A trip to India or Northern part of
India can never be complete if city of Taj Agra is not conquered. Not
just because of Taj Mahal Agra has it's predominance but it is also known for several other monuments and events Agra. Mughals
ruled their whole Kingdom from Agra as their capital city and now Agra
rules in heart of every tourist or every travel enthusiast. Let us see in
detail on all the takeaways from trip to Agra and how to reach there.
Agra is situated on bank of river Yamuna and is located at 200 KM south of National Capital Delhi and 363 KM west of State Capital Lucknow. All across India, Bus or Train are the best ways to travel provided that the tourist is ready for some delays. If comfortable journey is required cab is the best way to see places in India. All the public transports are easily accessible and bookings in advance can be made either online or by going in person.
Reaching Agra
Buses from New Delhi are available from Bus Stands: ISBT Sarai Kale Khan. Buses from here leave every 30 minutes and AC and non AC buses are available. The fare for non AC facility is around Rs 150 and for AC facility the fare is around Rs 280. The buses are easily spotted as the bus conductor would be shouting aloud for calling the travelers in the bus, so there is no chance at all that busses will not be spotted. Below is some of the information which can be helpful before planning to travel from New Delhi to Agra.
ISBT Sarai Kale Khan Telephone number
011 - 24358343, 24358092, 24698343
ISD Code of India: +91
STD Code of Delhi: 011
The UP Roadways buses have the highest frequency and the specific enquires can be made at Enquiry UP Roadways Delhi -
+91-11-22968709. The bookings for buses can be made easily at following URLs.
Buses will leave New Delhi and will take a halt for 15 minutes at a restaurant or Dhaba after travelling 100 KMs. The Buses in Agra will drop at ISBT Agra located at Transport Nagar area in Agra. 3 Wheeler Auto Rickshaws are always available there and will take you to your accommodation.
Railway network from New Delhi to Agra is as good as Bus network. Trains from Hazrat Nizzamuddin and New Delhi Railway station are available all across the day. For comfortable journey in these trains bookings should be made advance through online booking portal. The late comers might have to face some discomforts if booking is not done in advance. Every train has it schedule and transit time is different and on an average train takes around 3.5 to 4 hours to complete the journey. The railway booking can be made in advance through
http://irctc.co.in.
Bookings for all the trains are available. This website is one stop shop for making railway booking all across the country. New Delhi has two railway stations:
Hazrat Nizzamuddin and New Delhi Railway Station and these railways stations are easily accessible through amazing Delhi Metro Train network. The train from New Delhi have two halts in Agra, Raja Ki Mandi Railway Station and Agra Cant Railway Station. Again Auto Rickshaw is the best way to commute from here to any part of Agra City. These Auto Rickshaws are available at every corner of the city and some bargaining will be required before hiring the auto.
Hotels in Agra
Hotels and Restaurants are located on either of the railway station which serve variety of food which is typically very spicy and full of richness. But before having food look for accommodation which suits your budget and required comfort. Hotel ranging from low cost to expensive are available but the thing that you need to know is how to find the one. If pre booking is made in advance it is great but if on the spot search has to be done below are some of the options.
The Oberoi Amarvilas Agra (5 Start)
The Mughal (5 Star)
Hotel JP (5 Star)
Hotel Atithi (3 Star)
Hotel Amar (3 Start)
Hotel Taj Palace (3 Star)
Hotel Clarks Shiraz (5 Star)
Hotel Radisson (5 Star)
Mentioned above are the finest premium 5 and 3 start hotels. Biggest advantage of accommodating in these hotels is that all these hotels are very close to Taj Mahal and all the required facilities for tourists are available in proximity of these hotels.
Below are some of hotels which are budget hotels and are for those who do not want to spend lot of money in accommodation.
These hotels offer complimentary breakfast with the stay and hospitality can be seem at its best.
Travel within Agra
After settling down certainly it is now time for some outing and eating. Taj Mahal is accessible from any part of Agra through Auto Rickshaw or through a cab. Auto Rickshaws are available at every corner of the city effortlessly. Cabs can be arranged by Hotel reception or can be called through phone. Some of the contacts and cab booking facilities are mentioned below.
Cabs can be booked by calling these numbers
Car Rentals Agra - +91 9267398389
Bharat Car Rentals - +91 9045694717
Places to see in Agra
Apart from visiting Taj Mahal there are several other monuments and places to see in Agra. Below is the list of the monuments which are surely the best tourist attraction.
Taj Mahal
Agra Fort
Sikandrabad
Fatehpur Sikri
Itmad-ud-Daulah
Guru-ka-Tal
Mariam-Zamani Tomb
Keetham Lake
Sadar Bazaar (Mall Road)
Raja ki Mandi Market
All the places above are either monuments to leisure places to hang out. The monuments are mostly built in Mughal era as Agra was capital city of Mughal Empire.
Taj Mahal is one of the wonder of the world which has been standing as a biggest honor of India. It is situated at the banks of river Yamuna and is very well connected to the city through public transport system. There are number of good restaurants and eating corners in the proximity of this monuments followed by street vendors who offer number of hand made stuff. 3 hours are enough to visit this monument.
Agra Fort was the home of Mughals. Mughal emperors used to live here and rule the kingdom. This
monument has a huge historical significance specially related to Akbar the great. It is must visit place after Taj Mahal in Agra. It is situated around 2 KMs from Taj Mahal. From the top of Agra Fort whole Taj Mahal is visible across the river Yamuna. 4 hours are enough to cover this monument completely.
Sikandrabad is again a Mughal monument located around 10 KMs away from Taj Mahal. It is the place where Akbar was laid after his death. For some reasons this place is full of apes an monkeys but they are very friendly and do not harm any tourist. 2 hours are enough to cover this monument completely.
Fatehpur Sikri is located around 30 KMs from Taj Mahal.
It is also a Mughal era monument and has interesting history to learn. It is the biggest monument in Agra and has lot of sub monuments in inside. A full day is required for visiting this monument completely. A guide is must to have when visiting this place. Panch Mahal, Buland Darwaaza and Salim Chisti ki Dargah are the three biggest attractions inside.
Guru Ka Tal is actually a Sikh Pilgrimage place. Number of Sikh devotees visit this place everyday and pay they homage to their Guru. This is a special place and visit to this place is must. Takes not more than an hour to cover this place.
Sadar Bazaar (Mall Road) is the heart of the city. This place is in the proximity of Taj Mahal area
and is full of life. This place is the hottest hangout place of Agra where local citizens of the city spend their evening with their families and friends. This place is full of local shops which offer you all kind of latest products and services and lots of eating joints which offers amazing local and international cuisines. It is must visit place. Reach there by 6 PM and spend the time roaming across the streets till 10 PM. You will enjoy every color of city called Agra. Will see the inherent culture of the city and will got to learn the true living style of the natives of city.
Raja ki Mandi Market is the place to visit if you want to spend some time shopping local products on lost cost prices and if you are willing to go beyond limits in bargaining and negotiating the prices. Things like leather belts, hand bags, books, sun glasses, ready made garments, foot wares etc.. are the biggest attractions of this place.
Where and What to Eat in Agra
Not a single person that I know of, has not liked the food of Agra. Ranging from vegetarian to non vegetarian food, Agra has everything for every stomach. The day of a Agra resident starts with a heavy breakfast of Bedai (Berai) and Jalabi and day end with either a full course meal of Mughalai food or with a finger licking chat of chat corner at end of the street. Every chat corner of every street has a special taste and something different to offer.
Bedai is a dish found only in Agra or the cities around Agra. This typical breakfast, usually served as
bedai (sometimes spelled
berahi)
is a fried, puffy bread, much like kachori, served with a bowl of spicy green
sabzi dotted with hunks of potato and a dollop of curd. The
jalebi, as you’ve hopefully tried in
Delhi, is a
sticky-sweet dessert made of fermented batter that’s fried into ropy whorls,
then soaked in hot sugary syrup. Freshly made and consumed one after another on
a crowded street corner, together they’re the definitive balanced breakfast of
Agra.
For tourists it will be hard to distinguish between a good and OK Bedai corner. Some of the best Bedai corners are mentioned below
The shops mentioned above are also known best for authentic North Indian sweets. Agra is known for best Indian sweets and you can get all sorts of sweets ranging from Gulab Jamun to Raj Bhog. Apart from these typical Indian sweets Agra has a special sweet known as Petha. This particular sweet is manufactured only in Agra and Agra is famous across the whole country for this sweet.
Petha is a translucent soft candy usually rectangular or cylindrical, it is made from the ash gourd vegetable (also known as winter melon or white pumpkin, or simply Petha in Hindi and Urdu). It has a special taste as is carries a special recipe for its preparation.
Panchi Petha Stores is the best place for purchasing the best and variety of Petha. Panchi Petha has number of stores all across Agra and easily accessible. Dalmoth is one more specialty of this shop and Agra. Petha and Dalmoth are talked about in parallel and no customer/tourist purchases only Petha or Dalmoth but are always purchased together as the spiciness of Dalmoth is neutralized by sweetness of Petha.
Options for Lunch and Dinner are enormous and wonderful. Agra is full of full course meal restaurants which offer best of North Indian Mughlai and South India food. Some of the best family restaurants are listed below
- Achman, near Bhagwaan Cinema
- Satkar, near Bhagwaan Cinema
- Capri, Delhi Gate
- Solitaire, MG Road
- Dasa Prakash, Shamshabad Road
- Bikanervala NH2, near Tulsi Cinema
- Pizza Hut, Fatehabad Road
- Mc Donalds, TDI Mall, Fatehabad Road
- Aahar Restaurant, Sanjay Place
Agra has amazing Chat/Snack options which are available all through the day on the streets either as a shop around the corner of as a kiosk on wheel. Some of the famous chat options are as follows
- Pani Puri (Gol Gappa)
- Bhalla (Aaloo Tikki)
- Dal ka Cheela
- Dahi Bhalla
- Aaloo Chat
- Chola Bhatura
- Franky Rolls
- Chicken Tikka
- Kababs
The best part of these chat items is their special and authentic taste full of mouth watering chutneys and the way they are served in earthen bowls. The best of chat corners are more towards Sadar Bazar (Mall Road) an Sanjay Place which is heart of business in Agra. Some of the best Chat Corners are mentioned below:
- Agra Chat House, Sadar Bazaar (Best place in Agra to have Chat)
- Mama Franky House, Sadar Bazaar (Veg and Non Veg)
- Bhagat Halwai, MG Road
Shopping in Agra
A shopper's paradise for those who love to buy specialties of the place as souvenirs and keepsakes or as gifts for their loved ones, Agra offers mini Taj replicas in various sizes for the tourists. This white-marble Taj is often used as decorative items in the homes and are considered to bring good luck for the lovers. However, the 'marble' can be actually the fake - a stone called 'Talk', which looks like marble, with the exception that it is not opaque like the real one. It is quite cheaper too. So, one should be careful about the quality while buying the Taj replica and pay only the right price. Leather items at Agra are famous for their quality. These include leather sandals, purses, bags and decorative items.
There are lots of handicraft emporiums that offer a variety of sandalwood and rose wood items along
with brass decorative pieces and stone carved images. The fine work done by the local artisans in the city is notable and the markets of Agra are the best place to explore exquisite piece of fine Zari embroidery work, stone inlay work, durries and carpets. One can find most of the big
emporiums concentrated in the Gangotri at Taj complex, Sadar Bazaar and Sanjay Place. Yet, those who can steer through the narrow lanes of the city markets of Kinari Bazaar, Raja Mandi, Fuhaara and Lohamandi can get their hands on the best bargains at dirt cheap prices. One can also try Petha (sweet) and Dalmoth (salty), the famous delicacies of Agra. Petha is good for summers and can last for about a month.
Agra has a huge export industry of Leather products and there are number of leather product manufacturer and exporters. This industry is responsible for providing employment to number of people in Agra.
Fairs and Festivals in Agra
Agra district has many rural areas that are greatly influenced by the religious and sentimental attachment to the surrounding areas of Mathura and Vrindavan to Lord Krishna and Radha. Most of the fairs and festivals organized in the region are either temple festivals, religious festivals or cattle and village fairs based on Krishna's life such as Dauji ka mela, Kans lila, cattle fair Jat Devi, cattle fair Kund Mela, cattle fair Gwal Balba, Meta ki Puja Jat Devi, Holi Milap, Mata-ka-mela, Shitla Mela, Parikrama of Shivji, Kailash Mela, Janamashthmi, Dussehra, Kali-ka-mela, Ram lila, Urs Sufi Sahib and Bateshwar cattle fair. However, we have brought you the most famous of these fairs and festivals of the region.
Taj Mahotsav
Much famous and beloved cultural festival of Agra, Taj Mahotsav is organized annually for ten days during February. Shilpgram (the Crafts Village), the chosen venue for this fair is close to Taj. Here, one can find extensive display of arts, crafts and culture of India along with classical dance and song performances. 'Mushairas' and 'Ghazal' programmes by the well-known Indian artists. Children love to ride on camels and elephants in the vene while one can taste traditional Indian delicacies at the luring stalls here. The colorful celebrations welcome the Spring with a fiesta of Indian cuisine, dance and music, cultural displays and exhibition of arts and crafts.
A brainchild of Uttar Pradesh Tourism, Taj Mahotsav is an event to lure the tourists and acquaint them with the legendary skills of Indian master craftsmen and the finesse of Indian fine arts. It also showcases the rich heritage of India. It commences with a splendid Mughal-style procession highlighting bedecked elephants, richly adorned camels, drumbeaters and folk artists. Taj Mahotsav is best play to witness marble inlay work, wood carvings from Saharanpur, brass wares from Moradabad, handmade carpets of Badohi, the blue pottery of Khurja, the Chikan work of Lucknow and the silks of Banares, all at one place. The Crafts Fair and the Food Festival of Taj Mahotsav have their own charm. The folk dances such as Dundelkhand and 'Nautanki' of Uttar Pradesh, 'Sapera' dance of Rajasthan, the dance of snake charmers and Lavani of Maharashtra have always captured the attention of tourists.
Bateshwar Fair
Bateshwar is just 70 km from Agra and is names so after the presiding deity of the region, Bateshwar Mahadeo. It is an important spiritual and cultural centre boasting of 108 temples of the various gods and goddesses of Hindus. Bateshwar Fair is organized here annually during the months of October or November in the honor of Lord Shiva for a month. Thousands of devotees visit the venue to take holy dips in River Yamuna and participate in the Livestock and Cattle Fair, which is famous in the nearby areas.
Ram Barat
The special marriage procession of Sri Ram, held annually at Agra, is known as 'Rambarat' and precedes Dussehra. It is a part of 'Ramlila', the staging of life of Rama that ends with killing of Ravana, on the day of Dussehra. Its specialty lies in the beautiful 'jhankis' of the deities and the special set of the palace arranged at the chosen venue as 'Janakpuri', the palace of Raja Janak who was the father of Goddess Sita. A major fair is organized in the locality and thousands of people visit the venue to see the fair and attend the elaborate royal wedding of the divine deities. The procession starts from Lala Channomalji Ki Baradari for the Janakpuri venue and passes through different parts of the town. Special chariot covered with silver leaves is used as the mount of Ram while his brothers mount the elephants. The elaborate and heavy headgears look stunning. Teenaged boys play the female characters of the drama.
Kailash Fair
Held at Kailash temple in the honor of Lord Shiva, 12 km from Agra, Kailash fair is celebrated to commemorate the appearance of Lord Shiva in the form of a stone lingam here in the monsoon months of August and September. The major fair attracts devotees from all the nearby areas.
All these things make this city a place worth travelling to. The city is full of life and has something or other for everybody visiting there. The best season to go there is the winter season starting from October to February as the summers are really hot here. Do make your plan to visit Agra as soon as possible and take good care of yourself.
