As being the capital of India, Delhi is the third largest metro city in the country.  Primarily divided in two parts as Old Delhi and New Delhi, it has mixture of art, craft and culture. Delhi is also the main entry point in India as nearly all major air lines operates their regular flights from the Indira Gandhi International Airport. Indian railways network connects the capital from all other parts of the country. If you are planning a holiday trip to Delhi or coming on a business trip, you can explore following place of tourists interests in the capital.

Red Fort
This fort is built with red stones and its walls as high as 30 meters at some places. Delhi tourism department also organize a sound and light show here. The main entry point in the fort is Lahore Gate. The prime minister of India addresses the nation from here on Independence Day.

Qutub Minar
This tower was built by Qutubuddin Ebak in 1199 and its name is also on the name this ruler. Its height is 72.5 meters with a diameter of 14.32 meters at the base and 2.75 meters at the top. You can also view a major part Delhi from the telescopic cameras mounted at its top.

ISCKON Temple
This big temple of Lord Krishna was completed in 1998. It is built on a hilly area of East of Kailash in south Delhi.

India Gate
This 42 meters high stone arch has names of 85000 soldiers on its walls who died in world war one.  This place is surrounded by lush green gardens and can be best visited in evening.

Places to Stay in Delhi
Delhi has most of the finest hotels of the world with a wide array of cheap hotels and budget hotels primarily located in Karolbagh and Paharganj areas. Many budget accommodations are also located near to airport in Mahipalpur. Delhi Hotels has rooms for all categories of visitors. Booking facility is available from nearly all Online Hotel Booking websites.

Agra is a well known destination in the world because of its three world heritage sites.

1. Taj Mahal
2. Red Fort
3. Fatehpur Sikri

Agra is well connected to all parts of India by Indian Railways network but the air connectivity is not so good. The city has an airport but it is primarily being used by defense forces, only few flights are available to Agra from other cities. For those who want to reach Agra by air, landing at New Delhi is the best options.

New Delhi, the capital of India has both International as well as Domestic airport and the city is well connected by air with all parts of the world and all major airlines operate from here. Agra is just 200 kilometers away from the capital, this distance can be covered in approximately 4 hours by road and 3 hours by train.

There are approximately 22 mail/express trains that run between Agra and New Delhi on daily basis from all the three major stations in New Delhi.

1. Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station
2. Delhi Junction Railway Station
3. New Delhi Railway Station

The best train to reach Agra from New Delhi is the Shatabdi Express that leaves from New Delhi at 6:00 AM in the morning and reaches Agra to 08:00 AM. For exact departure time of all trains the website operated by Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRTCTC) is the best source and can be reached are the following URL: http://www.irctc.co.in

If you are not comfortable by train then you catch a bus from Sarai Kale Khan ISBT in New Delhi. Government operated roadways bus will drop you at Agra in 5 hours. Buses from New Delhi to Agra are available round the clock. You can also hire a taxi from all major travel points like railways stations and airport.

Useful Link: Online Hotel Booking in Agra

By Shalini Aggarwal

The Taj Mahal

Agra is world-wide famous for the Taj Mahal. It is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Known for its majestic beauty and a symbol of romance, it is one of India's most fascinating and beautiful monuments. The Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan during the period 1628 to 1658 for his beloved queen Arjumand Bano Begum popularly known as Mumtaaz Mahal.

An estimated 20,000 people worked to complete this white marble mausoleum in Agra. Taj Mahal is the most visited monument in India by foreign tourists. There is entrance fee to visit the Taj Mahal and the timings to visit this monument are between 6am to 7.30 pm. The monument is closed on Friday (open for offering prayer in the mosque between 12 Noon to 2 P.M.). For a breathtaking beautiful view of the Taj Mahal, it is advised to visit this place in the moonlight.

Agra Fort

Located on the right bank of the river Yamuna in an area of 56 acres Agra fort was built by Emperor Akbar in 1565 AD.The fort is known for its creative design and traditional Mughal architecture. There are number of building in the fort which include, Moti Masjid, Diwane-E-Am, Diwani-E-Khaas and Musanman Burj, where the Emperor Shah Jahan died in imprisonment beside Jahangir's place, Khaas Mahal and the Sheesh Mahal. Around 5000 buildings were built in the premises at that time which also had Bengali and Gujarati style of architecture. Most of buildings do not exist as of now and there are only thirty buildings left.

Open time:-sunset to sunrise.

Sikandra fort

This is another richly decorated structure in Agra. This is the last resting place of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. This place is situated at a distance of about 13 kilometers from the Agra fort.

The main tomb stands in the center of a spacious well laid out garden, which is enclosed by high walls on all the sides. The whole garden is divided into four equal parts or quarters on the popular charbhag style of gardens. Each quarter is separated by a high terrace or raised path with a narrow shallow water channel running midway. Water tanks and a number of fountains are there in each terrace.

The Mathura Agra distance is only 55 kilometers and there are regular Volvo and other buses available throughout the day. The distance between Jaipur to Agra Jaipur to Agra is about 255 Kilometers and it takes about 5-6 hours to reach depending upon the type of conveyance taken.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shalini_Aggarwal
http://EzineArticles.com/?Three-Must-See-Places-in-Agra,-India&id=3581975

By Nisha Kaur

The ancient monuments of Agra, are the evidence of rich historical background of the city. The Din-i-llahi religion marks its origin on the land of Agra, which flourished during Akbar's reign. Several rulers contributed to the glorious bygone era, witnessed by opulent forts and other monuments. The earliest reference for Agra dates back to the Mahabharata age, when it was referred as Arya Griha or the abode of the Aryans. It is believed that the city was established by Sikandar Lodhi in 1506.

After the death of Sikandar Lodhi, the throne was ascended by his son Ibrahim Lodhi. Agra remained the capital city during the Lodhi regime, from where they governed the entire empire. In 1526, Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodhi in the First battle of Panipat and took over the control of administration. During his reign, Agra flourished with great architectural skill. The Persian style built garden, Aram Bagh or Garden of relaxation with beautiful green surroundings offers complete peace to soul and mind.

The city also features many other excellent pieces of architecture, built by the great Mughal emperor Akbar. It is said to be believed that Akbar laid the foundation of the modern city, dating back to 1558 and was hence referred as Akbarabad. He lavished on this city, his endless love and richness, resultant the city houses some marvellous architectural wonders like Fatehpur Sikri and Red Fort. Apart from this, he made the Agra a center for learning, art, commerce and religion.

Jahangir, another Mughal ruler was a great nature lover. He created many beautiful gardens inside the Red fort. Shah Jahan was a great patron of art and architecture. One of the world famous white marble mausoleum, Taj Mahal was constructed by him, in the loving memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. Later on, Shah Jahan shifted the capital to Delhi, but his son Aurangzeb transfered the capital back to Akbarabad (Agra). It remained the capital city for few years and was then shifted to Aurangabad (Deccan) in 1653. After the decline of Mughal dynasty, the city was sacked by Marathas and Jats and was called Agra. In 1803, the city came under the influence of British empire.

For more information on Agra click on: http://www.delhiagrajaipur.com/

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Agra, a city located on 200 kilometers north wards from the capital of India, New Delhi is a prominent tourist destination in the country. It is also called the city of love because of the most beautiful wonder of the world Taj Mahal. In the Mughal rule in India, the city has reached to its golden time when it was the capital of the country. Agra is located on National Highway-2, well connected by road network and there are approximately 22 trains that connect Agra to New Delhi.

The lodging in the Agra provides the visitor with all the essential amenities that a tourist look for while on a visit. The rooms have beautiful decoration to make the visitor feel at home. The warmth and the gracious service of the hotel staffs makes the visitor feel more relaxed during their presence in the city. Most of the hotels at Agra are situated near the trade hub and the visitor attraction of the municipality.

Enjoy watching the beautiful Taj Mahal while living in a lavishness hotel in Agra. Enjoy tourism in the day time and evening and come back to your luxury, comfortable and beautifully located hotel at night. The dazzling five star hotels in Agra present you the best atmosphere to rest and take pleasure in your visit to this momentous municipality of Agra. If you want to enjoy the most romantic sight in the world then see the Taj Mahal during the night with your love. There are many luxury hotels in Agra to name a few most liked are Hotel Amar Vilas, Hotel Jaypee Palace, Hotel Mughal Sheraton, Hotel Trident Hilton, Hotel Holiday Inn, Hotel Mansingh Palace and Hotel Howard Park Plaza.

The municipality has numeral of budget hotels that offer all amenities to visitors traveling to the city of Taj. Economy hotels offer best deals to visitor and these hotels are the perfect way to visit Agra if you don't want to waste your hard earned money on your hotel reside in the city. Agra has numeral of budget hotels that assure to tender you the best value for your money without compromising on the quality of service. To name a few finest budget hotels in the city are Hotel Ashish Palace, Hotel Delux Plaza, Hotel Ganga Ratan, Hotel Kant and Hotel Taj Plaza.

Apart from the star hotels and budget hotels there is a wide array of cheap hotels and guest houses in Agra, most of them are located nearby the railway station and bus stand. These places can be booked any where between Rs. 300 to Rs. 600, if you are on a very tight budget trip to Agra. Apart from hotels and guest houses, there are many hostels and paying guest accommodations in Agra and if you are planning a long stay this can be the best choice.

Hotel Booking can be done from many online travel website and you might get custom rates from these portals but do a tariff comparison before booking your accommodation from any online service provider as the travel industry is the most volatile in terms of prices.