A wonderful city on the bank of the Yamuna River and which is the home for iconic Taj Mahal is Agra, India.
Agra is located in the Indian State Uttar Pradesh and it is the populated city in this state.
There are many stories related to this place like Mahabharat says that this place was founded in the year 1475, while a poet of the 11
th
century has mentioned about this place in his poems.
This city Agra is also known as the Taj Mahal city and this Taj Mahal is one among the seven wonders of the world.
In Agra, there are 3 UNESCO World heritage sites like Agra Fort, Taj Mahal of Agra and the Fatehpur Sikri.
You can also see many other tombs in this place Agra which represent the glory of the Mughal Empire.
There are many more things in Agra, which are welcoming thousands of tourists every year.
Try to plan a nice long trip to this place, which is having so many things to offer to its tourists.
It is very easy to reach Agra from Delhi as this place is located in the South Delhi.
These two places Delhi and Agra, along with Jaipur form a Golden triangle for all the tourists visiting any of these places.
So, if you are planning a very long holiday in
India
, then these are the places that you should add to your trip.
You will be
able to discover real India
in just a few days.
Best time to visit Agra?
There can never be a wrong time to live and enjoy your life to the fullest.
At the same time, there can never be any wrong time to visit any place if you are very much interesting in exploring the beauty of this place.
Places like Agra will never stop to spread their beauty and glory at any time of the year.
But if you are planning to visit the place Agra with the entire family like elders and kids, then you should definitely plan your trip at the right time of the year.
You should consider many things when you are planning a holiday to any place.
The best time to visit Agra is between the months of November to March.
You will have the winter season during these months and you will be able to enjoy the most at this time.
There are many advantages of planning your trip during this time.
The first reason is the weather in these months is comfortable, that means it is not very cold or hot.
Nighttime can be colder, but daytime is just perfect for sightseeing.
The other reason why you should visit Agra during the winter is, there will be many festivals held in Agra during Winter only.
The most important festival that you get to enjoy in Agra is the Taj Mahotsav.
You also have Bateshwar Fair and Ram Bharat, Kailash fair are also celebrated during Winter only.
But the trip also can be expensive during this time.
So, it is better to plan in advance when you want to be part of all these festivals or when you want to visit Agar during the peak months.
Other months of the year are also good for visiting Agra and enjoying its glory.
When you are done with planning your trip, then the next thing that you do or the last thing that you do regarding your holiday is about the things to do in Agra.
But it is always good to plan the things to do in advance as soon as you are done with fixing the date of your journey.
This will help in deciding the number of days you will need to spend your holiday perfect.
Best things to do in Agra
These are my favorite things to do and beautiful places to visit on your next holiday to Agra.
Taj Mahal
All you will get to hear about this monument Taj Mahal from anyone in
India
is āJust Stunningā.
This is a very beautiful constructions from the time of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan.
This monument was constructed using white marble.
The construction of this monument began in the year 1632 and the construction was completed by 1653.
This beautiful monument was constructed by more than 20 thousand artists and Ustad Ahmed Lahauri was the chief of all these artists.
This was constructed on the Yamuna river bank.
Mumtaz was the third wife of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and this place was used for housing the tomb of Mumtaz.
This monument Taj Mahal was added to the UNESCO world heritage list in the year 1983 and is also famous as āThe Jewel of Muslim art in Indiaā.
The construction of Taj Mahal is a mix of Persian Architecture and Mughal Architecture.
Many visitors visit Agra just to visit Taj Mahal and also those who are in Agra on a business tour or any other purpose also make sure that they are not missing Taj Mahal even if they have seen it earlier.
If you are missing Taj Mahal in Agra, then there is no point in planning a tour of this place.
The count of visitors every year is estimated as 3 million of visitors come to see Taj Mahal.
My favorite stuff to do in Agra
Agra Fort
All those who are visiting Taj Mahal would definitely stop at this place Agra Fort.
This is another interesting and
beautiful constructions in India
.
Taj Mahal and Agra fort are very close to each other.
You are going to get a very beautiful view of Taj Mahal from this place.
This fort is more popularly known as the walled city.
This is also another fantastic monument given by the Mughal emperors to
India
.
The fort was constructed in the 11
th
century and it is still the same.
The fort is really huge and you will be surprised by the architectural designs of this fort.
There are many interesting things that you should know about this place as this place is having a lot of history associated with it.
You should always hire a guide in the language which you can understand, so that it would be easy for you to understand and it is going to be very interesting to know the history of Agra fort.
There is an entry fee to enter inside this fort, but if you can preserve the ticket of Taj Mahal entry, then you will get a discount for Agra fort entry.
But you should visit both the places on the same day to avail the discount.
Do not
miss this place
and make sure you explore the entire fort when you visit it.
Fun things to do in Agra
Tomb of IātimÄd-ud-Daulah
Another beautiful place in the city of Agra is Tomb of IātimÄd-ud-Daulah.
Many people call this place as the ājewel boxā and many people also call this place as the āMini Taj or Baby Tajā as this place looks like a replica of the Taj Mahal.
The Lattice screens are really beautiful the way they are carved.
You should not miss this place, but Taj Mahal is definitely better than this place.
Many tourist guides prefer visiting this place first and then the Taj Mahal so that you will be able to enjoy it better.
You will also have a garden and other outbuildings along with the main building.
The construction of this monument was started in the year 1622 and the constructed was completed by 1628.
This is just another awesome piece of work the Mughal emperors.
If you are missing this tomb just because it is a replica of Taj Mahal, then you are missing a lot.
So, make sure that you visit this place as well along with the Taj Mahal.
Popular Agra tourist attractions
Mehtab Bagh
This place Mehtab Bagh is basically a garden which is located on the other side of Yamuna bank, that means on the opposite side of Taj Mahal.
This Bagh is also called as the āMoon Light Gardenā.
There are many fountains in this garden and also a central tank.
There is an entry fee to this place, but it is very low and hence you can visit the place.
Kids will love this place as there is a lot of open place for the kids to enjoy and play.
Do not visit this garden if you are traveling to Agra in the rainy season as the garden is going to get flooded during this season.
The view of Taj Mahal from Mehtab Bagh is going to look just amazing, behind the fog.
What else to do in Agra?
Jama Masjid
One of the largest mosques in
India and located just opposite to a very beautiful
monument Agra Fort is Jama Masjid.
This mosque is having many other names like āJami Masjidā and āthe Friday Mosqueā.
This mosque was also built by the Moghul Emperor Shah Jahan and he built it for his sweet daughter Jahanara Begum.
The construction of this monument was done by 1648 and it looks really amazing.
This building is really huge and is a very sacred
place for Muslims in India
.
It is also said that this Jama Masjid is
the oldest mosque in India and is maintained
very clean as this is a place of God.
People from all religions should definitely visit this place to feel the sacredness of the place and also to admire the beauty of the building.
You will also find the lines of holy Quran written on the walls of this mosque and the place is really amazing.
If you are a Muslim, then you are going to love the place and if you are not a Muslim also, do visit the place to fall in love with it.
Is Agra worth visiting?
The answer is Yes.
Agra is worth visiting.
This is because it is such a magical place
full of beauty and adventours.
Make sure you visit the following stunning place:
Guru ka Tal
The historic place for the people of Sikh or you can call it as a large Guru Dwara for the Sikh people in Agra.
This place is really huge and amazing as well.
This place was constructed in the 17
th
century and it is dedicated to the 9
th
Sikh guru āSri Guru Tegh Bahudar jiā.
You will find thousands of Sikh people visiting this place every year to offer prayers to this great Guru ji and apart from the Sikh, all the
tourists also visit this place
as the place itself in amazing and a must visit.
What else to see in Agra?
Tomb of Akbar the Great
Another interesting and amazing monument from Mughal Emperors is Tomb of Akbar the Great.
This place was built between 1605 to 1613.
It is said that this Tomb was constructed by Jahangir, but this is the complete story.
It was Akbar ā the 3
rd
Mughal emperor had decided to build a tomb for himself.
He even started the site for its constructed and started it in the year 1600.
But the construction could not be completed because of his death in 1605.
But this construction was taken forward by Jahangir and completed by 1613.
Jahangir was the son of Akbar the great.
This place is also very impressive and stunning.
One should definitely visit this place on their tour to Agra.
The interior designing of this tomb has been just amazing and you will love it for sure.
You will have the tomb of Akbar, but that is in the basement of the tomb.
Popular places to visit in Agra
Tomb of Mariam-uz-Zamani
After checking out the tomb of Jahangirās father Akbar the great, now it is time to check out the tomb of his mother Mariam-uz-Zamani.
Her real name was Heer Kunwari, but after getting married to Akbar the great, she was given this title.
She died in the year 1623 and this construction of this tomb started in the same year and was completed by 1627.
She was the most lucky wife of Akbar the Great who was buried very close to him, just one kilometer far from each other and this was her last wish.
The building is also amazing as the tomb built for Akbar and you will be mesmerized by its beauty.
Do not miss this place as this is very close to the tomb of Akbar.
You will really love it for sure.
Things to do in Agra with kids
Moti Masjid
Another pearl monument or the Pearl Masjid which is popularly called as the Moti Masjid
is in the city of Agra.
This monument was also constructed by the Shah Jahan and he dedicated this monument to the royal court members.
The monument is called as the pearl mosque because of the shine, that this monument gives when you look at it.
The shine is really amazing and you will love the place for sure.
The construction of the mosque was done with one lakh and 60 thousand rupees.
Do not miss this place when you are visiting Agra.
Things to do around Agra
Shopping
Another important thing that you should not miss or you will love to do in Agra is Shopping.
There are a lot of things that you shop at a very cheaper rate in Agra.
There are many stalls on the roadside and they are cheaper.
You can get them for much cheaper rates if you can bargain well.
Women are going to love this place for shopping and the bill of shopping not going to be very so men need not have to worry much about their women shopping.
This place Agra is just perfect for everything that you need as part of a holiday trip.
Must see places in Agra
Festivals
There are many Festivals conducted in Agra and if possible you should not miss them at all.
You have āTaj Mahotsavā which is celebrated in the month of February, āRam Bharatā which is celebrated on the day of Dussehra, which is celebrated in a different location every year and āKailash Fairā, which is celebrated in the months of August and September when Lord Shiva appears in the form of stone Linga.
These festivals are held in different months and you should check the details of each festival to be part of them.
All the festivals in this place are conducted in a very grand way and you will be mesmerized by the way they are organized.
You will have the best time in Agra if you are being part of any these festivals.
Agra is a place which is having a lot of things to see and do for its guests.
You should definitely plan a long trip to this place if you want to cover all the places in Agra, but whatever is the duration of the tour, you will still be left out with many
interesting to see in this place
.
There are many tours and travel companies in this place and you can take advantage of this.
You can book the packages of your choice and there are a lot of options like different packages.
Doing this you will be able to cover the entire Agra in the planned duration.
If you are not interested in any of the tour packages, then there is another interesting option as well.
You can hire a good guide who is having complete knowledge about the Agra city.
This is the best way to explore the entire Agra and you will be able to get a lot of information about the history of Agra and its kings.
Mughal emperors played a very important role in the city of Agra.
India has a lot of interesting things for its guests from all parts of the world and places
like Agra are more interesting.
Have a great and exciting trip to Agra.