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Introduction 
Agra was once the capital of the Mughal empire
and even today it seems to linger in the past. Not surprising, for the Mughal
emperors with their passion for building, endowed the city with some of the
finest structures in the world. It is very easy to slip away here through the
centuries into the grandeur and intrigues of the Mughal court. Agra is an old
city and it is said that its name was derived from Agrabana, a forest thats
finds mention in the epic.
History
In more recent times Agra came into
prominence when Sikandar Lodi made it his capital city in 1501. The Lodi rule
was to end very soon and Agra passed into the possession of the Mughals. It was
during the time of the third emperor Akbar that Agra came into its own. He
embarked on the construction of the massive Agra Fort in 1565. Though Akbar was
diverted into building a new capital at Fatehpur Sikari not far away, Agra
continued to retain its importance and Shah Jehan, Akbar's grandson ornamented
the city with that masterpiece of Mughal architecture -the Taj Mahal and built
several other beautiful buildings within the Agra Fort.
Festival
Agra city livens up during the festive time of the Taj Mahotsav which is
organised during February.Its a 10 day extravaganza which is held in the
Shilpgram which is close to Taj Mahal.It brings out the arts,crafts and culture
of India.It has classical dance and song performances by well known artists in
India.Apart from this ghazal programmes are also organised and not to miss out
on Camel and Elephant rides and Games which are a pass time for Children and
elders also.Agra is best known for its Id Melas and the colourful Tazias taken out on
Muharram.
Best Season
Summers are very
hot and winters chilling cold. The temperature difference between the summers
and winters is very high. The monsoon although provides some respite from the
heat but the rains leaves the city very dirty. It is better to plan your Agra
trip between the months of March and October.
Travel Links For Agra
www.budget-hotels-agra.com
www.agra-hotels.com
www.travel-uttarpradesh.com
www.indiatravelinfo.com/up/agra.htm
News Papers Links For Agra
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