-transit modes includes auto-rickshaws and rickshaw. While passengers need to negotiate rates for the rickshaws and they are usually expensive, there is a system of (what is called) 'Tempo' which are autorickshaws that run on specific routes called out by drivers. Tempos take around 6 people simultaneously and work out to be most economical and practical.

Polluting vehicles are not allowed near Tāj Mahal, so one needs to take electric Auto's or Tanga (Tonga) from a few kilometres outside the Tāj Mahal.

Places of interest

Panoramic View of Taj Mahal.

Taj Mahal from Agra fort.

Tāj Mahal

Main article: Taj Mahal

Agra's Taj Mahal is one of the most famous buildings in the world, the mausoleum of Shah Jahan's favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It is one of the New Seven Wonders of the world, and one of three World Heritage Sites in Agra.

Completed in 1653, the Tāj Mahal was built by the Mughal king Shāh Jahān as the final resting place for his beloved wife, Mumtāz Mahal. Finished in marble, it is perhaps India's most fascinating and beautiful monument. This perfectly symmetrical monument took 22 years (1630–1652) of hard labour and 20,000 workers, masons and jewellers to build and is set amidst landscaped gardens. Built by the Persian architect, Ustād 'Īsā, the Tāj Mahal is on the bank of the Yamuna River. It can be observed from Agra Fort from where Emperor Shāh Jahān gazed at it, for the last eight years of his life, a prisoner of his son Aurangzeb. It is an acknowledged masterpiece of symmetry. Verses of the Koran are inscribed on it and at the top of the gate are twenty-two small domes, signifying the number of years the monument took to build. The Tāj Mahal was built on a marble platform that stands above a sandstone one. The most elegant dome of the Tāj Mahal has a diameter of 60 feet (18 m), and rises to a height of 80 feet (24 m); directly under this dome is the tomb of Mumtāz Mahal. Shah Jahān's tomb was erected next to hers by his son Aurangzeb. The interiors are decorated by fine inlay work, incorporating semi-precious stones.

Agra Fort

Amar Singh Gate,

one of two entrances into Agra's Red Fort

Agra Fort (sometimes called the Red Fort), was commissioned by the great Mughal Emperor Akbar in 1565, and is another of Agra's World Heritage Sites. A stone tablet at the gate of the Fort states that it had been built before 1000 but was later renovated by Akbar. The red sandstone fort was converted into a palace during Shāh Jahān's time, and reworked extensively with marble and pietra dura inlay. Notable buildings in the fort include the Pearl Mosque, the Dīwān-e-'Ām and Dīwān-e-Khās (halls of public and private audience), Jahāngīr's Palace, Khās Mahal, Shīsh Mahal (mirrored palace), and the Musamman Burj. Reference required

The great Mughal Emperor Akbar commissioned the construction of the Agra Fort in 1565 CE., although it was converted into a place by his grandson Shāh Jahān, being reworked extensively with marble and pietra dura inlay. Notable buildings in the fort include the Pearl Mosque or Motī Masjid, the Dīwān-e-'Ām and Dīwān-e-Khās (halls of public and private audience), Jahāngīr's Palace, Khās Mahal, Shīsh Mahal (mirrored palace), and the Musamman Burj. The forbidding exteriors of this fort conceal an inner paradise. The fort is crescent shaped, flattened on the east with a long, nearly straight wall facing the river. It has a total perimeter of 2.4 kilometres (1.5 mi), and is ringed by double castellated ramparts of red sandstone punctuated at regular intervals by bastions. A 9 metres (30 ft) wide and 10 metres (33 ft) deep moat surrounds the outer wall.

Chhatrapati Shīvajī visited the Agra Fort, as a result of the conditions of the Treaty of Purandar entered into with Mirzā Rājā Jaisingh to meet Aurangzeb in the Dīwān-i-Khās (Special Audience Chamber). In the audience he was deliberately placed behind men of lower rank. An insulted Shīvajī stormed out of the imperial audience and was confined to Jai Sing's quarters on 12 May 1666. Fearing the dungeons and execution he escaped on 17 August 1666. A heroic equestrian statue of Shīvajī has been erected outside the fort.

The fort is a typical example of Mughal architecture, effectively showing how the North Indian style of fort construction differentiated from that of the South. In the South, the majority forts were built on the seabed like the one at Bekal in Kerala.

Fatehpūr Sikrī

Dīwān-i-Khās – Hall of Private Audience

The Mughal Emperor Akbar built Fatehpūr Sikrī about 35 km from Agra, and moved his capital there. Later abandoned, the site displays a number of buildings of significant historical importance. A World Heritage Site, it is often visited by tourists. The name of the place came about after the Mughal Emperor Bābar defeated Rāṇā Sāngā in a battle at a place called Sikrī (about 40 km from Agra). Then the Mughal Emperor Akbar wanted to make Fatehpūr Sikrī his head quarters, so he built a majestic fort; due to shortage of water, however, he had to ultimately move his headquarters to Agra Fort.

Buland Darwāza or 'the lofty gateway' was built by the great Mughal emperor, Akbar in 1601 CE. at Fatehpūr Sikrī. Akbar built the Buland Darwāza to commemorate his victory over Gujarat. The Buland Darwāza is approached by 52 steps. The Buland Darwāza is 53.63 m high and 35 meters wide. it is made of red and buff sandstone, decorated by carving and black and white marble inlays. An inscription on the central face of the Buland Darwāza demonstrates Akbar's religious broadmindedness, it is a message from Jesus advising his followers not to consider this world as their permanent home.

I'timād-Ud-Daulah

 Itmad-Ud-Daulah's Tomb

The 'Itmad-Ud-Daulah's Tomb at Agra'

The Empress Nūr Jahān built I'timād-Ud-Daulah's Tomb, sometimes called the 'Baby Tāj', for her father, Mirzā Ghiyās Beg, the Chief Minister of the Emperor Jahāngīr. Located on the left bank of the Yamuna river, the mausoleum is set in a large cruciform garden criss-crossed by water courses and walkways. The mausoleum itself covers about 23 square metres (250 sq ft), and is built on a base about fifty meters square and about one meter high. On each corner are hexagonal towers, about thirteen meters tall. Small in comparison to many other Mughal-era tombs, it is sometimes described as a jewel box. Its garden layout and use of white marble, pietra dura, inlay designs and latticework presage many elements of the Tāj Mahal.

The walls are white marble from Rajasthan encrusted with semi-precious stone decorations - cornelian, jasper, lapis lazuli, onyx, and topaz in images of cypress trees and wine bottles, or more elaborate decorations like cut fruit or vases containing bouquets. Light penetrates to the interior through delicate jālī screens of intricately carved white marble.

Many of Nūr Jahān's relatives are interred in the mausoleum. The only asymmetrical element of the entire complex is that the tombs of her father and mother have been set side-by-side, a formation replicated in the Taj Mahal.

Akbar's Tomb, Sikandra

Tomb of Akbar the Great

Sikandra, the last resting place of the Mughal Emperor Akbar the Great, is on the Delhi-Agra Highway, only 13 kilometres from the Agra Fort. Akbar's tomb reflects the completeness of his personality. The vast, beautifully carved, red-ochre sandstone tomb with deers, rabbits and langurs is set amidst a lush garden. Akbar himself planned his own tomb and selected a suitable site for it. To construct a tomb in one's lifetime was a Turkic custom which the Mughals followed religiously. Akbar's son Jahāngīr completed construction of this pyramidal tomb in 1613. The names of the Gods of ninety-nine religious sects have been inscribed on the tomb.

Swāmī Bāgh Samādhi

The Swāmī Bāgh Samādhi is a monument to hold the ashes of Huzūr Swāmijī Mahārāj (Shrī Shiv Dayāl Singh Seth) in the Swāmībāgh section, on the high road that goes from Bhagwan Talkies to Dayāl Bāgh, in the outskirts of the city. He was the founder of the Radhāswāmī Faith and the Samādhi is sacred to its followers. Construction began in February 1904 and still continues. Many believe that construction will never end at Swāmī Bāgh - it is often seen as the next Tāj Mahal. The carvings in stone, using a combination or coloured marble, are life-like and not seen anywhere else in India. The picture shown is taken from the rear of the building and shows only two floors. When completed, the Samādhi will have a carved dome and a gateway.

Mankameshwar Temple

The Mankameshwar Temple is one of four ancient temples dedicated to Lord Shiva located on the four corners of Agra City. It is located near the Jāma Masjid and is about 2.5 kilometers from the Tāj Mahal and less than 1 km from Agra Fort. Being located in the old city, the temple is surrounded by markets, many of which date back to the Mughal Era.

Gurū kā Tal

Gurū kā Tal was originally a reservoir meant to collect and conserve rainwater built in Agra, near Sikandra, during Jahāngīr's reign next to the Tomb of I'tibār Khān Khwājasara in 1610. In 1970s a gurdwāra was erected here. Gurū kā Tal is a holy place of worship for the Sikhs. Four of the ten Sikh Gurus are said to have paid it a visit. Enjoying both historical and religious importance, this gurdwāra attracts a large number of devotees and tourists. Boasting elaborate stone carvings and 8 towers of the twelve original towers. It is located by national (Delhi-Agra) highway-2.

Jama Masjid (Agra)

The Jāma Masjid is a large mosque attributed to Shah Jahan's daughter, Princess Jahanara Begum, built in 1648, notable for its unusual dome and absence of minarets. The inscription at its entrance shows that it costed Rs 5 Lakhs at that time for its completion.

Chīnī kā Rauza

Notable for its Persian influenced dome of blue glazed tiles, the Chīnī kā Rauza is dedicated to the Prime Minister of Shāh Jahān, 'Allāma Afzal Khāl Mullā Shukrullāh of Shirāz.

 Ram Bagh

The oldest Mughal garden in India, the Rām Bāgh was built by the Emperor Bābar in 1528 on the bank of the Yamuna. It lies about 2.34 km north of the Tāj Mahal. The pavilions in this garden are designed so that the wind from the Yamuna, combined with the greenery, keeps them cool even during the peak of summer. The original name of the gardens was Ārām Bāgh, or 'Garden of Relaxation', and this was where the Mughal emperor Bābar used to spend his leisure time and where he eventually died. His body was kept here for sometime before sending it to Kabul.

Mariams Tomb

Mariams Tomb, is the tomb of Mariam, the wife of great Mughal Emperor Akbar. The tomb is within the compound of the Christian Missionary Society.

 Mehtab Bagh

The Mehtāb Bāgh, or 'Moonlight Garden', is on the opposite bank of the River Yamuna from the Tāj Mahal.

Keetham Lake

Also known as Sur Sarovar, Keetham Lake is situated about 23 kilometres from Agra, within the Surdas Reserved Forest. The lake has an impressive variety of aquatic life and water birds.

Mughal Heritage Walk

The Mughal Heritage Walk is a part of community development programme being implemented with support of Agra Municipal corporation, USAID and an NGO; Center for Urban and Regional Excellence. It seeks to build sustainable livelihoods for youth and women from low resource communities and improving their living environments through infrastructure services and integration within the city.

The Mughal Heritage Walk is a one kilometer loop which connects the agricultural fields with the Rajasthani culture, river bank connected with the ancient village of Kuchhpura, the Heritage Structure of Mehtab Bagh, the Mughal aqueduct system, the 

Humanyun Mosque and the Gyarah Sidi

"Heritage Walk of Agra"

Exploring the trail of a Mughal Kinari Bazar in erstwhile Capital of India

The Heritage Walk of Agra has been designed by Rajiv Saxena of Sanskriti Vacations,Agra, Contact: +919837030805, to unveil "The Pristine Glory of Mughals to the Discerning Travelers”. The Heritage Walk, is conducted to explore the architectural & socio – urban Character of Agra – The erstwhile Mughal Capital of India.

The Heritage Walk of Agra is a Guided Walk of one & a half hour, which is designed in consultation of prominent Historians & Academicians of Agra. The Walk traces the birth of Mughal Capital Agra or Akbarabad till its present times.

The Walk begins from the gigantic Jama Maszid, where you are brought in a Decorated Horse Cart (Tonga) from the parking area of the Agra Fort. You are requested to disembark from your Tonga at the Jama Maszid, so that you can mingle in the crowds & begin to experience down town Agra, further to the Silver Lingam of Mankameshwar Mahadev (The Shiva Temple), proceeding into narrow lanes selling articles used for adornment of images of Gods & Goddesses, looking at Ornamental & Decorated Facades in the Spice Market of Rawat Para, the walk enters into the famous Khoya Gali of Chitti Khana. Our walk proceeds into the Namak Ki Mandi, where artisans beat Gold & Silver to make Foils of Gold & Silver for medicinal use in Aurveda & brings us in front of Akbari Mosque to connect to the 16th Century stone paved Street of Kinari Bazaar. One wonders that how heritage has become the soul of Agra as one walks through these lively streets. Finally, the walk culminates in front of Jama Maszid and Tonga pulls the travelers back to the destination. The important points while undertaking the Heritage Walk have been mentioned here below:-

1. Jama Maszid (Friday Mosque):- The Jami Mosque was built by Princess Jahanara Begum in the year 1648 & is the main Friday Mosque of Agra since Mughal times. It was once connected to the Delhi Gate of Agra Fort through an octagonal enclosure, which survived as a market once the Agra Fort Railway Station was introduced by the British. The main entrance of the Jami Maszid was demolished by British during uprisings of 1857.

2. Vaidya Ramdutta Gali: - This old lane of Agra is dedicated to the memory of Vaidya Ramdutt Shrama, who used the knowledge of traditional herbal medicines & pulse reading of Ayurveda for treating chronic ailments of human body. Today his family descendants live & practice the ancestral knowledge for the service of the humanity in the same fashion.

3. Mankameshwar Temple: - This Age old Shiva Temple with silver Lingam is said to have established by Lord Shiva himself, when he stopped here on the way to Mathura to seek darshan of Lord Krishna when Vishnu incarnated as Lord Krishna. The temple is called “Mankameshwar” because here the wish of Lord Shiva of getting darshan of Lord Krishna was granted and fulfilled. Today it is the main sitting deity of Agra & is visited by thousands of devotees every day.

4. Temple of Musicians Balcony:- Temple of Bihari Ji, which is another form of Lord Krishna was built by Mohanlal Ji Gotewale in the year 1880 and is commonly known as “Gotewalon ka Mandir” as the family is still involved in the traditional business of brocade borders for Saaris, dresses & Hand bags continuing the traditional family business. The temple is famous for its most beautifully ornately carved balcony.

5. Chidiyawala Mandir: - Temple of Lord Shri Ram was built by Marwari family of Maheshwaris from Indore in the year 1931. The temple is also called a “Chidiyawala Mandir” as at one time it had many Gooseberry Trees in the courtyard & hundreds of birds used to perch there. Once an English police commander came patrolling there & his uniform got spoiled because of bird droppings while he stood under a tree. When he tried to find out what it was using torchlight, he saw hundreds of birds on the trees, since than it’s known as Chidiyawala Mandir dedicated to Lord Rama & Sita.

6. Chitti Khana:- The erstwhile palace of begum Sati un Nissa, who was maid of honour of Mumtaz Mahal, the lady of the Taj Mahal, and later became governess to princess Jahanaraa begum daughter of Shahjahan. The area around her palace came to be known as Satti Khana & later to “Chitti Khana” which houses beautifully decorated Haveli Entrances & facades & reminds us the glorious life of mughal nobles in Agra.

7. Building of 1914:- This beautiful House in dilapidated state was built in the year 1914 by Shri Gulab Chand Dhanna Lal Surana, who were a family of Gold & Silver Brocade merchants. The family still continues the tradition & their building shows the patronage of the British Empire as they even made an image of King George the Vth on the building which can still be seen. This building even today has beautiful intricate carvings & fine work of glazed tiles.

8. Akbari Mosque: - This beautiful Mosque was built by Akbar & was later renovated by Shahjahan’s third wife Begum Isrul ul Jahan Akbari, who carried the nickname of “Akbari” & since than it’s known as Akbari Mosque. This mosque was renovated in late 19th Century. The façade of this mosque consists of a row of identical cusped arches leading into the prayer hall. There is a large courtyard in front of the mosque overlooking kinari bazaar.

9. Patal Hanuman Temple: - The Temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman “The Monkey God” is known as patal Hanuman or Human of nether world, who rescued Lord Rama & his brother Lakshamana from the prison of demon king “Ahiravan” as the myth goes. The temple attracts thousands of devotees every day.

10. Dara Shikoh’s Library: - This Mughal styled building is said to be Shahejhans’s son Dara Shikoh’s library. The building had fallen into private possession during early British times but later was taken over by British to be the Town Hall in the year 1886. This building now houses a municipal school but speaks of the hey days of Golden Era it has seen.

11. Agra Fort: - The most beautiful Fort built by Mughals in Agra which had witnessed the architectural style of three great mughal rulers i.e. Akbar, Jahangir & Shahjehan. The Agra Fort today is a prominent world heritage site other than Taj Mahal & Agra Fort in Agra.

12. Amar Singh Gate: - Amar Singh Gate of Agra Fort is dedicated to the memory of Amar Singh Rathor of Nagaur, who was offended by Salawat Khan while attending the court of Shahjehan. Salawat Khan was killed in front of Shajejhan, who had ordered immediate execution of Amar Singh Rathor. Amar Singh fled but to be captured later at the gate after a fierce battle & was executed to be cremated on the banks of Yamuna river in Agra.

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Agra.

Tourist attractions in Agra

Economy

A shopping mall situated on the Fatehabad Road in Agra, U.P.

A marble table top in Pietra Dura, a craft practiced since the Mughal era in Agra

Tourism contributes to a large extent in the economy of Agra. Agra has some of the finest Hotels and Spas in India. Agra is home to Asia’s largest spa called Kaya Kalp — The Royal Spa, at the Hotel Mughal in Agra.

The city also has a substantial industrial base. A lot of manufacturing plants and industry related wholesale markets are prominent in Agra. Agra's industries are doing a fine job in various fields. Producers and dealers of Agra have a vast market to support them.Agra also has Uttar Pradesh first plant biotech company Harihar Biotech that is located in the vicinity of Taj. And is Presently one of the largest Plant Tissue Culture lab in North India with production capacity of 2 millions plants annually.

Agra has a good number of apparel and garment manufacturers and exporters. Agra has also an important market for the automobile industry. Anil Diesels, Harvest Group of Industries, Indian Agriculture & Automobile Corporation (IAAC) and Malloys India are some of the major players of the automobile industry in Agra.

The Sadar Bazar market in the Agra Cantonment

An Agra craftsman working with marble stone inlays. The marble is colored red to give contrast while working.

Over 7200 Small Scale Industrial Units are spared all over the district. Agra city is famous for the Leather Goods, Handicrafts, Zari Zardozi, Marvel and Stone carving & inlay work. Agra is also well known for its sweets (Petha & Gajak) and Snacks (Dalmoth).

The leather industry is among the most traditional and original industries of Agra. Some of the leading manufacturers, exporter and sellers of leather in Agra are Dawar Footwear Company, Polyplast Industries, Royal International, Eskay Sales Corporation, Best Buy, Bandejjia Traders and Expomore.

The famous city Center place at Agra is called Kinari Bazar,which is famous for its jewellery and garments shops.Its has the biggest Silver & Gold jewellery hub at Choube Ji Ka Fatak.

With the expansion of the Agra city, more and more construction works are going around the city. To facilitate the flow of work, a lot of organizations dealing in building materials have come up. A few leading names are Silver Gatta Agency, Yashoda Exports, Glass Expressions and Sharda Enterprises. The jeweleries of Agra is a great favorite with the tourists and is in good demand in the international market also. The Amar Paper Agency in Agra dealing in vast varieties of paper related products strengthening the finance of the town was established in 1986 by Hon. Shri Ram Nath Agarwal. The Yoga Handicrafts and the D.R.Chain and Wire Manufacturing Company are two of the several important names of the related industry.

Agra has a number of big and small Transformer manufacturers. The Shah Market area is a thriving Electronics market while Sanjay Place is the Trade center of Agra.

Education

Agra has always been a centre for education and learning. It was during the advent of Mughal era that Agra grew as a centre of Islamic education. In the coming decades Agra saw great literary figures come from the city. Abul Fazl and others were among the pioneers. The Urdu literature grew by leaps and bounds in the city. Mir Taqi "Mir" and Mirza Asadullah Beg "Ghalib" were the icons produced by the city.

British people introduced the western concept of education in Agra. In the year 1823, Agra College, one of the oldest colleges in India was formed out of a Sanskrit school established by the Scindia rulers.

In the British era, Agra became a great center of Hindi literature with people like Babu Gulab Rai at the helm.

Schools

St. Peter's College, Agra

St. Paul's Church College, Agra

St. Patrick's Junior College, Agra

St. Anthony's Junior College, Agra

St. Conrad's Inter College, Agra

St. George's Inter College, Agra

St. Francis School, Agra

Delhi Public School, Agra

Agra Public School, Agra

Holy Public School, Agra.

St. Clare's Senior Secondary School, Agra

Universities in Agra

Agra University was established on 1 July 1927 and catered to colleges spread across the United Provinces, the Rajputana, the Central Provinces and almost to entire North India, at present around 142 Colleges are affiliated to this University. The historic Agra University was later rechristened as Dr. BhimRao Ambedkar University by the then Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Ms. Mayawati.

Dayalbagh Educational Institute, Radhasoami Satsang Sabha, started the Radhasoami Educational Institute, as a co-educational Middle School, open to all, on January 1, 1917. It became a Degree College in 1947, affiliated to Agra University. In 1975, it formulated an innovative and comprehensive programme of undergraduate studies which received approbation from the Government of Uttar Pradesh and the University Grants Commission, as a result of which in 1981 the Ministry of Education, Government of India, conferred the status of an institution deemed to be a University on the Dayalbagh Educational Institute, to implement the new scheme.

Central Institute of Hindi, Central Institute of Hindi (also known as Kendriya Hindi Sansthan) is an autonomous institute under Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India engaged in teaching Hindi as a foreign and second language. Apart from running regular and residential Hindi language courses for foreign students, the institute also conducts regular training programmes for teachers of Hindi belonging to non-Hindi states of India. The institute is situated at a 11 acres (4.5 ha) campus on the outskirts of Agra city. Headquartered in Agra the institute has eight regional centers in Delhi, Hyderabad, Mysore, Shillong, Dimapur, Guwahati, Ahmedabad and Bhubneshwar. The institute is the only government run institution in India established solely for research and teaching of Hindi as a foreign and second language.

Colleges

Agra is also home to some of the oldest and renowned colleges

Seth Padam Chand Jain Institute of Business & Economics (SPCJ), is the oldest Management Institute in Agra. It provides Masters Degree in Business Management and offers specialisations in Marketing, Finance and Human Resources Management.

School of Life Sciences(SLS Khandari, Agra), is the biggest college for Master's education of Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar University, Agra (formerly Agra University), situated at Khandari campus, Agra(UP).

Dau Dayal Institute of Vocational Education is an Institute run by Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar University, Agra (formerly Agra University) and is situated at Khandari campus, Agra (U.P.). Students can pursue courses like Masters in Computer Management, Bachelor of Science (Computer Applications) and other job-oriented courses in Tourism Management.

Agra College

Institute of Engineering & Technology Khandari (I.E.T. Khandari, Agra), is the prestigious and renowned engineering institute of Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar University, Agra (formerly Agra University), situated at Khandari, Agra in Uttar Pradesh.

Sarojini Naidu Medical College, Agra, named the first Indian woman to become the President of the Indian National Congress and the first woman to become the Governor of Uttar Pradesh: the freedom fighter and poet Sarojini Naidu. Founded in 1854, S. N. Medical College & Hospital is one of the three oldest medical schools in India.

St. John's College, Agra was established in 1850 by the Church Missionary Society of England through the efforts of the Agra C. M. S. Association which came into being in 1840. Shankar Dayal Sharma, the 9th President of India received his education from St. John's college.

F.E.T Agra College, Agra, Carrying the legacy of Agra College and Agra University, Faculty of Engineering and technology came into existence in the Year 1999, the college which is over a decade old can boast of strong alumni base which is spread all across the world.

Raja Balwant Singh College, RBS College is one of the biggest college of Asia and was started by Awagarh Kingdom. This college has the largest campus area and maximum number of education branches.

Anand Engineering College, Agra is affiliated to U.P. Technical University Lucknow. It is a part of SGI(Sharda Group of Institutions) a well known educational group of North India.

B.M.A.S Engineering College, Agra is affiliated to U.P. Technical University Lucknow. It is a part of SGI(Sharda Group of Institutions) a well known educational group of North India.

IBRC, Agra (Institute of biotechnology and research center) provides training in biotechnology.

(source:wikipedia)