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Delhi Jaipur
Mathura
Agra
The Taj Mahal
is the main reason tourists come here. The other main places of interest are the
Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri.
Sikander Lodi,
the Sultan of Delhi, moved his capital here in 1504. In the 16th and
17th century, Agra was the capital of the Moghul Empire, which was
spread over most of India. Akbar constructed the Agra Fort during his reign. It
is convenient to make a day trip to Agra from Delhi or Vrindavana.
| This beautiful
marble tomb was built between 1631 and 1653. Inside are the tombs of Shah Jahan
and his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Shah Jahan built the Taj in memory of his beloved
wife. It took over 20,000 persons 22 years to build. Experts were brought from
all over the world, including Italy and France. The Taj is mainly of white
marble and many semiprecious stones are embedded in the walls. The Taj looks
most beautiful at dawn and dusk. It is open 6 am to 7 pm. |
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Agra Fort
| This fort was
originally built by Emperor Akbar. Latter it was expanded by Aurangzeb. You
enter through Amar Singh Gate on the south side. Aurangzeb over-threw his
father, Shah Jahan, who built the Taj Mahal, and imprisoned him. He did give his
father a room with a view of the Taj Mahal. The fort is worth seeing. |
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Fatehpur Sikri
 This was the
temporary capital of Emperor Akbar, of the Moghul Empire, between 1570-1586. It
was deserted because of lack of water. It is 40 km west of Agra. It is a
perfectly preserved deserted city. The tour buses stop only for an hour here.
You can get a bus from Agra’s Idgah bus station to here, which takes about an
hour. If you have bags you can leave them at the bus station restaurant. Of
course you can hire a taxi for the trip.
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