9.Agra-City of Taj
A city that has three of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites is
hard to keep out of this list. Located at the banks of Yamuna River, Agra is
about 200 kms away from New Delhi. From its early references in the
Mahabharata to being the capital of the Mughal Empire, Arga is a city that
shines with examples of intricate Mughal Architecture wherever you look.
The Taj Mahal probably is best described by Rabindranath
Tagore as “a teardrop on the cheek of eternity”. Attracting thousands of
tourists in a day, the Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for
his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. Built in 23 years with the help of over 20000
workers, it is so perfectly designed and constructed that it looks similar from
all its four sides. The Quranic inscriptions on its four entrances are carved
in such subtle increase in size that may appear to be of the same size from top
to bottom. Craftsmen from Italy and Persia were hired by Shah Jahan to help
design his tribute of love to his wife. These and many more reasons make this
monument a crowning achievement in Mughal architecture.
Apart from the awe inspiring Taj Mahal, there are many other
things to do in Agra should you get the time. Other tourist attractions
worth visiting are the Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri, Itmad-Ud-Daulah’s Tomb
and Jama Masjid. If you are in the mood for a bit of shopping, you can buy
various stone products, jewelry and other items. However you should be careful
about being ripped off and always should bargain hard since some items can be
fake. For the foodies, must have are the delicious variety of Chats and the
famous pethas of Agra.
As a city, Agra might be a bit on the disappointing side with
its pollution, touts and hawkers. But from a perspective of its historical
significance, amazing monuments and tourist attractions, no trip to India is
complete without visiting the Agra. Also it’s close proximity to the
capital of India make it an ideal weekend getaway from Delhi. All this and
many more reasons make Agra number 9 on our list of best places to
visit in India
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