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From Bharatpur, the Palace on Wheels arrives in Agra, the historical city of the Taj. What can be a more exciting India travel than 'topping' the exotic destinations of royal Rajasthan with the mesmerizing Taj Mahal in Agra aboard the most luxurious train in India - the Palace on Wheels.
Located about 204 km south of Delhi in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, Agra is one of the most famous tourist destinations in India. The city, situated on the west bank of River Yamuna, is known world over as home to a wonder of the world, Taj Mahal.
Agra Sightseeing
For most of the time Agra alternated with Delhi as the capital of the Mughal Empire. As such one finds many marvels of the Mughal architecture in and around the city, the most famous of them being the Taj Mahal. It is Shahjahan's tribute to his favorite wife's memory and his greatest contribution to world heritage monuments. Besides the Taj Mahal, the Agra Fort (also called the Red Fort) makes an interesting sight. The fort retains the irregular outline of the demolished mud-wall fort of the Lodis. It contains splendid palaces both in red sandstone and white marble built by two generations of prolific builders - Akbar and later by Jehangir and Shahjahan. The Tomb of Itmad-ud-Daula is located in a walled garden overlooking the Yamuna. It is the first ever tomb in India built entirely in white marble. The Jami Masjid, built in memory of Sheikh Salim Chisthi and his grandson Islam Khan by Jehanara Begum, is a wonderful assimilation of Iranian architecture. Akbar's Tomb at Sikandra, located in a large walled garden on the road to Delhi, is a magnificent gateway covered with floral and geometrical arabesque decoration in white and coloured marble with four elegant minarets. Rambagh, laid out by Babar, stands three kilometres upstream from Itmad-ud-daulah's tomb. It is one of the earliest Mughal Gardens in the country. Dayal Bagh is the headquarters of the Radhaswami sect. A beautiful white marble temple has been under construction here for almost 100 years now. Besides the historical monuments, one can also explore Agra's rich heritage of handicrafts in its markets.
Getaways From Agra
The places around Agra also form interesting tourist spots. Mathura (47 km) is one of the seven most sacred cities of India and an important crafts centre. Ten kilometres from Mathura lies Vrindavan, a place associated with the childhood exploits of Lord Krishna. Vrindavan has scores of temples, shrines, and memorial stones and hermitages of the saints and Krishna's followers. Gokul, 16 km from Mathura, is believed to be the place where Krishna was secretly raised. Govardhan, 25 km west of Mathura on the road to Deeg, is the site where Krishna lifted a hill to protect the villagers from the torrential downpour caused by the wrath of God Indra. At Bhandirvan, 31 kilometres from Mathura, it is said that Radha and Krishna were married under a banyan tree. The Keetham Lake or Sur Sarovar, around 23 kilometres from Agra within the Surdas Reserved Forest, is a tranquil place where one can witness a wide variety of fish and water birds. Fatehpur Sikri presents another marvel of the Mughal architecture and splendour. Barely 39 km from Agra, it is the red sandstone city of yesteryears built by the Mughal Emperor Akbar in AD 1564 in honour of the Muslim saint Sheikh Salim Chisthi. Finally, Ferozabad (44 km) is famous for glass products while Aligarh (38 km) is the home to the Aligarh Muslim University and a renowned lock-making centre of India.
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