Agra, the city of the Taj Mahal and
once the capital of the Mughal empire,has several monuments which display the splend
our of Mughal architecture. It was here that Babar, the founder of the dynasty,
had the first formal Persian garden laid out on the banks of the river Yamuna. Akbar,
his grandson, raised the towering ramparts of the great Red Fort, with in whose
walls Jahangir built rose-red palaces, courts and gardens, and which Shahajahan
embellished with marble mosques, palaces and pavilions of gem-inlaid white marble.
Agra is mentioned in the ancient epic Mahabharata as Agraban, the sister city of
the more prominent Mathura. Agra was established in 1475 by Badal Singh and came
into its own when Sikander Lodhi of the Lodhi dynasty chose it for his capital because
of its proximity to the Yamuna. Babur defeated the Lodhis to capture not only Agra
but also to lay the foundation of the Mughal empire. In the mid-16th and earlier
17th centuries, Agra witnessed afrenzied building activity and it was during this
time that the symbol oflove, the Taj Mahal, was built. The buildings made during
this era were purely in the contemporary Mughal style and of very high quality.
Besides the monuments, Agra is worth a visit for the master pieces of craftsmen
recreating the glory of the Mughal period and for the Mughlai cuisine, the aroma
of which fills the narrow lanes of Agra.
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