Attracting the maximum number of tourists is the city of the Taj Mahal, Agra, only two hours away by train, four hours by road and 30 minutes by air from Delhi, 204 km away. The over 300-year-old white marble Taj is the main draw and most major hotel chains have properties to cater to the needs of the multitudes of visitors. The hotels, with excellent worldclass facilities, also arrange transport to various monuments and historical sites dating bake to Mughal period. Fatehpur Sikri, 38 km away, is the deserted one-time capital of Emperor Akbar. The tomb of Sheikh Salim Shishti here is visited by hundreds of pilgrims today. At Agra is another religious abode, the smadhi (mausoleum) of the leader of the Radhaswami faith.

For any tourist, Agra is identified with the world famous Taj Mahal. It would be unfair to restrict Agra to Taj Mahal. It would be unfair to restrict Agra to Taj, as it is a vast storehouse of historical anecdotes. It finds mention in the Mahabharata (3rd century B.C.), where it is called Agrabana of paradise city. Agra was the capital of the Mughals in the 16th and 17th centuries, and many of its. Monuments were built during their reign. The city is on the banks of river Yamuna which meanders down from the equally ancient towns of Mathura and Brindavan so closely associated with Lord Krishna.

The city of Agra, on the right bank of Yamuna, maintains its medieval structure, with narrow crowded streets and lanes, full of colorful shops selling all kinds of goods, especially local handicrafts, including gold and silver embroidery and imitation Mughal inlay on marble and fine leather goods. The place is also known for its petha (Pumpkin sweet) and dalmoth (savory fried chick peas).

Agra’s places of interest have much to do with its rulers, especially the Afghans, and later the Mughals, Sikandar Lodi, an Afghan ruler who established his capital in Agra. However, Agra remains the city of the Mughals and its monuments express both the individual taste of successive emperors and the evolution of an architectural tradition to its unique perfection. Akbar made it his capital from 1570 to 1595, functioning from Fatehpur Sikri. Later Shah Jehan built the Jama Masjid, a large part of the Agra fort, and the exquiste Taj Mahal.