Facts & Figures

Facts & Figures

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Heritage Facts

  • Agra is the only Indian city with three UNESCworld heritage sites: Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri.
  • Agra remained the power center and capital of Mughal empire for most of it’s glorious period. Capital was shifted tDelhi only in 1648 towards the end of Shahjahan’s regime.
  • Sick with grief, Shah Jahan was first inspired tbuild the Taj Mahal after his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, died while giving birth ttheir 14th child.
  • Taj Mahal cost around 32 crore rupees at that time for its construction and in today’s money TajMahal costs about US $100 million.
  • An estimated 20,000 laborers were recruited from all over Asia tcontribute tthe massive project. Remnants of their massive encampment, bazaar, and living quarters are now a nearby neighborhood.
  • Shah Jahan was imprisoned by his son Aurangzeb for 8 years in the octagonal tower of the Agra fort. It is rumoured that Shah Jahan died in Musamman Burj, a tower with a marble balcony with a view of the Taj Mahal.
  • British soldiers pried precious stones from the walls of the Taj Mahal during the Sepoy Rebellion in 1857.
  • A total of 28 types of precious and semiprecious jewels are set in the marble. The turquoise came from Tibet, and jade came from China. Heavy white marble — the principal building material — was transported from Rajasthan.
  • The Agra Fort had the largest state treasury and mint of its times, which was visited by foreign ambassadors and other eminent personalities.

Commercial Facts 

  • Agra is the largest footwear manufacturing hub in India.
  • Petha – the famous, soft, translucent and sweet candy originated in Agra (in Mughal kitchens) and spread its sweetness tthe world. 
  • The six-lane Yamuna expressway covers 165 km and connects Greater Noida with Agra. It reduces the travel time between the capital and Agra by nearly four hours. 
  • Famous modern Agra born Indians include Narendra Patni, the founder of Patni Computer Systems, now iGate, and Ajit Doval, India’s famous spymaster.

Fun Facts

  • Agra fort – the red sandstone fort of Agra has been mentioned in The Sign of the Four- the second novel featuring Sherlock Holmes.
  • The Agra Fort has won the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in the year 2004 and Indian Post issued a stamp tcommemorate this prestigious award on 28 November, 2004.
  • The Agra Fort was featured in the music videfor Habibi Da, a hit song of Egyptian pop star Hisham Abbas 
  • Agra Museum in the gardens of Taj Mahal display plates that apparently used tshatter if served poisonous food.
  • Taj Mahal appears pink in the morning, white in the day and changes its color tgolden in the moon light.
  • The most celebrated Urdu poet Mirza Asadullah Beg Khan was born in Agra on 27 December 1797. He was alsknown as Mirza Ghalib.
  • The famous 15th century poet Surdas was born in Agra (Runkta village).
  • The bomb used by Bhagat Singh in bombing the Central Legislative Assembly (Now, Indian Parliament House) on 8th April 1929 was made in Agra. 
  • The Agra Bear Rescue Facility (Wildlife SOS) is the largest Sloth Bear Rescue Facility in the world.