A fellow traveller shares her experience of her maiden visit to Agra.

What would a perfect weekend plan sound like? For some of us, it would be spending most of our time in our bed sleeping!

We decided to do something different and planned a trip to the legendary city of Agra. Our journey started at seven in the morning from New Delhi. In big cities like Delhi, early morning journeys work best as one is able to avoid the heavy city traffic that starts building up just as the sun starts to have its effect.

The distance between the two cities has reduced significantly with the opening of the Yamuna Expressway. The expressway is generally free from traffic but according to rules, one cannot exceed his speed limit beyond 100 kmph.

The journey is more comfortable in August than the rest of the months as the sky tends to be cloudy which provides protection from the heat of the sun. The distance of 200 km from Delhi to Agra on this expressway can be completed within three hours.

Image Source: Kompshi

Agra is a city situated on the banks of the Yamuna in Uttar Pradesh, India. The city has a rich historical background which is evident from the number of monuments in the city. The earliest reference to Agra dates back to the period of Mahabharata where it is referred to as Agravana.

It is also believed that the place served as an abode of the Aryans. The city offers one a memorable experience which can be felt only when one visits the place. To explore this place is to be transported to the time when the city was ruled by the Mughals.

Agra is one of the most visited tourist destinations of India so by virtue of that one can visit anytime of the year here and still find a number of fellow visitors. People come here to experience the beauty of Agra’s monuments, its food and to purchase leather footwear.

But we were not so bothered by thoughts of the tourist rush as we had already booked an OYO in Agra located on the Agra-Fatehabad Road, barely a few hundred meters from the Taj Mahal.

We checked in to the hotel and were happy to see the arrangement and the maintenance of the rooms. After checking in and taking lunch we headed towards Mehtab Bagh. It took us thirty minutes to reach Mehtab Bagh given the current state of the city’s traffic.

Mehtab Bagh or ‘The Moonlight Garden’ was the eleventh Mughal-built garden along Yamuna River opposite Taj Mahal and Agra Fort. The place provides a beautiful view of the Taj Mahal.

It is believed that Shah Jahan wanted to build a black marble mausoleum for himself as a twin monument to Taj Mahal in this place. But his wish could not be fulfilled as he was imprisoned by his son Aurangzeb. A researcher while discovering the remnants of an old pond mistakenly found the foundation of the prestigious structure.

Another popular belief is that Mehtab Bagh and other gardens were constructed to protect Taj from the corrosive effects of the sand blown across the river. The site is open for visit from sunrise to sunset with an entrance fee of Rs 5 for the citizens of India and SAARC and BIMSTEC countries’ visitors and Rs 100 for people not falling in the above categories.

On our way we met two housewives who went there regularly with their children. We asked them what could be the other places to visit apart from the Taj Mahal, and they suggested that we could visit Sadar Bazaar and taste the sweet that Agra is famous for, the petha. They showed us the way to the original Panchhi Petha shop which is popular among the locals and the tourists. Panchhi Petha is a small shop with no fancy banners and decorative packages and its a must in agra shopping TO-DO list. They serve a variety of pethas and also enjoy a loyal customer base.

Image Source: Tanya

We headed back to the hotel to meet our guests- the founders of Street of India – who were organizing a photo trip in Agra. They had had a pleasant bus trip from Delhi to Agra. They along with a group of twenty young photographers planned to cover the city’s heritage in a span of two days. The photo walk was to start with one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Taj Mahal.

Taj has a beautiful entrance. It is an ornately designed structure and a treat to visitors and photographers. It took us thirty minutes to cross the entrance to catch hold of the white marble beauty.

Taj Mahal is believed to be built by Shah Jahan in the memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. It is symbol of love and a world heritage site. The domed marble tomb is a part of an integrated complex of gardens and two red-sandstone buildings.

Taj Mahal is something difficult to describe in words, one would always fall short of words while describing it. As it was an early morning visit there were less visitors and more photographers. The team had taken photographs from each and every angle to capture the moment.

The Taj Mahal is open for visitors from 6 in the morning to 6 in the evening with an entrance fee of Rs 20 and it also hosts a light show which starts from 7:30 and 8:30 in the evening.

Having seen the Taj Mahal it was time to visit the Agra Fort. Like the Taj Mahal, the Agra Fort is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is popularly known as the sister monument of Taj. The fort is also known as ‘Lal-Qila’ and is a symbol of power, strength, and pliability.

Emperor Akbar built the fort in red sandstone in 1654. The Fort served as a military strategic point and as a royal residence. The fort is open for a visit on all days with an entrance fee of Rs 20 for Indians and Rs 520 for foreigners.

Finally, after a tiring day, we put an end to our journey. We bid adieu to the historical city and proceeded towards Delhi from Agra.

The city has given us a lot of memories and reminded us of our rich history. The walls, architecture, style, food, and people all tell us something related to our history-making us proud of the place we belong to. Such diversity in culture, food, clothes, and architecture can only be found in India. If you have more holidays in your kitty, you can plan one day visit Kanpur