|
About
Agra
Perhaps
no other historical monument has evoked as much
awareness and admiration from tourists and
travellers alike, as the magnificent Taj Mahal -
fondly called by people as the ultimate requiem of
love, from a great Mughal Emperor to his beloved.
So
overwhelming is the exquisite beauty and presence of
this marble mausoleum that centuries later today,
even the very land where it has been located - Agra
- has been immortalised as the City of the Taj. Yet,
it doesn’t take much for the roving eye to
discover that there's more to Agra than just the
fabled Taj Mahal. The city is a virtual gateway to a
world of discovery... a freeze-frame from a
resplendant era that's long since gone by. In the
great epic 'Mahabharat' the region of Agra is
described as 'Agraban' (an integral part of the Brij
Bhumi or the land of Lord Krishna). The latter part
of Indian history outlines the origins of Agra to
1475 A.D., when the reign of Raja Badal Singh.
However,
Agra came into limelight during the rule of Afghan
King Sikandar Lodhi - who had made it the capital of
his empire.Later in 1526 A.D., the Mughal Emperor
Babar took upon himself the task for rendering Agra,
a unique character and beauty of its own. The
visionary that he was and a great patron of the
arts, Emperor Babar brought in a change in the
culture and life-style among the people of Agra,
which then brought forth some of the finest
craftsmen, artists, statesmen, warriors and
nobility, this part of India had ever withnessed.
The golden age of Agra's history, thus began to set
in.
The
next few hundred years of Agra witnessed the rise of
the pomp and pageantry of three great Mughal
monarchs - Emperor Akbar, Jehangir and ShahJahan -
all of whom lavished on this fabled city, their love
and riches immeasurable to transform the land into
one of the great centers of art, culture, learning
and commerce.
Much
of the city's impressive past lives in evidence even
today, in the hunting presence inside the monuments,
the majesty of the buildings, the exquisite arts and
crafts and not to forget, the lure of an exceptional
cuisine... all, cherished as priceless legacies of a
nostalgic past. The older city of Agra has
impressively retained much of its resplendent
history... captivating every visitor with fond
memories to take back home. Today, luxury and modern
convenience also exist adjacent to tradition -
luxury hotels, shopping malls and plazas, wide
avenues and a superb choice of venues for
recreation, business, sports, pleasure, education
and the arts.
|
