Agra is a beautiful city located on the banks of the Yamuna River in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is home to one of the most beautiful structures in India, The Taj Mahal. Agra has a long history behind it with its mention in Mahabharata as Agrevena (the border of the forest). Nevertheless, according to the records, it is Sultan Sikander Lodi, the ruler of the Delhi Sultanate, who founded Agra in 1504. His son Ibrahim Lodi ruled for a few more years until defeated by the Mughal Badshah Babar in the first battle of Panipat in 1526. Agra prospered under the Mughal rule as a city. There were numerous forts, mosques, buildings and gardens built under the various rulers of Mughal Empire. Mughals shifted and made Agra the capital of their empire between 1556 and 1648. Akbarabad, the then name of Agra, underwent many changes during the reign of Akbar. The great Red Fort and Aram Bagh (the first formal Persian garden) were the architectural marvels built by Babar.
Agra was a centre for learning arts, commerce and religion. Akbar built another city Fatehpur Sikhri, which was another fine example of Mughal architecture. Jahangir built beautiful gardens and waterways in the forts due to his love for nature. Shah Jahan gave the most beautiful structure in Agra, Taj Mahal, built in the memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. Later on, the Mughal capital shifted to Shahjahanabad but his son Aurangazeb imprisoned him and made Akbarabad the capital again. He later shifted the capital to Aurangabad in the south in 1653. After the fall of the Mughal Empire, the city fell to the Marathas and its then the city got its name of Agra. The city ultimately got in the hands of the British in 1803. Apart from the Mughal Monuments, the city has Mankameshwar temple, Paliwal Park and Gurudwara Guru ka taal among many other place of interest. The city is well connected by road, rail and air due to its immense historical importance.