TAJ MAHAL, AGRA

MONUMENT FEE : US$ 5 per person plus INR 500

It stands on the right bank of the Yamuna, about 1.5 km from the Agra Fort.

The Taj was built to enshrine the remains of Arjmand Banu Begam entitled Mumtaz Mahal, the consort of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan.

Its construction commenced in AD 1631 and completed 17 years later at enormous cost and labour.

The architect responsible for the construction was Ustad Ahmed Lahori.

Unlike other Mughal garden tombs, the mausoleum is situated at the northern end of a large rectangular area with its central portion divided into a square garden.

The entire portion is enclosed within a high boundary wall having broad octagonal pavilions at corners. The Taj is entered through a majestic gateway in the centre of the southern side where there is a spacious quadrangle. Closed on Friday.

FATEHPUR SIKRI, AGRA

US$ 5 per person plus INR 50

In honour of saint Shaikh Salim Chisti, the Mughal emperor, Akbar the great, founded a magnificent city on Sikri ridge.

In 1571 he ordered the construction of buildings for his own use and asked the noblemen to build houses for themselves.

Within a year, most of the work was finished.

and within the next few years, a well planned city with administrative, residential and religious buildings came into existence.

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The Jami Mosque was perhaps among the first buildings to come up.

Its epigraph gives AH 979 (AD 1571-72) as the date of its completion.

The Buland-Darwaza was added some five years later.

Among other important buildings are the tomb of Shaikh Salim Chishti, the Naubat-or Naqqar Khana (drum-house),

Taksal (mint), Karkhanas (royal workshop), Khazana (treasury), Hakim's quarters, Diwan-i-Am (hall of public audience),

House of Maryam also called SUnahra Makan (Golden House), palace of Jodh Bai, Birbal's house, etc.

US$ 5 per person plus INR 10

It represents first major building project of Akbar, through remains of only a few buildings built by him now survive.

Built on the site of an earlier castle in AD 1565-75, the fort, apart from other important units, contains Jahangiri Mahal, Khass Mahal, Diwan-i-Khass, Diwan-i-Am, Machchhi Bhawan and Moti Masjid.

Many extant buildings were erected by Shah Jahan (AD 1630-55).

Irregularly triangular on plan, it is enclosed by a double battlemented massive wall of red sandstone which is about 2 km in perimetre and interrupted by graceful curves and lofty bastions.

Of its four gates, the most impressive is the Delhi Gate on the west.

US$ 5 per person

Qutab Minar in red and buff sandstone is the highest tower in India. It has a diameter of 14.32m at the base and about 2.75m on the top with a height of 72.5m.

Qutbu'd-Din Aibak laid the foundation of Minar in AD 1199 for the use of the mu'azzin (crier) to give calls for prayer and raised the first storey, to which were added three more storeys by his successor and son-in-law,

Shamsu'd-Din Iltutmish (AD 1211-36).

All the storeys are surrounded by a projected balcony encircling the minar and supported by stone brackets, which are decorated with honey-comb design, more conspicuously in the first storey

Numerous inscriptions in Arabic and Nagari characters in different places of the minar reveal the history of Qutab.

According to the inscriptions on its surface it was repaired by Firuz Shah Tughlaq (AD 1351-88) and Sikandar Lodi (AD 1489-1517).

Major R. Smith also repaired and restored the minar in 1829.

Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque to the north-east of minar was built by Qutbu'd-Din Aibak in AD 1198. It is the earliest extant mosque built by the Delhi Sultans.

It consists of a rectangular courtyard enclosed by cloisters, erected with the carved columns and architectural members of 27 Hindu and Jaina temples which were demolished by Qutbu'd-Din Aibak as recorded in his inscription on the main eastern entrance.

Later, a lofty arched screen was erected and the mosque was enlarged by Shamsu'd-Din Iltutmish (AD 1210-35) and Alau'd-Din Khalji.

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