Agra is a city in northern India’s Uttar Pradesh state. It's home to the iconic Taj Mahal, a mausoleum built for the Mughal ruler Shah Jahan’s wife, Mumtaz Mahal (who died in childbirth in 1631). The imposing main building features a massive dome and intricately carved white marble inlaid with precious stones. This is set behind a reflecting pool inside a courtyard defined by 4 minarets.

Agra is well-connected by road, rail and air with most parts of the country as it is a prime tourist destination. Interestingly, it is 210 km away from the state capital Lucknow and only 125 km away from Delhi. The city is on the banks of the River Yamuna and enjoys a healthy influx of tourists all year round.

Agra’s Kheria Airport is 12.5 km away from the heart of the city and you can avail of taxis once you land. There are four main railway heads in Agra: Agra Cantonment, Agra Fort, Idgah Agra Junction and Raja ki Mandi. Trains from most cities halt at one of these railway stations. India’s fastest train, the Gatimaan Express that runs between Delhi and Agra in flat 100 minutes is also an option for tourists. It also offers travel itineraries for one, two or more days. You can also drive down to Agra from different parts of the county. The Yamuna Expressway is one of the fastest routes to reach Agra from Delhi.

SIGHTSEEING ATTRACTIONS IN AGRA

Agra was the seat of the Mughal Empire and is peppered with some great architectural marvels of their times. While Taj Mahal garners the most amount of interest, when in Agra, it is important to pay a visit to some of the city’s other exemplary structures. Once you are done admiring the wonder that is Taj Mahal, move on to other important sites, some in its vicinity and some a little further away from it. From Akbar’s Tomb to Agra Fort and the walled city of Fatehpur Sikri, Agra is home to some important monuments that tell the story of India’s history. Take a day out to explore these gems that Agra has to offer.

Akbar's Tomb

Akbar the Great built some majestic monuments in his lifetime and one of them was his tomb itself. The task of commissioning your own tomb is part of Turkic custom that Mughals adhered to. He even selected the site where he wanted to be kept. His last resting place, Sikandra is where Akbar’s Tomb is. His son Jehangir completed the construction of his father’s tomb in 1613 and it was beautifully carved, made of red sandstone. Just 1 km away from Akbar’s Tomb is Mariam’s Tomb, who was Akbar’s wife and Jehangir’s mother. The monument is open for visitors on all days of the week from 6 am to 6 pm. The entry fee for Indians is Rs 15 and for foreigners it is Rs 110.

Mankameshwar Mandir

One of the ancient Shiva temples in the country, Mankameshwar Mandir holds much religious importance as according to the legend, Shiva installed a lingam here on his own. The Mughal architecture isn’t the only thing that draws tourists to Agra, temples like these are also crowd-pullers. The temple is close to Agra Fort and near other tourist monuments like the Taj Mahal. As per the legend, Shiva wanted to go to Mathura after the birth of Krishna to get a glimpse of the little baby boy.