Agra the former capital of Hindustan, is a city
on the banks of the river Yamuna in the northern state of Uttar
Pradesh, India, 363 kilometres west of state capital, Lucknow and 200
kilometres south of the national capital New Delhi. With a population
of 1,686,976 (2010 est.), it is one of the most populous cities in
Uttar Pradesh and the 19th most populous in India. Because 80 percent
of the city’s sewage flows into Yamuna River, it is 20th most
polluted city in India. Agra can also refer to the administrative
district that has its headquarters in Agra city.Taj Mahal
Agra’s Taj Mahal is one of the most famous buildings in the world, the mausoleum of Shah Jahan’s favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It is one of the New Seven Wonders of the world, and one of three World Heritage Sites in Agra.
Completed in 1653, the Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal king Shah Jahan as the final resting place for his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Finished in marble, it is perhaps India’s most fascinating and beautiful monument. This perfectly symmetrical monument took 21 years of hard labour and 20,000 workers, masons and jewelers to build and is set amidst landscaped gardens.
In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While the white domed marble mausoleum is the most familiar component of the Taj Mahal, it is actually an integrated complex of structures. The construction began around 1632 and was completed around 1653, employing thousands of artisans and craftsmen. The construction of the Taj Mahal was entrusted to a board of architects under imperial supervision, including Abd ul-Karim Ma’mur Khan, Makramat Khan, and Ustad Ahmad Lahauri.Lahauri is generally considered to be the principal designer.
