India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (252 page)

2 Agra

200km (124 miles) SE of Delhi; 60km (37 miles) E of Bharatpur; 120km (75 miles) N of Gwalior

Agra

Agra is invariably included on every first-time visitor’s itinerary, for who visits India without visiting the Taj? Home to three generations of one of the most dynamic dynasties in the medieval world, their talent and wealth immortalized in stone and marble, Agra is home to the finest examples of Mughal architecture in India, of which the Taj is simply the most famous. The beauty of these buildings will bowl you over, but knowing something of the dramatic history that played itself out on these stages (see “The Life & Times of the Mughal Emperors,” below) makes the entire Agra experience come alive.

To soak up this fascinating history in the walls and rooms that resonated to Mughal voices, you should ideally set aside 2 full days here and hire the services of a good guide. And, if your budget can stretch that far, there’s only one place to stay: the palatial Amarvilās, where every room has a view of the Taj.

The Life & Times of the Mughal Emperors

Babur, the first Mughal emperor—inspired by the Persians’ belief that a cultured leader should re-create the Islamic ideal of a “garden of paradise” here on earth—built three gardens on the banks of the Yamuna. But Agra only took shape as a city under his grandson, Akbar, the third Mughal emperor. Son of the poet-astronomer-philosopher Humayun (whose tomb is in Delhi, described earlier in this chapter), Akbar moved the capital here in 1566. While Akbar was as versatile as his father, he was also a better statesman, revered for his religious tolerance and relatively understated lifestyle. He took the throne at age 13 and ruled for almost 50 years, when he consolidated the Mughal empire and wooed the Hindu “underlings” by abolishing taxes, banning the slaughter of cows, promoting Hindu warriors within his army, and taking a Rajput princess as his bride, who bore him a son, Jahangir. In gratitude for the appearance of an heir, Akbar built a brand-new city,
Fatehpur Sikri,
which lies 40km (25 miles) southwest and is today one of Agra’s top attractions.

The grandeur of this statement of gratitude indicates that Akbar must have, at least at first, been a very indulgent father, though his joy must later have been tinged with disappointment, for at an age when he himself was ruling India, Jahangir (who was to be his only surviving son) was relishing his reputation as a womanizer and acquiring a deep affection for alcohol, opium, painting, and poetry. When Jahangir fell in love with
Nur Jahan,
his “light of the world,” who was at the time married, Akbar opposed the alliance. But after her husband died (under mysterious circumstances, it must be said), Jahangir promised to give up “the pleasures of the world,” so Akbar gave his consent. Jahangir had a coin minted in her honor, and when he was crowned emperor in Agra Fort in 1628, it was in fact the strong-willed and ambitious Nur Jahan who ruled the empire from behind the jalis (screens) for 16 years. She also built a magnificent garden tomb, another of Agra’s top attractions and affectionately referred to as the “mini-Taj”, for her father. By the time Jahangir died in 1644, reputedly a drunkard, Akbar must have been turning in his tomb (yet another of Agra’s top attractions).

It was Jahangir’s third son,
Shah Jahan
(not incidentally born of Nur Jahan), who came to power—apparently after murdering his two elder brothers, their two children, and two male cousins. Known as the ”architect” of the dynasty, the fifth Mughal emperor began renovating the Agra Fort at age 16, but achieved the apotheosis of Mughal design when he built the Taj Mahal for his beloved
Mumtaz
(the niece of Nur Jahan). Bored, he moved the capital to Delhi when he was 47, building an entirely new city from scratch, designing modern geometric palaces (including a separate royal apartment for his favored daughter, Jahanara Begum) and beautiful gardens within the new Red Fort. But he was to pay a bitter price for the favoritism he showed Jahanara and his son,
Dara Shikoh.
His pious third son,
Aurangzeb,
aided by
Roshanara Begum
(Jahanara’s embittered younger sister), seized the throne by betraying and/or murdering most of their siblings. Aurangzeb, the last of the great Mughal emperors, became the most repressive ruler North India had yet seen, destroying Hindu temples and images throughout the region and banning the playing of music or any other form of indulgent pleasure. Known as much for his cruelty as his ambition, Aurangzeb allegedly poisoned his ally Roshanara when he caught her in an illicit liaison in her quarters at the Red Fort. Having imprisoned his father in Agra Fort, Aurangzeb sent him a platter upon which he garnished the head of his favorite son, Dara. According to legend he instructed his servant to present it with the words, “Your son sends you this to let you see that he does not forget you.”

ESSENTIALS

VISITOR INFORMATION
The
Government of India Tourist Office
is at 191 The Mall (
0562/222-6368;
[email protected]; Mon–Fri 9am–5:30pm, Sat 9am–2pm). A 24-hour
Tourism Reception Centre
is at Cantonment Railway Station (
0562/242-1204
). Not as much on the ball, the
U.P. Tourism Bureau
is at 64 Taj Rd. (
0562/222-6431;
Mon–Sat 10am–5pm; closed second Sat of the month).

GETTING THERE & AWAY
By Road
Agra lies less than 4 hours away, on a good two-lane highway from Delhi. Many Delhi operators offer bus tours to Agra; see “Essentials” in the Delhi section, above. If you don’t mind being part of a bus tour, a good option is to take a day trip from Delhi with
TCI
(see “Guided Tours” below); alternatively, hire a car and driver. Should you need to stop for refreshments, the
Country Inn
at Kosi, 99km (61 miles) from Delhi, is a good bet.

By Air
At press time, the only flights into Agra are charters; it is unknown whether commercials flights (suspended several years back) will ever resume.

By Train
The
Bhopal Shatabdi
leaves New Delhi at 6am daily, arriving at
Agra Cantonment Railway Station
(
131
or 133 information, or 0562/242-0998 reservations) at 8am; it returns to Delhi at 11:05pm. Alternatively, you can catch the
Taj Express,
which leaves Delhi’s Nizamuddin Station at 7:15am, returning to Delhi at 10:05pm (book the A/C Chair Car, which should run you just under Rs 300). The station has a prepaid taxi/auto-rickshaw service (Rs 50–Rs 150) to take you the 2km (1 1⁄4 miles) to downtown; you can also book a city sightseeing tour here.
Note:
Trains arriving from Rajasthan pull in at the Agra Fort Station. (If arriving from elsewhere, avoid inconveniently located Agra City Station.)

GETTING AROUND
By Taxi & Auto-Rickshaw
As is the case everywhere in India, make sure you negotiate your taxi or auto-rickshaw rate upfront (or use the prepaid facility). Hiring an air-conditioned car for 4 hours should run you around Rs 1,200, while a full day will cost upwards of Rs 2,000, depending on how far you want to go. Unless you’re traveling to Sikandra or Fatehpur Sikri, an auto-rickshaw should suffice (avoid the shared auto-rickshaws, which although a fraction of the price are horribly claustrophobic with six others packed in like sardines). In an attempt to cut down on the air pollution that threatens the Taj, motorized transport is not allowed in the Taj Sanctuary area (2km/1 1⁄4-mile radius); walk or hire a cycle-rickshaw.

GUIDED TOURS
Uttar Pradesh Tourism
operates city tours that cover all the major sights, departing from Agra Cantonment Station (it is timed to coincide with the arrival of the Taj Express); alternatively, you could ask them to pick you from your hotel provided it falls in the route taken for the tour. The tour usually starts at 10:15am, costs Rs 1,700, and covers the Taj, Agra Fort, and Fatehpur Sikri and includes all entrance fees, a guide, and transport by air-conditioned bus; book with the manager of Hotel Taj Khema (
0562/233-0140;
[email protected]). A recommended private tour operator from Delhi is
TCI
(504-505, New Delhi House, Barakhama Rd.;
011/2331-5834
through -5838;
www.tcindia.com
). The TCI bus departs Delhi at 6am and returns at 10am, covering Agra Fort and the Taj, and costs Rs 2,000 including breakfast and lunch (at Taj View Hotel) and excluding entry fees. Traveling around with a tour group is far from the ideal way to experience the mystery and magical allure of the Taj however, and you shouldn’t miss out on the full spectrum of great Agra sights, ie visit more than just the Taj and Agra Fort.
Tallis & Company
(
0124/400-4458;
www.tallisandco.com
) specialize in customized tours to Agra (and Jaipur); prices vary depending on number of persons, type of vehicle and number of stops but their rates are very reasonable.
If you’re already in Agra on own steam, and just want a local guide, the intelligent and knowledgeable
Rajiv Rajawat
(
98-3702-3601;
[email protected]) is one of the best; book him before you even get to India, to ensure he is available on the days you’d like to use his services (Rs 2,000). Pitching himself more affordably is
Sudhir Agarwal
(
94-1000-5896;
[email protected]), who charges Rs 1,200 for the day, from 8am through 5pm.