Uttarakhand Information Centre

Agra (English Hindi: आगरा, Urdu: آ گرہ) is a city on the banks of the Yamuna River in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India. It finds mention in the epic Mahābhārata where it was called Agrevaṇa (अग्रेवण), or ‘the border of the forest’. Legend ascribes the founding of the city to Rājā Badal Singh (around 1475), whose fort, Badalgarh, stood on or near the site of the present Fort. However, the 11th century Persian poet Mas’ūd Sa’d Salmān writes of a desperate assault on the fortress of Agra, then held by the Shāhī King Jayapala, by Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni.Sultan Sikandar Lodhī was the first to move his capital from Delhi to Agra in the year 1506; he died in 1517 and his son Ibrāhīm Lodhī remained in power there for nine more years, finally being defeated at the Battle of Panipat in 1526. It achieved fame as the capital of the Mughal emperors from 1526 to 1658 and remains a major tourist destination because of its many splendid Mughal-era buildings, most notably the Tāj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpūr Sikrī, all three of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Coordinates: 27°11′N 78°01′E / 27.18°N 78.02°E / 27.18; 78.02

Contents 1 Climate 2 Demographics 3 History 4 Transportation 4.1 Getting In 4.1.1 By Air 4.1.2 By Rail 4.1.3 By Road 4.2 Local Transportation 5 Places of Interest 5.1 Tāj Mahal 5.2 Agra Fort 5.3 Fatehpūr Sikrī 5.4 I’timād-Ud-Daulah 5.5 Akbar’s Tomb, Sikandra 5.6 Swāmī Bāgh Samādhi 5.7 Mankameshwar Temple 5.8 Gurū kā Tal 5.9 Jamā Masjid 5.10 Chīnī kā Rauza 5.11 Rām Bāgh 5.12 Mariam’s Tomb 5.13 Mehtāb Bāgh 5.14 Keetham Lake 5.15 Mughal Heritage Walk 5.16 The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception 6 Economy 7 Education 7.1 Universities in Agra 7.2 Colleges 7.3 Schools 8 References 9 Further reading 10 External links

colspan=”2″>Agra

State	Uttar Pradesh
District(s)	Agra
Population • Density	1,650,000 (2008[update]) • 8,758 /km2 (22,683 /sq mi)
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
Area • Elevation	188.40 km² (73 sq mi) • 171 m (561 ft)
Codes • Pincode • 282 XXX • Telephone • +91(562) • Vehicle • UP-80
Website	agra.nic.in

Climate

Agra, located on the Indo-Gangetic plain has a continental climate, with
long, hot summers from April to September when temperatures can reach as high as
45 °C (113 °F). During summers dry winds (loo) blow in this region.
The monsoon months from July to September see about 69 cm (27 in) of
rainfall annually. Winters last from November to February, with day time
temperatures comfortably warm, but temperatures below freezing are not uncommon
during the night. Agra is also prone to dense fog during the winter months of
December & January.

A major tourist destination, Agra is best visited in the months of October,
November, February and March, when the average temperatures are between 16-25 °C
(60-75 °F). The monsoon season should be avoided by non-Indians due to the risk
of disease and flooding, and the months of April to June due to the extreme
heat. The months of December and January are to be avoided due to the dense fog
and often freezing temperatures, especially since much of the city has no
heating system.

Demographics

As of the 2000 Indian census, Agra had a population of 1,800,000. Males constitute 53% of the population and
females 47%. Agra has an average literacy rate of 81%, higher than the national
average of 59.5%; with 86% males literate. 11% of the population is under 6
years of age. Hindi is spoken by virtually everyone; English and Urdu are also
spoken.

History

Agra is a medieval city situated on the banks of the river Yamuna. It is generally accepted
that Sultan Sikandar Lodī, the Ruler
of the Delhi Sultanate founded
it in the year 1504. After the Sultan’s death the city passed on to his son
Sultan Ibrāhīm Lodhī. He ruled
his Sultanate from Agra until he fell fighting to Bābar in the First battle of
Panipat fought in 1526.

In the year 1556, the great Hindu warrior, Hemu Vikramaditya also known as Hem
Chander Vikramaditya won Agra as the Prime Minister cum Chief of Army of Adil Shah of
the Afghan Sūrī Dynasty. The commander
of Humāyūn / Akbar’s forces in Agra was so
scared of Hemu that he retreated from the city without a fight. This was Hemu’s
21st continuous win, and he later went on to conquer Delhi, having his coronation
at Purānā Qil’a in Delhi and
re-established the Hindu Kingdom and the Vikramaditya Dynasty in North
India.

The golden age of the city began with the Mughals. It was known then as
Akbarabād and remained the capital of the Mughal Empire under the
Emperors Akbar, Jahāngīr and Shāh
Jahān. Shāh Jahān later shifted his
capital to Shāhjahānabād in the year
1649.

Since Akbarabād was one of the most important cities in India under the Mughals, it witnessed a lot of
building activity. Babar, the founder of the Mughal
dynasty laid out the first formal Persian garden on the banks of river Yamuna.
The garden is called the Arām Bāgh or the Garden of Relaxation. His grandson Akbar raised the towering ramparts
of the Great Red Fort, besides making Agra a center for learning, arts, commerce
and religion. Akbar also built a new city on the outskirts of Akbarabād called Fatehpūr Sikrī. This city
was built in the form of a Mughal military camp in stone.

His son Jahāngīr had a love of gardens
and flora and fauna and laid many gardens inside the Red Fort or Lāl Qil’a. Shāh Jahān
,known for his keen interest in architecture, gave Akbarabād its most prized
monument, The Tāj Mahal. Built in loving
memory of his wife Mumtāz Mahal, the mausoleum
was completed in 1653.

Shāh
Jahān later shifted the capital to Delhi during his reign, but his
son Aurangzeb moved the capital
back to Akbarabād, usurping his father and imprisoning him in the Fort there.
Akbarabād remained the capital of India during the rule of Aurangzeb until he shifted it
to Aurangabad in
the Deccan in 1653. After the decline
of the Mughal Empire, the city
came under the influence of Marathas and Jats
and was called Agra, before falling into the hands of the British Raj in 1803.

In 1835 when the Presidency of Agra
was established by the British, the city became the seat of government, and just
two year later it was the witness to the Agra famine
of 1837–38. During the Indian rebellion of
1857 British rule across India was threatened, news of the rebellion had
reached Agra on 11 May and on 30 May two
companies of native infantry, the 44th and 67th regiments, rebelled and marched
to Delhi. The next
morning native Indian troops in Agra were forced to disarm, on 15 June Gwalior (which lies south of
Agra) rebelled. By 3 July the British were
forced to withdraw into the fort. Two days later a small British force at
Sucheta were defeated and force to withdraw, this lead to a mob sacking the
city. However, the rebels moved onto Delhi which allowed the British to restore
order by 8 July. Delhi fell to the British in September, the following month
rebels who had fled Delhi along with rebels from Central India marched on Agra -
but were defeated. After this British rule was again secured over the city until
the independence of India in 1947.

Agra is the birth place of the religion known as Dīn-i Ilāhī, which
flourished during the reign of Akbar and also of the Radhaswami Faith, which has
around two million followers worldwide.

Transportation

Getting In

By Air

Agra Airport at
Kheria is about 6 km from the city centre, but is not very well connected.
Now one can catch connecting flights to Agra via Delhi or Jaipur from most of
the major cities of India. Indira
Gandhi International Airport in Delhi is the best option. Agra is
very well connected to Delhi both by rail and road.

By Rail

Agra is on the main train line between Delhi (Station Code: NDLS) and Mumbai (Bombay)
(Station Code: CSTM) and between Delhi and Chennai (Station Code: MAS) and
many trains connect Agra with these cities every day. Some east-bound trains
from Delhi also
travel via Agra, so direct connections to points in Eastern India (including Kolkata)
(Calcutta) are also available. There are close to 20 trains to Delhi every day,
and at least three or four to both Mumbai and Chennai. There are three stations
in Agra:

• Agra
  Cantt (Station Code: AGC) is the main railway station and lies southwest
  of the Taj and Agra Fort, both of which are a short ride from the station by
  car, auto-rickshaw, or cycle rickshaw. There’s a prepaid taxi stand right
  outside that charges a flat Rs.120 to any hotel in the city. The station has a
  pretty good Comesum food court that also sells cheap, hygienic takeaway snacks
  (sandwiches, samosas, etc).
• Agra Fort
  Railway Station (Station Code: AF) near Agra Fort, is infrequently
  serviced by the interstate express trains. The station serves trains to the
  east (Kanpur, Gorakhpur, Kolkata, Guwahati) some of these
  trains also stop at Agra Cantt.
• Raja Ki Mandi (Station
  Code: RKM) is a small station. Some of the trains which stop at Agra
  Cantt also stop here. It is a very laid back station and springs into life
  at the arrival of Intercity
  Express and Taj Express.

The luxury trains – the Palace on Wheels, and
the Royal Rajasthan On Wheels also stop at Agra on their eight day round trip of
tourist destinations in Rajasthan and Agra. The
Buddhist Special Train also visits Agra.

By Road

Idgah Bus Stand is the
biggest Bus Stand in Agra and is connected to most of the bigger cities in North
India.

• From Delhi: NH2, a
  modern divided highway, connects the 200 km distance from Delhi to Agra.
  The drive is about 4 hours. The primary access to the highway is along Mathura
  Road in Delhi but, if coming from South Delhi or Delhi Airport, it is easier
  to take Aurobindo Marg (Mehrauli Road) and then work up to NH2 via
  Tughlakabad.
• From Jaipur: National
  Highway 11, a two lane undivided highway, connects Agra with Jaipur via the
  bird sanctuary town of Bharatpur. The distance of
  around 255 km can be covered in around 4–5 hours.
• From Gwalior A distance of around
  120 km, takes around 1.5 hours on the National
  highway 3, also known as the Agra – Mumbai Highway.
• From Lucknow / Kanpur NH2, the
  divided modern highway, continues on to Kanpur (285 km, 5 hours) and from
  there to points East ending in Kolkata. From Kanpur, NH25
  heads for the city of Lucknow (90 km, 2 hours).

Local Transportation

Auto rickshaw and Cycle Rickshaw are the main modes of transport in Agra and are readily available.

While passengers need to negotiate rates for the rickshaws and they are
usually expensive, there is a system of (what is called) ‘Tempo’ which are
autorickshaws that run on specific routes called out by drivers. Tempos take
around 6 people simultaneously and work out to be most economical and
practical.

There are City Buses but they are infrequent.

Polluting vehicles are not allowed near Tāj Mahal, so one needs to
take electric Auto’s or Tanga (Tonga) from a
few kilometres outside the Tāj Mahal.

Places of Interest

Tāj Mahal

Agra’s Taj
Mahal is one of the most famous buildings in the world, the mausoleum of Shah
Jahān’s favorite wife, Mumtāz
Mahal. It is one of the New Seven Wonders of
the world, and one of three World Heritage
Sites in Agra.

Completed in 1653 CE., the Tāj Mahal was built by the Mughal king Shāh Jahān
as the final resting place for his beloved wife, Mumtāz Mahal. Finished in
marble, it is perhaps India’s most fascinating and beautiful monument. This
perfectly symmetrical monument took 22 years (1630-1652) of hard labour and
20,000 workers, masons and jewellers to build and is set amidst landscaped
gardens. Built by the Persian architect, Ustād ‘Īsā, the Tāj Mahal is on the
bank of the Yamuna River. It can be observed
from Agra
Fort from where Emperor Shāh Jahān gazed at it, for the last eight years of
his life, a prisoner of his son Aurangzeb. It is an acknowledged masterpiece of
symmetry. Verses of the Koran are inscribed on it and at
the top of the gate are twenty-two small domes, signifying the number of years
the monument took to build. The Tāj Mahal was built on a marble platform that
stands above a sandstone one. The most elegant dome of the Tāj Mahal has a
diameter of 60 feet (18 m), and rises to a height of 80 feet
(24 m); directly under this dome is the tomb of Mumtāz Mahal. Shah Jahān’s
tomb was erected next to hers by his son Aurangzeb. The interiors are decorated
by fine inlay work, incorporating semi-precious stones.

Agra Fort

Agra
Fort (sometimes called the Red Fort), was commissioned by the great
Mughal Emperor Akbar in 1565, and is another of
Agra’s World Heritage
Sites. A stone tablet at the gate of the Fort states that it had been built
before 1000 but was later renovated by Akbar. The red sandstone fort was
converted into a palace during Shāh Jahān’s time, and
reworked extensively with marble and pietra
dura inlay. Notable buildings in the fort include the Pearl
Mosque, the Dīwān-e-’Ām and Dīwān-e-Khās (halls of public and private
audience), Jahāngīr’s Palace, Khās Mahal,
Shīsh Mahal (mirrored palace), and the Musamman Burj.

The great Mughal Emperor Akbar commissioned the
construction of the Agra Fort in 1565 CE., although it was converted into a
place by his grandson Shāh Jahān, being reworked
extensively with marble and pietra
dura inlay. Notable buildings in the fort include the Pearl
Mosque or Motī Masjid, the Dīwān-e-’Ām and Dīwān-e-Khās
(halls of public and private audience), Jahāngīr’s Palace, Khās Mahal,
Shīsh Mahal (mirrored palace), and the Musamman Burj. The
forbidding exteriors of this fort conceal an inner paradise. The fort is
crescent shaped, flattened on the east with a long, nearly straight wall facing
the river. It has a total perimeter of 2.4 km, and is ringed by double
castellated ramparts of red sandstone punctuated at regular intervals by
bastions. A 9 m. wide and 10 m. deep moat surrounds the outer wall.

ChhatrapatiShīvajī visited the Agra Fort,
as a result of the conditions of the Treaty of Purandar
entered into with Mirzā Rājā Jaisingh to meet Aurangzeb in the Dīwān-i-Khās
(Special Audience Chamber). In the audience he was deliberately placed behind
men of lower rank. An insulted Shīvajī stormed out of the imperial audience and
was confined to Jai Sing’s quarters on 12 May 1666. Fearing the dungeons and
execution he escaped on 17 August 1666. A heroic equestrian statue of Shīvajī
has been erected outside the fort.

The fort is a typical example of Mughal architecture.It shows how the North
Indian style of fort construction differentiated from that of the South. In the
South the majority of the beautiful forts were built on the seabed like the one
at Bekal in Kerala]

Fatehpūr Sikrī

The Mughal Emperor Akbar built Fatehpūr Sikrī about
35 km from Agra, and moved his capital there. Later abandoned, the site
displays a number of buildings of significant historical importance. A World Heritage
Site, it is often visited by tourists. The name of the place came about
after the Mughal Emperor Bābar defeated Rāṇā Sāngā
in a battle at a place called Sikrī (about 40 km from Agra). Then the
Mughal Emperor Akbar wanted to make Fatehpūr Sikrī his head quarters, so he
built a majestic fort; due to shortage of water, however, he had to ultimately
move his headquarters to Agra Fort.

Buland Darwāza or ‘the
lofty gateway’ was built by the great Mughal emperor, Akbar in 1601 CE. at
Fatehpūr Sikrī. Akbar built the Buland Darwāza to commemorate his victory over
Gujarat. The Buland Darwāza is approached by 52 steps. The Buland Darwāza is
53.63 m high and 35 meters wide. The Buland Darwāza is made of red and buff
sandstone, decorated by carving and black and white marble inlays. An
inscription on the central face of the Buland Darwāza demonstrates Akbar’s
religious broadmindedness, it is a message from Jesus advising his followers not
to consider this world as their permanent home.

I’timād-Ud-Daulah

The Empress Nūr Jahān built I’timād-Ud-Daulah’s
Tomb, sometimes called the ‘Baby Tāj’, for her father, Mirzā Ghiyās Beg, the
Chief Minister of the Emperor Jahāngīr. Located on the left bank of the Yamuna
river, the mausoleum is set in a large cruciform garden criss-crossed by water
courses and walkways. The mausoleum itself covers about twenty-three square
meters, and is built on a base about fifty meters square and about one meter
high. On each corner are hexagonal towers, about thirteen meters tall. Small in
comparison to many other Mughal-era tombs, it is sometimes described as a jewel
box. Its garden layout and use of white marble, pietra dura, inlay designs and latticework presage many
elements of the Tāj Mahal.

The walls are white marble from Rajasthan encrusted with
semi-precious stone decorations – cornelian, jasper, lapis lazuli, onyx, and topaz in images of cypress trees and
wine bottles, or more elaborate decorations like cut fruit or vases containing
bouquets. Light penetrates to the interior through delicate jālī screens of intricately carved
white marble.

Many of Nūr Jahān’s relatives are interred in the mausoleum. The only
asymmetrical element of the entire complex is that the tombs of her father and
mother have been set side-by-side, a formation replicated in the Tāj Mahal

Akbar’s Tomb, Sikandra

Sikandra, the last
resting place of the Mughal Emperor Akbar the Great, is on
the Delhi-Agra Highway, only 13 kilometres from the Agra Fort. Akbar’s tomb
reflects the completeness of his personality. The vast, beautifully carved,
red-ochre sandstone tomb with deers, rabbits and langoors is set amidst a lush
garden. Akbar himself planned his own tomb and selected a suitable site for it.
To construct a tomb in one’s lifetime was a Turkic custom which the Mughals followed
religiously. Akbar’s son Jahāngīr completed construction
of this pyramidal tomb in 1613. The names of the Gods of ninety-nine religious
sects have been inscribed on the tomb.

Swāmī
Bāgh Samādhi

The Swāmī Bāgh Samādhi is the mausoleum of Huzūr Swāmijī Mahārāj (Shrī
Shiv Dayāl Singh Seth) in the Swāmībāgh section, on the high
road that goes from Bhagwan Talkies to Dayāl Bāgh, in the outskirts of the city.
He was the founder of the Radhāswāmī Faith and the
Samādhi is sacred to its followers. Construction began in February 1904 and
still continues. Many believe that construction will never end at Swāmī Bāgh -
it is often seen as the next Tāj Mahal. The carvings in stone, using a
combination or coloured marble, are life-like and not seen anywhere else in
India. The picture shown is taken from the rear of the building and shows only
two floors. When completed, the Samādhi will have a carved dome and a
gateway.

Mankameshwar Temple

The Mankameswar
Temple is one of four ancient temples dedicated to Lord Shiva located on the four corners
of Agra City. It is located near the Jāma Masjid and is about 2.5 kilometers
from the Tāj
Mahal and less than 1 km from Agra Fort. Being located in
the old city, the temple is surrounded by markets, many of which date back to
the Mughal Era.

Gurū kā Tal

Gurū
kā Tal was originally a reservoir meant to collect and conserve rainwater
built in Agra, near Sikandra, during Jahāngīr’s reign next to the Tomb of
I’tibār Khān Khwājasara in 1610. In 1970s a gurdwāra was erected here. Gurū kā
Tal is a holy place of worship for the Sikhs. Four of the ten Sikh Gurus are
said to have paid it a visit. Enjoying both historical and religious importance,
this gurdwāra attracts a large number of devotees and tourists. Boasting
elaborate stone carvings and 8 towers of the twelve original towers. It is
located by national (Delhi-Agra) highway-2.

Jamā Masjid

The Jāma Masjid is a
large mosque attributed to Shah Jahan’s daughter, Princess Jahanara Begum, built in
1648, notable for its unusual dome and absence of minarets. The inscription at
its entrance shows that it costed Rs 5 Lakhs at that time for its completion

Chīnī kā Rauza

Notable for its Persian influenced
dome of blue glazed tiles, the Chīnī kā Rauza is
dedicated to the Prime Minister of Shāh Jahān, ‘Allāma Afzal Khāl Mullā
Shukrullāh of Shirāz.

Rām Bāgh

The oldest Mughal garden in India,
the Rām
Bāgh was built by the Emperor Bābar in 1528 on the bank of the
Yamuna. It lies about 2.34 km north of the Tāj Mahal. The pavilions in this
garden are designed so that the wind from the Yamuna, combined with the
greenery, keeps them cool even during the peak of summer. The original name of
the gardens was Ārām Bāgh, or ‘Garden of Relaxation’, and this was where the
Mughal emperor Bābar used to spend his leisure
time and where he eventually died. His body was kept here for sometime before
sending it to Kabul

Mariam’s Tomb

Mariams Tomb, is the tomb
of Mariam, the wife of great Mughal Emperor Akbar. The tomb is within the
compound of the Christian Missionary Society.

Mehtāb Bāgh

The Mehtāb Bāgh, or ‘Moonlight
Garden’, is on the opposite bank of the River Yamuna from the Tāj Mahal.

Keetham Lake

Also known as Sur Sarovar, Keetham Lake is situated
about 23 kilometres from Agra, within the Surdas Reserved Forest. The lake has
an impressive variety of aquatic life and water birds.

Mughal Heritage Walk

The Mughal Heritage Walk is a part of community development programme being
implemented with support of Agra Municipal corporation, USAID and an NGO; Center
for Urban and Regional Excellence. It seeks to build sustainable livelihoods for
youth and women from low resource communities and improving their living
environments through infrastructure services and integration within the
city.

The Mughal Heritage Walk is a one kilometer loop which connects the
agricultural fields with the Rajasthani culture, river bank connected with the
ancient village of Kuchhpura, the Heritage Structure of Mehtab Bagh, the Mughal
aqueduct system, the Humanyun Mosque and theGyarah
Sidi.

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception

The Cathedral of the Immaculate
Conception is the seat of the Roman
Catholic Archdiocese of Agra.

Economy

Tourism contributes to a large extent in the economy of Agra. Agra has some
of the finest Hotels and Spas in India. Agra is home to Asia’s
largest spa called Kaya Kalp — The Royal Spa, at the Hotel Mughal in Agra.

The city also has a substantial industrial base. A lot of manufacturing
plants and industry related wholesale markets are prominent in Agra. Agra’s
industries are doing a fine job in various fields. Producers and dealers of Agra
have a vast market to support them.

Agra has a good number of apparel and garment manufacturers and exporters.
Agra has also an important market for the automobile industry. Anil Diesels,
Harvest Group of Industries, Indian Agriculture & Automobile
Corporation(IAAC) and Malloys India are some of the major players of the
automobile industry in Agra.

Over 7200 Small Scale Industrial Units are spared all over the district. Agra
city is famous for the Leather Goods, Handicrafts, Zari Zardozi, Marvel and
Stone carving & inlay work. Agra is also welknown for its sweets (Petha
& Gajak) and Snacks (Dalmoth)

The leather industry is among the most traditional and original industries of
Agra. Some of the leading manufacturers, exporter and sellers of leather in Agra
are Polyplast Industries, Royal International, Eskay Sales Corporation, Best
Buy, Bandejjia Traders and Expomore.

With the expansion of the Agra city, more and more construction works are
going around the city. To facilitate the flow of work, a lot of organizations
dealing in building materials have come up. A few leading names are Silver Gatta
Agency, Yashoda Exports, Glass Expressions and Sharda Enterprises. The
jeweleries of Agra is a great favorite with the tourists and is in good demand
in the international market also. The Yoga Handicrafts and the D.R.Chain and
Wire Manufacturing Company are two of the several important names of the related
industry.

Education

Agra has always been a centre for education and learning. It was during the
advent of Mughal era that Agra grew as a centre of Islamic education. In the
coming decades Agra saw great literary figures come from the city. Abul Fazl and
others were among the pioneers. The Urdu literature grew by leaps and bounds in
the city. Mir Taqi “Mir” and Mirza Asadullah Beg “Ghalib” were the icons
produced by the city.

British people introduced the western concept of
education in Agra. In the year 1823, Agra College, one of the oldest colleges in
India was formed out of a Sanskrit school established by the Scindia
rulers.

In the British era, Agra became a great center of Hindi literature
with people like Babu Gulab Rai at the helm.

Universities in Agra

• Agra
  University was established on 1 July 1927 and catered to colleges spread
  across the United Provinces, the Rajputana, the Central Provinces and almost
  to entire North India, at present around 142 Colleges are affiliated to this
  University. The historic Agra University was later rechristened as Dr. BhimRao
  Ambedkar University by the then Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Ms. Mayawati.
• Dayalbagh
  Educational Institute, Radhasoami Satsang Sabha, started the Radhasoami
  Educational Institute, as a co-educational Middle School, open to all, on
  January 1, 1917. It became a Degree College in 1947, affiliated to Agra
  University. In 1975, it formulated an innovative and comprehensive programme
  of undergraduate studies which received approbation from the Government of
  Uttar Pradesh and the University Grants Commission, as a result of which in
  1981 the Ministry of Education, Government of India, conferred the status of
  an institution deemed to be a University on the Dayalbagh Educational
  Institute, to implement the new scheme.
• Central
  Institute of Hindi, Central Institute of Hindi (also known as Kendriya
  Hindi Sansthan) is an autonomous institute under Ministry of Human Resource
  Development, Government of India engaged in teaching Hindi as a foreign and
  second language. Apart from running regular and residential Hindi language
  courses for foreign students, the institute also conducts regular training
  programmes for teachers of Hindi belonging to non-Hindi states of India. The
  institute is situated at a 11 acres (4.5 ha) campus on the outskirts
  of Agra city. Headquartered in Agra the institute has eight regional centers
  in Delhi, Hyderabad, Mysore, Shillong, Dimapur, Guwahati, Ahmedabad and
  Bhubneshwar. The institute is the only government run institution in India
  established solely for research and teaching of Hindi as a foreign and second
  language.

Colleges

Agra is also home to some of the oldest and renowned colleges

• The
  Institute of Engineering & Technology Khandari, Agra (I.E.T. Khandari,
  Agra), is the prestigious and renowned engineering institute of Dr. Bhim Rao
  Ambedkar University, Agra (formerly Agra University), situated at Khandari,
  Agra in Uttar Pradesh.
• Sarojini
  Naidu Medical College, Agra, named after the first lady Governess of Uttar
  Pradesh, poetess and freedom fighter, Bharat Kokila Smt. Sarojini Naidu, is
  one of the first three Medical Schools of the country. During year 2004-2005,
  S. N. Medical College & Hospital is celebrating its 150th Foundation year
  (1854-2004)
• St. John’s
  College, Agra was established in 1850 by the Church Missionary Society of
  England through the efforts of the Agra C. M. S. Association which came into
  being in 1840. Shankar Dayal
  Sharma, the 9th President of India received his education from St. John’s
  college.
• F.E.T
  Agra College,Agra, Carrying the legacy of Agra College and Agra
  University, Faculty of Engineering and technology came into existence in the
  Year 2000, the college which is nearly 9 years old can boast of strong alumni
  base which is spread all across the world.
• Raja Balwant
  Singh College, RBS College is one of the biggest college of Asia and was
  started by Awagarh Kingdom. This college has the largest campus area and
  maximum number of education branches.
• Anand
  Engineering College, Agra is affiliated to U.P. Technical University
  Lucknow. It is a part of SGI(Sarda Group of Institutions) a well known
  educational group of North India.
• B.M.A.S
  Engineering College, Agra is affiliated to U.P. Technical University
  Lucknow. It is a part of SGI(Sarda Group of Institutions) a well known
  educational group of North India.

Schools

British people also introduced English medium schools to the city known as
convent schools as they were attached to a church. Some of the prominent schools
areç

• Avanti Bai Inter
  College , Trans yamunna II, Agra
• Bhartiya Vidyapeeth Bal Bharti School, Vibhav Nagar, Agra
• Air Force School, Kheria, Agra.
• Army School Agra Cantt.
• Government Inter College, Agra.
• Radhaswami Educational Institute,DayalBagh,Agra
• RBS Inter College, Khandari, Agra
• N. C. V. Inter college, Agra Cantt.
• St. Peter’s
  College, Agra,built in 1846, is in fact one of the oldest of its kind in the country.
• Sumeet Rahul Goel Memorial Senior Secondary School, Kamla Nagar, Agra
• St. Patrick’s Junior College, Agra [Built in 1842, 1st Convent of Jesus
  and Mary in Asia, and IInd in the world]
• St. Conrad’s Inter College, Transport Nagar
• St. George’s College, Hariparvat
• Royal Public School, Transyamuna, NH-2, Agra
• Simpkins School, Maruti Estate,Agra
• St. Andrew’s Senior Secondary School, karmayogi Enclave
• DPS, Shastripuram
• St. Clare’s Senior Secondary School
• St. Francis Convent School, Wazirpura Road, Agra
• B.R.B. Saraswati Vidya Mandir, Runakta, Agra
• St.Paul’s Church College, bagh farzana agra
• Wellam Garden School, Nehru Enclave, Shaheed Nagar
• Saraswati Vidhya Mandir, Vijay Nagar, Agra
• Saraswati Vidhya Mandir, Kamla Nagar, Agra
• Indrabhan G. Inter College, Daresi NO. 2, Agra
• St. Anthony’s jr college, Agra
• Mahavir Digember Jain Inter College Agra
• Radha Ballabh Inter College, Amar Vihar, DayalBagh, Agra
• Swami Vivekanand Saraswati Shishu Mandir, Agra Cantt

References

Further reading

• A Handbook to Agra and the Taj, Sikandra, Fatehpur-Sikri, and the
  Neighbourhood, by E. B. Havell, 1904.

External links

• Official Website of Agra maintained by
  NIC
• Official Website of Taj
  Mahotsav
• Agra travel guide from Wikitravel
• Gurudwara Guru Ka Tal,
  Agra
• Agra City Guide
• Agra photo album
• More history About Taj
• Travel Guide by a Citizen of
• http://en.wikipedia.org/