India Travel

Agra’s densely populated heart is the sprawling labyrinth of bazaars, alleys and cramped, crumbling tenements clustered around the onion domes of the Jaini Masjid, but the most useful landmark in the city is the fort immediately south of the mosque, rising above the sharp bend in the River Yamuna where it changes its course to flow past the Taj Mahal, 2km east. While budget travellers tend to congregate in the enclave of Taj Ganj, directly south of the Taj, most of the mid- and upper-range hotels, restaurants and other tourist amenities are dotted around the leafier commercial centre of Sadar Bazaar, and the old British military Cantonment area, insulated from the mayhem of the centre by a swathe of open parkland.

Of the city’s monuments. Agra Fort provides the best insight into the private lives of the Moghuls, its high sandstone ramparts crowded with goiden pavilions and richly inlaid marble apartments. Immediately across the river, the tranquil tomb of Itmad-ud-daulah, is even more ornately decorated, while Akbar’s Mausoleum at Sikandra, 10km northwest, and the abandoned capital of Fatehpur Sikri, 40km west, are further unforgettable echoes of the most grandiloquent chapter in Indian history.

The hotels listed below are all marked on the map of Agra.

Amar Yatri Niwas, Fatehbad Road. Modern, multistorey hotel with all mod cons including a health club and swimming pool. Central and well maintained, but bland.

Moghul Sheraton, Fatehbad Road. Opulent chain five-star en the edge of town. Gourmet restaurants, bar and a large pool, but the fake Moghul splendour feels overdone. Rooms start at $115.

Park Plaza, Fatehbad Road. Smart and central, with a pool and a relaxing restaurant. Aimed primarily at business clients, and thus a good deal at this price (from $50).

Safari, Shaheed Nagar, Shamsabad Road. Friendly and relaxed hotel formerly under the same management as the Tourist Rest House. Most rooms are a bit run-down and the area’s badly polluted, but the tariffs are low, and you get views of the distant Taj from the rooftop cafe. If it’s full, don’t be tempted into the Gypsy next door, which is shabby and overpriced.

Taj View, Fatehbad Road, Taj Ganj. All the hallmarks of the Taj Group of luxury hotels, including an inlaid-marble lobby and swish rooms (the pricier ones have views of distant Taj-just about). Rooms from $145.

Trident, Tajnagri, Fatehbad Road. Among the most attractive of the modern upscale hotels, in mock-Moghul style with a large pool and multi-cuisine brasserie. Usually swamped with tour groups. Recommended for disabled travellers. Rooms start at $120.

The hotels listed below are all marked on the map of Agra.

Agra, F M Cariappa Road. former British burra-sahib’s bungalov that’s retained some of its old-world charm in spite of general stiabbiness. The rooms (some a/c are dim and musty but spacious, with large bathrooms and hot showers.

Agra Ashok, 6B The Mall. Rather dowdy government-run luxury hotel with gardens and a swimming pool; offers a choice of high-standard expensive restaurants. This is the least pricey option in the tour- to five-star bracket.

Akbar, 196 FM Cariappa Rd. Budget rooms in the annexe of a rundown cantonment bungalow, set amid peaceful gardens close to Agra Fort. The more expensive rooms (Bs300 double) are well worth the extra.

Akbar Inn, 21 Mall Rd. Deservedly popular budget rooms surrounding a lawn, deep in the cantonment green belt. The rock-bottom options are some of the cheapest rooms in Agra (Rs60), but ultra-basic and airless. The pricier ones are much larger, and open onto a long veranda where simple meals are served.

Clarks Shiraz, 54 Taj Rd. Huge tower-block five-star hotel in a pleasant cantonment setting with extensive grounds, swimming pool, golf green, restaurants, bar, shopping arcade, banks and travel services on the premises. Rooms start at around $100.

Laurie’s, Mahatma Gandhi Road. One of Agra’s legendary hotels, dating from the British era, but which has definitely seen better days. Open-air swimming pool (filled intermittently and in a poor state) and pleasant grounds and gardens; as well as camping facilities popular with overland groups.

Major Bakshi Tourist Home, 33-38 Ajmer Rd. Since the demise of its famously hospitable owners, this Sikh-run guesthouse, renowned for its home cooking (and for having once accommodated Julie Christie), has gone a bit downhill, though it’s still clean enough, quiet and handy for the bus stand.

Rose, 21 Old Idgah Colony, down a quiet lane behind the Sakura. Mr Gulati goes out of his way to welcome foreigners - this is among the best options in the Idgah bus stand area. The cheaper rooms are good value and there’s a dorm. You can just about see the Taj from the rooftop cafe.

Tourist Rest House, Baluganj. The best value, most welcoming budget hotel in this area, if not in all Agra: some of its rooms are on the small side, but immaculately clean, with attached bathrooms & 24hr running hot water. Meals are served in the sociable, leafy ground-floor courtyard or in new dining hall. There’s also a phone booth, internet facilities and back-up generator. Rickshaw-wallahs don’t get commission here, so will try to take you to one of the “soundalikes". Telephone bookings accepted.

The hotels and guesthouses listed below are all marked on the map of Taj Ganj on p.289.

Host, West Gate. Simple, small rooms, most of them with air-coolers, and a view of the Taj from the roof. Their sheets are holed, but this is otherwise a well-maintained place that’s ideal as an overspill for the Siddhartha next door. Ask for rooms #200 or 201.

India, South Gate. Tiny, ultra-basic place whose rudimentary rooms (the one on the upper storey is best) are worth enduring for the warm hospitality of the proprietress, Mrs Nirmal.

Indo, 2/9 South Gate. Another pint-size family guesthouse with rock-bottom rates, cell-like, dark rooms and friendly (mostly femalel management.

Kamal, Chowk Kagzi, South Gate. Run-of-the-mill attached rooms in a dull concrete building, but right in the thick of things and with a great view from the rooftop restaurant.

Noorjahan, South Gate. Closest to the south gate of the Taj, the rooms here are small and very basic (some without attached bathrooms). To sample the acclaimed view, you’ll have to climb a ladder to the roof.

Shah Jahan, South Gate. Variously priced, mostly clean and cosy rooms with tiny bathrooms, run by an elderly Muslim gentleman who looks like he just arrived from Samarkand. The best are on the top floor, and there’s a cafe with great views on the roof.

Shanti Lodge, Chowk Kagzi, South Gate. One of the most popular backpackers’ places in Taj Ganj: avoid the poky rooms with smelly shower-toilets in the old block, and ask for one in the new annexe around the back, which are large, well ventilated and have clean tiled bathrooms. From the rooftop restaurant, the views of the Taj are the best in this area.

Sheela, East Gate. Easily the best budget hotel in Taj Ganj: secluded, impeccably clean rooms only 200m from the Taj (inside the “no pollution zone"), ranged around a lovely little garden; the air-cooled options are larger and only slightly more expensive. Dependably hygienic restaurant (see Eating) and friendly Alsatian dog called Tiger add to its charm. Advanced telephone bookings accepted.

Shyam Palace, next to the Central Bank. Large, clean, marble-floored rooms opening onto a peaceful courtyard garden that doubles as a low-key restaurant; all with fresh linen, attached bathrooms and 24hr hot water power showers. Very good value, but check your bill carefully for extra “service charges".

Siddartha, West Gate. A clean and popular guesthouse with plain, spacious rooms, set around a leafy courtyard cafe that includes fragments of medieval walls. The best rooms (Rs275) on the top floor come with air-coolers.

UPTDC Taj Kheema, East Gate. Misconceived, overpriced government-run hotel with a small handful of uninspiring airless rooms, some a/c. Superb views of the Taj from a grassy mound in the gardens, but nonresidents have to pay Rs25 just to sit there.

Taj Ganj, the grid of narrow lanes immediately south of theTaj, is where most budget travellers end up in Agra. With their matchless rooftop views, laid-back terrace cafes and rock-bottom room rates, its little guesthouses can be great places to stay. Their downside is the constant hassle at street level, and the facr that the whole Taj Ganj tourist scene can completely eclipse the traditional feel of the area. In this case, you may be happier in the more modern Tourist Complex district, southwest of Taj Ganj, or the leafier, greener Cantonment, near Agra Cantonment railway station, which has places to suit every budget, from overlanders camp sites to luxurious five-star hotels.

Plans are being considered to create a two-kilometre pollution-free exclusion zone around the Taj banning the petrol and diesel-powered vehicles which choke the city and spoil its architecture. At present, however, only a 500-metre ban is enforced (on scooters, auto-rickshaws and taxis), while the only envi-ronment-friendly initiative in operation is an electric bus for tourists, connecting the fort to the Taj (Rs1), and the fleet of green-painted tempos and auto-rickshaws, whose exhaust fumes are no less noxious for the “Clean Agra, Green Agra” slogans daubed across their backs. Although becoming fairly scarce, tongas, horse-drawn carriages, may also be encouraged as part of the pollution-control scheme, but the sight of skinny near-lame horses, often covered in open sores, tends to put most people off.

Another alternative is the city’s dwindling fleet of cycle rickshaws, whose persistent drivers invariably offer their services for day tours; more often than not they’ll have a book full of encouraging comments from delighted tourists. Apart from being cleaner and greener than autos, they provide a livelihood for some of the city’s poorest inhabitants. An American-backed NGO has been attempting to improve the lot of Agra’s rickshaw-wallahs by introducing new. lightweight, super-strong cycle-rickshaws, complete with raised passenger seats and two-speed gears. You’ll come across these in the more touristy areas of town, where their drivers are encouraged to buy them using zero-mterest bank loans, paid back at a manageable rare or Rs5 per day - considerably less than tlie rental tees most rickshaw-wallahs have to pay to their bosses.

Auto-rickshaws are faster, but contribute m no small part to Agra’s traffic and pollution problems. Fares, including waiting time, are reasonable as long as you bargain hard, although the trip out to Akbar’s tomb and other monuments on the outskirts of the city can cost up to Rs100. Taxis are handy for longer trip1; to the airport or Fatehpur Sikri. Expensive hotels have their own fleet or vehicles, and there are taxi ranks at the stations and airport.

Whichever form of transport you choose, expect to have to haggle hard. Agra sees so many “fresh” tourists that the drivers will always quote high prices. Also, note that main rickshaw- and taxi-drivers will stop at jewellers, marble shops and the like to earn commission: some will even quote you a lower fare if you agree to visit a couple of emporiums en route. Don’t consent to this (their commission will only be added to your bill should you buy something).

The best way to sidestep the hassle of public transport is to rent a bicycle, and do everything at your own pace. Try the rental shop near the Taj View Hotel or the Raja Cycle Stall near the tonga stand in Taj Ganj; charges should be around Rs4 per hour, and no more than Rs35 per day. If you walk, expect an unending stream of offers from cycle- and auto-nckshaw-wallahs.

Whatever form of transport you opt for, an early start for the Taj is essential: book rickshaws and taxis the night before.

Agra has two tourist offices, one run by the Government of India, at 191 The Mall (Mon-Fri 9am-5.30pm, Sat 9am-1pm), and one run by UF Tourism, close to the darks Shimz, at 64 Taj Rd (same hours); there is also an information booth at Cantonment station. The Government of India office is better organized and provides information about other destinations, though both supply information on hotels and local sights, and details of tours that start and end at Agra Cantonment railway station.

Agra has no less than six railway stations. The busiest is Agra Cantonment (Cantt), in the southwest, which serves Delhi, Gwalior. Jhansi and points south, has a tourist information counter, and is near most hotels. Trains from Rajasthan pull in close to the Jami Masjid at Agra Fort Station, further from the main hub of hotels. Don’t be persuaded to get off at Agra City Station, an expensive rickshaw ride away from town.

To get to a hotel, use the prepaid auto-rickshaw/taxi booth at Agra Cantonment Station (Rs40/90) or flag down one of the cycle rickshaws (Rs25) that wait in the forecourt outside; avoid the diners who dash onto the platform to find passengers. They invariably demand an inflated price and can get quite aggressive. Bear in mind, too, that most cycle rickshaw and auto-rickshaw drivers will try and gain commission by taking you to a hotel and may even tell you that the hotel of your choice is closed.

Buses usually stop at Idgah bus stand close to Agra Cantonment station, though services from Mathura arrive at the more chaotic Agra Fort bus stand, just west of the fort. Some buses from Delhi stop outside the fort gate, where you’ll have no trouble finding a rickshaw.

Little is known of the pre-Muslim history of Agra; one of the earliest chronicles, dated to the Afghan invasion under Ibrahim Ghaznavi in 1080 AD. describes a robust fort occupying a chain of hills, with a flourishing city strategically placed at the crossroads between the north and the centre of

India However, Agra remained a minor administrative centre until 1504, when the Sultan of Delhi, Sikander Lodi, moved his capital here, to keep a check on the warring factions of his empire. The ruins of the Lodis great city can still be seen on the eastern bank of the Yamuna. After defeating the last Lodi Sultan, Ibrahim Lodi, at Panipat in 1526. Babur, the founder of the Moghul empire, sent ahead his son Humayun to capture Agra. In gratitude for their benevolent treatment at has hands, the family of the Raja of Gwahor rewarded the Moghul with jewellery and precious stones - among them the legendary Kohinoor Diamond, now among the crown jewels of England.
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Agra’s greatest days arrived during the reign of Huinayuns son. Akbar the Great (1556-1605), with the construction of Agra Fort. The city maintained its position as the capital of the empire for over a century; even when Shah Jahan. Jahangir’s son and successor, built a new city in Delhi, his heart remained in Agra. He pulled down many of the earlier red-sandstone structures in the fort, replacing them with his hallmark - exquisite marble buildings. Although the empire flourished under his heir Aurangzeb (1638-1707), his intolerance towards non-Muslims stirred a hornets’ nest. Agra was occupied successively by the Jats, the Marathas, and eventuaUy the British.

After the uprising in 1857, the city lost the headquarters of the government of the Northwestern Provinces and the High Court to Allahabad. Agra began to decline, but its medieval treasures ensured its survival, and today the city is once again prospering, as an industrial and commercial centre as well as a tourist destination.

The splendour of AGRA - capital of all India under the Moghuls - remains undiminished, from the massive fort to the magnificent Taj Mahal. Along with Delhi, 204km northwest, and Jaipur in Rajasthan, Agra is the third apex of the “Golden Triangle", India’s most popular tourist itinerary. It fully merits that status; the Taj effortlessly transcends all the frippery and commercialism that surrounds it, and continues to have a fresh and immediate impact on all who see it.

That said, Agra city itself can be an intense experience, even for seasoned India hands. Years of corruption and political neglect have reduced its infrastructure to a shambles: filthy water and open sewers are ubiquitous, power cuts routine, and the traffic pollution appalling (some mornings you can barely see the sun through the fog of fumes). Moreover, as a tourist you’ll have to contend with often overwhelming crowds at the major monuments, absurdly high admission fees, and some of Asia’s most persistent touts, commission merchants and rickshaw-wallahs. Don’t, however, let all this put you off. Although it’s possible to see Agra on a day-trip from Delhi, the Taj alone deserves so much more - a fleeting visit would miss the subtleties of its many moods, as the light changes from sunrise to sunset - while the warren of old streets and bazaars around it offers glimpses of an lndo-Mushm way of life that, in many respects, has altered little since the time of the Moghuls.