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Tours to Agra
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Tours to Agra - Agra Travel Agents & Tour Operators offering
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AGRA TOURS GUIDE
Agra is one of the prominent destinations of the World
Tourism map with three heritage monuments-The Taj Mahal,
Red Fort & Fatehpur Sikri. It is not just a dacadent
city of graveyards and stones, but it is a vibrant
centre of Culture, Art and Religious philosphies that
have enriched mankind and shaped human thought over
centuries.
AGRA TOURIST INFORMATION :
Agra is an ancient city on the Yamuna River in India,
within the state of Uttar Pradesh. It is famous as being
home to one of the Seven Wonders of the world-the Taj
Mahal. It achieved prominence as the capital of the
Mughal sovereigns from 1526 to 1658 and remains a major
tourist destination because of its many splendid Mughal-era
buildings. A pleasant town with a comparatively slow
pace, Agra is known for its superb inlay work on marble
and soapstone by craftsmen who are descendants of those
who worked under the Mughals. The city is also famous
for its carpets, gold thread embroidery and leather
shoes.
AGRA HISTORY :
For anyone with a deep interest in history, a summary of
Agra's history would indeed provide a wealth of
information. Situated on the banks of river Yamuna
between Mathura and Surajpur, Agra was originally a part
of the Surasena Empire with Mathura as its capital. But
it came into limelight when Sikander Lodhi, the Sultan
of Delhi made it his capital in the 16th century. After
the advent of the Mughals, there was a shift in the
power play and Agra became the most important seat of
Mughal power in India between the 16th and 17th
centuries. Agra was one of the most important cities
under the Mughals, which is amply evident from the
numerous historical monuments in and around the city.
The earliest reference for Agra comes from the epical
age, when Mahabharata refer Agra as Agravana. In the
sources prior to this, Agra has been referred as Arya
Griha or the abode of the Aryans. The first person who
referred Agra by its modern name was Ptolemy. Agra came
to its own when Shahjahan ascended to the throne of
Mughal Empire. He marked the zenith of Mughal
architecture, when he built the Taj in memory of his
beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. In his later years, Shahjahan
shifted his capital to the new city of Shahjahanabad in
Delhi and ruled from there. Shahjahan was dethroned in
1658 by his son, Aurangzeb who imprisoned him in the
Agra Fort. Aurangzeb shifted the capital back to Agra
till his death. After the death of Aurangzeb, Mughal
Empire could not touch its peak and many regional
kingdoms emerged. The post-Mughal era of Agra saw the
rule of the Jats, Marathas and finally the British
taking over the city.
AGRA AT A GLANCE:
Agra Facts & Figures
Area 62 km˛
Population 1,118,800
Literacy 42 %
Languages Hindi & Urdu
Density 162.2/km˛
Best Time to Visit Winters
Altitude 169 mts.
Rainfall 66 cm average yearly.
HOTELS IN AGRA :
Hotel Amar Vilas Palace
Hotel Taj View Hotel Radisson Hotel Mansingh
Hotel Jaypee Palace Hotel Clark Shiraz Hotel Holiday Inn
Hotel Amar
Hotel Mughal Sheraton Hotel Howard Park Plaza Hotel
Trident Hilton Hotel Deedar-e Taj
AGRA TOURIST ATTRACTIONS :
Taj Mahal Agra Fort Itimad-ud-Daulah Sikandra
Chini Ka Rauza Dayal Bagh Ram Bagh Fatehpur Sikri
Mathura Vrindavan Jama Masjid
AGRA TRAVEL INFO :
By Air - Agra has its own airport which connects Agra
with all the major places in India. The Agra airport or
the Kheria airport has all the major domestic airlines
having their services to this place.
By Rail - Agra has a major railway station by having
stoppage for almost all the trains to south India,
Mumbai and many trains to Calcutta. The Rajdhani and
Shatabdi trains have also their stoppage in Agra. Agra
is connected by rail with all major cities of the
country.
By Road - Agra, on cross-roads of National Highways 2,
3. and 11, is excellently connected to all parts of the
country. The state transports have ordinary as well as
deluxe bus services for this place of the Taj.
AGRA FAIRS & FESTIVALS :
Fairs and festivals are celebrated with traditional
gaiety and fervor to invoke divine blessings as well as
for the sheer joy of living. A celebration of life at
its best.
Bateshwar Fair : Situated at a distance of 70 km. from
Agra on the banks of river Yamuna, Bateshwar is an
important spiritual and cultural centre. The place is
named after the presiding deity of the region, Bateshwar
Mahadeo and has 108 temples dedicated to the gods and
goddesses of the Hindu pantheon. During the months of
Oct. & Nov. a large fair is organized from Shashthi of
Kartik month to Panchami of Agrahayan month. Devotees
congregate here in large numbers to worship Lord Shiva
and take holy dips in river Yamuna. A livestock fair is
also organized and owners and buyers conduct serious
business combined with the gaiety of a market place.
Taj Mahotsav : The Taj Mahotsav at Agra is a colorful
display of the Arts, crafts, culture and cuisine of the
Braj area. Organized by U.P. Tourism and held as an
annual event at the Shilpgram, Taj Mahotsav is a fitting
tribute to the legendary skills of master craftsmen of
Agra and adjoining regions.
Ram Barat : The marriage procession of Sri Ram, is held
every year during Ramlila celebrations at Agra. Every
year a new locale of the town is chosen as Janakpuri,
which is elaborately decorated to perform the royal
wedding. The Rambarat (marriage procession) starts from
Lala Channomaiji Id Baradari for Janakpuri passing
through different parts of the town. The barat is a
large procession of Jhankis followed by the swaroops of
Ram-Lakshman mounted on elephants.
Lathmar Holi : Lathmaar Holi is the most colourful and
exuberant form of traditional Holi festival celebrated
at Barsana, 48 km. from Mathura and at Nandgaon 7 km.
ahead, women folk here beat the men with 'Lathis' or
Bamboo poles while showering coloured water on them with
great rejoice and merriment.
Kailash Fair : Held at Kailash, 12 kms from Agra. It is
a major fair celebrated in honour of Lord Shiva who is
believed to have appeared here in the form of a stone
lingam. It is celebrated during the months of
August-September.
Janmasthmi : The twin cities of Mathura-Vrindavan
celebrate the festival of Janmasthmi with great pomp and
show. Temples are heavily decorated with 'Jhankis' or
tableaus, depicting various episodes of Lord Krishna's
life. The special attraction during the period are the
gold and silver 'Jhulas' or swings which are taken out
on display only during the occasion and the 'Ghatas',
when the entire temple is decorated in only one
colour-the colour of the 'Ghata' decided for that Day.
The Raaslila enactments further add to the festive
spirit.
AGRA SHOPPING :
Agra is known not only for its monumental wonders but
also for its handicrafts and fine arts traditions. You
can shop to your hearts content in the markets of Agra.
Shopping in Agra, is a pleasure, for the fine crafts
once offered only to royalty are now available to
discerning travelers. Some of the fine work for which
Agra is famous includes marblework, such as inlaywork of
the kind seen within the Taj Mahal; leatherwork covering
a wide range of products such as shoes, bags, belts and
more; rugs and carpets, woven by master craftsmen who
retain the secrets of carpet weaving taught generations
ago by Persian rug makers, and brassware which includes
artifacts such as hookah bases, for those who wish to
acquire an oriental souvenir. The main markets for
shopping in Agra are near the Taj Mahal complex. These
areas include Sadar Bazaar, Kinari Bazaar and Munro
Road. The U.P State Emporium called Gangotri at the Taj
Mahal Complex, offers a choice of handicrafts under one
roof. The Shilpagram crafts village is another venue
with a wide range of handicrafts on sale, directly by
the artisans themselves.
AGRA CUISINE :
Several of India's famous meat dishes come from the
north where Muslim influence introduced considerable
sophistication. The superb Mughlai cuisine with its
luscious sauces of milk, curd, cream and crushed nuts is
available in major restaurants in the big cities. There
are rich, creamy kormas; tender, steak like pasandas in
an almond sauce; nargisi kofta, mince (usually mutton)
moulded.
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Travel Agents & Tour Operators in Agra
offers online booking for Agra hotels at discounted
rates. We also provide reservations and information of
all luxury hotels in Agra, five star hotels in Agra,
heritage hotels in Agra, four star hotels in Agra, three
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India. We also provide other travel services like
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trip a wonderful dream come true. |
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