The historical masterpiece of Taj Mahal brought to life by Shah Jahan the Mughal Emperor as a token of love for his beautiful wife Mumtaaz Mahal is also known to represent numerous other tourist sites surrounding the main destination of Taj Mahal. In fact Agra being the historical destinations to have acted as a capital to India alongside Delhi is known to offer many such tourist destinations and tourist sites near Taj Mahal which were of prime importance among the Mughals in those days.
One of the most prominent Agra based sits near the Taj Mahal is the Agra Fort which is also known to be one of the precious treasures of India reflecting the best era of Indian architecture under the Mughal rule. The different buildings within this huge Fort complex of Agra Fort is known to offer a grand impression of the various cultures that represented the Indian scenario under the Mughal rule. The most noteworthy among the buildings within this Fort are the Jahangiri Mahal or Jahangir’s Palace, the Khas Mahal that overlooks the Angoori Bagh or the Grape Garden is another famed piece of art in the Agra Fort. The Sheesh Mahal or the mirror palace and the royal hammam or royal bath decorated with mirrors reflects the grandeur of the Mughals and the intricacies involved in their art works. The other buildings in Agra Fort are Diwan-I-khas or Hall of Private audience, Diwan-I-Aam or Hall of Public Audience, Moti Masjid or Pearl Mosque which make the existence of the Agra Fort worth a mention in the Mughal History.
Akbar’s Tomb in Sikandra is one of the best examples of blending of various architectural styles and patterns and it’s also known to represent a departure from the previous Mughal architecture. The Tomb bears certain similarities with the architecture of the Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri. This tomb is actually a walled garden located on the Delhi Agra road and it can also be entered through a gateway to the south. The Charbagh or the 4 gardens are known to lead to the pyramid of Akbar's Tomb which has 5 levels and the 1st level is known to be a podium of arches. The following 3 levels are made of red sandstone and they don’t have any arches. The rows of pillars hold the roof and the terrace has a white wall and arches and the large panels of filigree screens tend to form the external wall on 4 sides of the verandah and the grave of Akbar is known to lie in the basement which can be reached through a portico that’s having beautiful stucco paintings made with gold, blue and green floral designs representing the Persian inscriptions.
Fatehpur Sikri that’s located near Agra once was the imperial city of the Mughal rule and was built by Akbar between 1571 and 1584. The main buildings of prominence in Fatehpur Sikri are Diwan-I-Aam or Hall of Public Audience, the Diwan-I-Khas or the Hall of Private Audience, Panch Mahal or the five-tiered palace, Jodha Bai's Palace, Mariam’s Palace also Sunehra Makan or the Golden house, Palace of Birbal, and Jama Masjid. These buildings in Fatehpur Sikri are known to display not only different patterns of architecture but also used to serve different purposes in administration and daily lifestyle. The other two important tourist sites near Taj Mahal are known to be the Itmud-Ud-Daulah Tomb being the first tomb in India entirely built of marble and Vrindavan representing the famed temples of Bankey Bihari Temple, Govind Dev Temple, and ISKCON Temple. Know more about the tourist sites near Taj Mahal as taj mahalindia.com offers information about Taj Mahal. | 