Interesting Facts About Agra, India You Haven't Heard Before

Agra, located in the Uttar Pradesh state in Northern India, is a renowned tourist place because of its rich history and architectural wonders. It’s located in the Indo-Gigantic Plain on the Yamuna River and is around 200 km from Delhi, capital of India. It’s not only the ’City of Taj’ but also has many lesser known facts.

Ptolemy was a geographer who first got written records and mentioned its modern name ‘Agra’ in the 11th century.

Agra was mentioned in Mahabharata, an ancient Sanskrit epic. It was mentioned as ‘Agravana’ which translates to ‘front of the forest’.

It was also the capital city of the Mughal kingdom for years 1556 to 1648. It was one of the most popular and powerful cities at that time.

Agra was known as the center of Islamic education in the Mughal period.

The Agra University, one of the oldest colleges in India, was established in 1823 and served as a Hindi literature center in the British Era.

Another famous one is the St. John’s College built in 1850 during the British Era. It boasts of beautiful architecture.

The city covers an area of 4082 square kilometres and boasts of a population around 2.2 million. People speak Hindi, English, and Urdu here.

The temperatures in summers in Agra can go up to 45° C and can go down to 4° C in winters. Agra is one of the two cities in India that have three UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Taj Mahal, the symbol of love, is renowned in the whole world for its graceful beauty. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and also one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Shah Jahan built it for his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal.

The pearly white color (which appears pink in the morning), the symmetric pillars, and the two majestic tombs are the features of this white marble monument.

It took 22 years and 22,000 people to complete the monument!

Another World Heritage Site is the Agra Red Fort, which was built by the Rajputs before the Mughal rule. The red sandstone fort stands tall on the banks of the Yamuna River and boasts of beautiful architecture which is a mix of Hindu and Islam culture.

An interesting fact is that Agra fort can be found in The Sign of the Four, second novel featuring Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fort, also known as LalQila and Fort Rogue, had the largest treasury and mint.

There are various architectural styles can be seen in Fatehpur Sikri, which was built by King Akbar in the 6th century.

Fatehpur Sikri was the first planned Mughal city and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The main attractions are Naubat Khana, Diwan-i-Am, Diwan-i-Khas, Jama Masjid, Buland Darwaza, and Panch Mahal.

The Tomb of Akbar the Great, Sikandra, is also another attraction in the city. King Akbar was a renowned Mughal ruler and had himself planned a suitable site for his tomb. It is a red sandstone tomb amidst a lush garden.

Agra is the birthplace of the famous sweet delicacy named Petha. It is like a soft and translucent sweet candy. Agra is the only city in North India, except Delhi, which boasts of more than 10 five star hotels.

Apart from the architectural beauty, Agra is also known for its shoe manufacturing market. Agra is the largest footwear manufacturing hub in India and also contributes to almost 28% of the footwear export from India.

In 2007, Agra was declared as the second most self-employed cities in India after Varanasi.

It’s estimated that almost 2 lakh pairs are manufactured in a day here. The market known as ‘Hing ki Mandi’, also known as Shoe Market, is famous for its leather shoes.

Unfortunately, the Yamuna River is now one of the most contaminated rivers in India. But, it was called as the Blue River a long time ago because of its pristine and clear blue waters.

Agra along with Delhi and Jaipur form India’s favorite tourist route, the ‘Golden Triangle‘. It is well connected to the neighboring cities by road and railway. Also, Agra boasts of the longest Express Highway which is the Agra-Lucknow Expressway.

A 10-day carnival known as Taj Mahotsav is usually celebrated in February. It is held in village named Shilpgram and includes a fest of arts, crafts, and music.

The Agra Bear Rescue Facility was founded by Wildlife SOS in 1999. It is the largest Sloth Bear Rescue Facility in the world.