UTTAR PRADESH
Overview
Agra the city was founded in 1504 and the invading Mughals headed by Babur, a warrior chieftain from what is today’s Uzbekistan established Agra as its capital in 1526, a city on the banks of the sacred Yamuna River in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about 140 miles southeast of the national capital Delhi.
Agra is the home of the highly impressive Taj Mahal an ivory-white marble mausoleum, a UNESCO World Heritage Site an impressive structure that lives up to its reputation, and there is the imposing Agra Fort also called the “Red Fort” overlooking the river. There are several other mausoleums in the city from the Mughal period including the Tomb of Itimad-ud-Daulah also known as the “Baby Taj” an engrossing addition.
A village by the name “Kachhpura” is nearby where many Mughal monuments are situated. As part of a community development initiative with local people trained as tour guides, you could go on the “Kachhpura Village Walk”. The guides would take you around the main sights as well as introduce you to several members of the village. The walk ends at Mehtab Bagh, from where there are majestic views across the river to the Taj Mahal.
