Agra Diaries

3] VISIT TO ONE OF THE 7 WONDERS OF THE WORLD - AGRA.

DAY - 4(23rd Nov)

We reached Agra at 11:15 AM. It takes approx. 1.5 hrs to reach Agra from Bharatpur. We had booked Hotel Taj resort. This resort is very close to Eastern Gate of Taj Mahal.

Places to visit :-

1) Taj Mahal -

Taj Mahal is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the bank of river Yamuna. It is one of the 7 wonders of world. It was made by Shah Jahan in the memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. The construction started in 1632 and ended in 1648.

We reached Taj Mahal at 1:30 PM. We entered Taj Mahal from Eastern Gate. There are different tickets for entry in Taj Mahal : 1) For main entry and 2) For entry in mausoleum. Food items, tripod stand etc. are prohibited so there is cloak room outside the entrance where we have to leave our bags and carry only water bottles inside. Frisking is also done before entering. There is a main gateway to Taj Mahal. It leads to magnificent view of Taj Mahal. The beauty of Taj is awesome. It takes approx. 2 to 3 hrs to explore Taj. We also went inside the mausoleum. The entry closes at 5 PM so it is advisable to visit Taj before it. After this, we went to Agra Fort.

TAJ MAHAL REMAINS CLOSE ON FRIDAY

Main Gateway To Taj Mahal

2) Agra Fort -

Agra Fort also known as Agra's Red Fort or "Lal-Qila" is made by Mughal Emperor Akbar. We reached Agra Fort at 4 PM. It also closes at 5 PM. The fort contains Diwan-e-Am, Diwan-e-Khas, Jahangir Palace, Bathtub of Jahangir etc. It is present parallel to river Yamuna and Taj Mahal can also be viewed from the fort. Only some portion of this fort is permitted for visitors rest of the area in the fort is given to army. It took approx. 30 to 45 mins to explore Agra Fort. After this, we went to Baby Taj.

3) Baby Taj or Itmad-ud-Daula -

Baby Taj or Tomb of Itmad-ud-Daula is also a Mughal mausoleum. We reached Baby Taj at 4:45 PM. This tomb is made from red sandstones and white marbles. This mausoleum was commissioned by Nur Jahan, the wife of Jahangir, for her father Mirza Ghiyas Beg. This tomb closes at 5 PM so it is advisable to visit it before that.

After this, we again went to eastern gate of Taj Mahal. We bought Pethas. Pethas of Pancchi and Brijwasi are very famous in Agra. We purchased some souvenirs also and then had our dinner.