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The land of religion, Ganga-Jamuna and of course the Taj. The state has lost most of it's hills to the new state of Uttaranchal but still packs a lot of colour and vibrancy. 
AGRA

The city that was once the capital of India is struggling to fight the present day fatigue of a modern city with chaos at roads and unregulated growth making it burst at the seams. The structure that makes the city go and attracts millions of visitors every year is obviously the Taj Mahal. 

General Info
Altitude : Below 200m  
Weather : Cool in Winter, very hot in summer. 
Best Season : Nov to Feb


 How to reach 
Distance: 204 km
Road   
If I have to rank the highways going out of Delhi I will without doubt rank  the Delhi  Agra expressway the best  for it's width, road surface and density of traffic( less being better). One can easily do the distance of around 210 km in two hours. The expressway is wonderfully planned with 6 lanes, lay byes with utilities and so on

One can also take the old NH2 for Agra.
On the way there are lot of options to make a pit stop for fuel for the car and yourself. The first one is Dabchick at Hodal 100 km from Delhi after you pass Palwal. It is a government run motel with good lawns , elephant and camel rides for children along with dine and wine facility. If you don't plan to stop here Kosi is just 20 km away with Country Inn which can be used as a night over stop if desired. which as well as other private food joints along with a fast food center and a hotel. Next on the line is Mathura but you don't have to pass through as there is a bypass road available saving you a lot of time and energy. Before you know you are hitting Sikandra, the mausoleum of King Akbar just 10 km short of Agra. TIP If you have a hotel booking make sure of the route to take after entering Agra as the traffic is chaotic and one can move around in circles without reaching one's destination.
Train  
The best option would be the Taj Express or the Shatabdi though there are plenty of other trains available.

What to see
Taj Mahal So much has been said about the beauty of this pristine structure in white marble by renowned poets and writers that it is beyond us mere mortals to describe the aura of this heavenly monument. Built in the memory of his wife Mumtaz mahal by Emperor Shah Jahan in 1631 AD. This poetry in stone mesmerizes you at first glance and looks different every time you see it. You will love seeing it in the morning, afternoon, evening, dusk and if you are lucky in the moonlight. Getting to the Taj You will have to take a battery operated van or a horse cart (tanga) from the designated spots after parking your vehicles as these are not allowed in the vicinty of the monument. Monday closed, Friday no entrance fee.
Red Fort The predecessor of the Delhi fort this massive red stone structure was started by Akbar and has contributions from Jehangir and Shah Jahan. The various buildings which can be seen are Diwan-e-am, Diwan-e-khas, the Octagonal tower where Emperor Jahangir was kept in captivity for 7 years by his son Aurangzeb and Moti and Mina Masjid have pearly white domes. A sound and light show is held here daily in the evening at the fort.
Sikandra This Moghul complex mentioned above houses the tomb of Akbar and is surrounded by vast green lands and mostly built of four minarets together, you will not be successful as one will always be hidden by the tomb. 
Itimad-ud-daula Situated across the Yamuna opposite the Taj this is the tomb of Mirza Ghiyas Beg made by Nur Jehan, wife of Jahangir for his father. Built of pure white marble and covered with semi precious stones. Because of it's unmatched beauty it was often called a lavish jewellery box.
Dayal Bagh This temple of the Radha Swami Sect is under construction for the last 100 years and is in white marble. Many workers doing work on blocks of marble can always be seen at the temple site.
What to buy  
Agra is known for marble and stone inlay work available in all sizes with the price depending on the fineness of the inlay work and the place you are buying from. One can also look for leather goods like shoes, bags etc from the Sadar Bazaar and other areas. The sweet meat petha is an Agra speciality available in different flavours and available all over the city.
 

 

       

 

 

Contact Anand 0-9811193634/ Seema 0-9891458220(10 AM-8PM) EMAIL us for bookings and packages
Stay Package Executive Rooms  Rs 4000/- per night with breakfast (taxes extra)

 

 

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