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TAJ MAHAL:-
Agra - The city known for the famous monument of love The Taj Mahal built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as the final resting place for his favourite Queen, Mumtaz. Finished in by Marvel, it is perhaps India most fascinating and beautiful monument. This perfectly symmetrical monuments took 22 years (1630-1652) of hard labour and 20,000 workers, Taj Mahal the bank of the Yamuna river. It can be observed like a Mirage from the Agra Fort. Located at a distance of 204 km south of Delhi, Agra is the single most famous tourist destination of India.
Situated on the west bank of River Yamuna, Agra is a part of the great Norther Indian plains. The architectural splendor of the city is reflected in the glorious monuments of medieval India built by great Mughals who ruled India for more than 300 years The Taj Mahal has been built on a Marvel Plateform that stands above a standstone one. The most elegant dome of the Taj, with diameter of 60 feets, rises 80 feets, over the building and directly under the dome is the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal. Shah Jahan's tomb has been irected next to her's by his son Aurangzeb. Fantastic Inley works using semi-precious stones decorate and interiors.
Open Time : 6 A.M. to 7.30 P.M. (Friday is closed)
Mathura is a city of temples and shrines bustle with the thousands of devotees who come to visit the city of Lord Krishna. A little town on the riverbed of Yamuna in Uttar Pradesh state of India is the birthplace of Lord Krishna. The town is at a distance of 145 km southeast of Delhi and 58 km northwest of Agra covering an area of about 3,800 sq. km. The most popular shrine at Mathura is the Dwarikadhish Temple). Another beautiful shrine, the Gita Mandir located on the Mathura-Vrindavan Road has a fine image of Shri Krishna in its sanctum. The whole of the Bhagwad Gita is inscribed on the walls of the temple. . There are a total of 25 ghats in Mathura today, of which the most important is the Vishram Ghat, where Shri Krishna took his rest after killing Kansa.
No pilgrimage to Mathura is complete without a visit to its 40 survivng kunds out of 159 ancient kunds. The town has a number of Shaivite temples as well. The chief among them being the Bhuteshwar Mahadev Temple to the west of the town, the Gokarneshwar Temple in the north, the Rangeshwar Mahadev Temple to the south and the Pipaleshwar Mahadev Temple to the east.
Bharatpur has not that much of rich heritage sites, architecturally or even, commercially like the other cities of Rajasthan. But it is the home of more than 380 species of beautiful feathered birds, and this is the reason why visitors want to visit this place time and again. It is situated in the eastern part Rajasthan of India and significant for Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary. The best season to visit is October to February. Here, mainly Hindi and English are spoken.
Distance from Agra is 56 km and from New Delhi is 215 km. Brij Festival is the most colorful festival of Bharatpur. It is celebrated prior to the festival of Holi, which marks the beginning of the spring season and end of winters and thus, falls mostly in March.
37 kms from Agra is built a city predominantly in Red Sandstone and is called Fatehpur Sikri. This town was built by the Mughal Emperor, Akbar. Fatehpur Sikri was built during 1571 and 1585. Today this ghost city has a population of about 30,000. Fatehpur Sikri is one of the finest examples of Mughal architectural splendour at its height. Though the city is in ruins, it is a place to visit if one comes to Agra. But in real terms Fatehpur Sikri is a place where one should spend some time. The sunset over the ruins is sight to cherish.
Fatehpur Sikri is the best example of the culmination of Hindu and Muslim architecture. Fatehpur Sikri Mosque is said to be a copy of the mosque in Mecca and has designs, derived from the Persian & Hindu architecture.
Prime Attractions of Fatehpur Sikri, Diwan-I-Am, Diwan-khana-I-khaas, Turkish Sultana's House, The Treasury
Daulat khana-I-khas, Palace of Jodha Bai, Hawa Mahal And Nagina Masjid, Birbal's Palace, Sunehra Makan, Panch Mahal
Dargah Of Sheikh Salim Chisti, The Jami Masjid, Buland Darwaza
Vrindavan, around 15 km from Mathura, is a major place of pilgrimage, on the banks of Yamuna. Attracting about 5 lakhs pilgrims every year, it is noted for its numerous temples- both old and modern. Vrindavan is synonymous with the innocent mirth and child like playfulness of Shri Krishna. Vrindavan, the dusty little town known for the temples, big and small, famous and remote strewn all over the place.
It is believed to be one of the transcendental abodes of the Lord as mentioned in 'Srimad Bhagavatam', the religious holy book of Hindus. Mathura and Vrindavan have as many as sixty billion sacred places! The presiding deity of the once forest of Vrindavan was Vrinda Devi, who was believed to be the expansion of Radharani, the beloved of Lord Krishna.
It is said that at the time of Krishna, Vrindavan was a forest and Tulsi plants grew here abundantly. Since the other name of Tulsi is Vrinda, it was known as Vrindavan or Forest of Tulsi. The forest was a large one and stretched from the present town of Vrindavan across to Nandagaon and Barsana on one side and Govardhana on the other side. It is said to be the twelfth forest and the favorite forest of Lord Krishna, which he often visited with cowherd boys to graze his cows. There was a Radha Kunda within the forest
Varanasi or Banaras is one of the oldest cities of India. This city has found place in the Buddhist scriptures as well the epic of Mahabharata. In Pali language Varanasi was called Banarasi hence it got the name 'Banaras'. Varanasi is also called 'Kashi' or the city of spiritual light. Kashi is the place where Shiva and Parvati stood when the "time started ticking".
The shimmering red and golden water of the Ganges when rays of dawn falls on them, the high banks, the temples, the Ashrams, the pavilions all are an experience in themselves.
Chanting of Mantras, the hymns along with the fragrance of incense in fills the air with mysticism which entrails every person. The refreshing dip in the Ganges with the splashing of water along the ghats- in Varanasi discovery and experience takes to the ultimate bliss.
As a eternal city with rich and vibrant past, it has no exquisitely carved palaces, no impregnable fort no architectural splendour but still the city has an inherent charm of its own.The ghats dotted with temples, the maze of alleys along the ghats, what ever Varanasi has is enough to attract the visitor again and again. The city which did not die even after being plundered many times in is a true sense a fascinating area to wander around.
Prime Attractions of Varanasi- The Ghats Of Varanasi, St. Mary's Church, The Kashi Vishwanath Temple / Gyanvapi Mosque, Bharat Mata Temple, Tulsi Manas Temple, Durga Temple, Nepali Temple, Bharat Kala Museum, Ram Nagar Durg
A city of many dimensions is what befits a description of Allahabad. In addition to being a major pilgrimage centre, the city has played an important part in the formation of modern India. Hindu mythology states that Lord Brahma, the creator god, chose a land for 'Prakrishta Yajna'. This land, at the confluence of three holy rivers - Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati, blessed by gods, came to be known as 'Prayag' or 'Allahabad'.
Foreseeing the sanctity of the place, Lord Brahma also called it as 'Tirth Raj' or 'King of all pilgrimage centres.' The Scriptures - Vedas and the great epics - Ramayana and Mahabharata, refer to this place as Prayag
Lucknow is the most important center of power in free India. Politics has indeed been Lucknow's forte but culture has been its historical identification. Despite the Indo-Persian legacy, Lucknow has a composite Indian culture. The Urdu language acquired its baffling phonetic nuances and suave perfection here. It was in Nawab Wajed Ali Shah's court that the most advanced of all classical Indian dance forms, the Kathak, took shape. The popular Parsi theatre originated from the Urdu theatre of this city. The tabla and the sitar were first heard on the streets of Lucknow.
After 14 years of exile when Lord Ramchandra returned to Ayodhya, he gifted this place to his younger brother Lakshman. Lakshman is believed to have stayed in Lakshman Teela, a high ground near the banks of the river Gomti. 'Lucknow' is derived from the name Lakshman. There are other stories that do the rounds: Lucknow was named after a very influential person called 'Lakhan Ahir' who built the fort 'Qila Lakhan'. The name 'Qila Lakhan' later became Lucknow. Some other source says that one Lakhu Khan who was earlier a non-Muslim by name Laxman Singh has lent his name to Lucknow.
Ayodhya is situated on the right bank of the river Ghagra. Just 6 km from Faizabad, Ayodhya is a popular pilgrim centre. This town is closely associated with Lord Rama, the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The ancient city of Ayodhya, according to the Ramayana, was founded by Manu, the law-giver of the Hindu.
Skand and some other Puranas rank Ayodhya as one of the seven most sacred cities of India. It was the venue of many an event in Hindu mythology, today pre-eminently a temple town, Ayodhya is also famous for its close association with the epic Ramayana. It is a city of immense antiquity full of historical significance and sacred temples. Ayodhya is pre-eminently a city of temples yet, all places of worship here are not only of Hindu religion. At Ayodhya several religions have grown and prospered simultaneously and also at different periods of time in the past
Mahoba is 140 km from Jhansi and associated with the Chandela kings who ruled over Bundelkhand between the 9th and the 11th centuries. The Chandelas, who are best remembered for the now world-famous temples they built at Khajuraho, were also great warriors. At Mahoba, the impregnable hilltop fort and the lakes they created are considered engineering feats and their water management systems can still be seen. Mahoba was also a great cultural centre.
Ballads praise its days of glory and narrate the inspiring saga of Alha and Udal, two brothers who sacrificed their lives for the honour of their land. Today, the town is known for its fine betel leaf cultivation and granite rocks. There are many places of historical and archaeological interest as well as scenic lakes dotted with rocky islets. The temples of Mahoba are built in the same style as the Khajuraho temples. There are also a number of Buddhist and Jain shrines at Mahoba
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