Hotels In Agra

Agra Travel Guides
History of Agra
Tourist Attractions in Agra
Hotels in Agra
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About Agra, Uttar Pradesh
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Taj Mahal Agra
Agra Fort, Agra
Sikandra Agra
Fatehpur Sikri Agra
Itimad-ud-Daulah Agra

Atithi Hotel Agra
Hotel Grand Agra
Hotel Kamal Agra
Hotel Kanha Continental Agra
Hotel Sidhartha Agra
Hotel Apollo Agra
Hotel Delux Plaza Agra
Hotel Panchratan Agra
Hotel Jai Hind Agra
Hotel Ashish Palace Agra
Hotel Metro Agra
Hotel Regency Agra
Hotel Taj Plaza Agra
Hotel Sheela Inn Agra
Usha Kiran Palace Agra
Hotel Royale Residency Agra
Hotel Udupi Inn Agra
Hotel Clarks Shiraz Agra
Hotel Ganga Ratan Agra
Ganga Taran Hotel Agra
Hotel Lauries Agra
Hotel Ajay International Agra

Tomb of Itimad-ud-Daulah

The tomb of Itimad-ud-Daulah is as interesting as the life of the person for whom it was built. Mirza Ghiyas-ud-din or Ghiyas Beg (later known as Itimad-ud-Daulah) was a poor merchant and lived in Persia (modern-day Iran). While on his way to India for business, his wife gave birth to a baby girl. As the family was extremely poor and had nothing to eat, the parents decided to abandon the child. However, the wails of the baby girl forced the parents to come back and take her with them. The baby girl brought a stroke of good luck to her parents, for Ghiyas Beg found a caravan that straightaway took him to the court of the great Mughal Emperor, Akbar. In the course of time, Ghiyas Beg rose to become a minister and a trusted treasurer in Akbar's court. After Akbar's death in 1605, his son Jahangir became the Mughal emperor, who made Ghiyas Beg his chief minister or Wazir. Ghiyas Beg was also honored with the title of Itimad-ud-Daulah or the pillar of the state.

Ghiyas Beg's daughter grew up to be a beautiful lady and came to be known as Mehr-un-Nissa or the sun of womankind. In the course of time, the fame of her beauty spread. She was married off, but she soon became a widow. She returned to the court of Jahangir where her father was employed. Emperor Jahangir fell in love with her and married her. She soon became a powerful personality in Jahangir's court and was called Nur Mahal, the light of the palace, and Nur Jahan, light of the world. When Ghiyas Beg (Itimad-ud-Daulah) died in 1622, Nur Jahan undertook the project to build his mausoleum. Later she built the tomb of her husband (in a similar style) in Lahore. Nur Jahan had a brother whose daughter was married to Jahangir's son, Shahjahan. She was known as Mumtaz Mahal in whose memory Shahjahan built the world famous Taj Mahal.

Itimad-ud-Daulah was buried in a tomb that resembles a jewel box and set in a garden. This tranquil, small, garden located on the banks of the Yamuna was to inspire the construction of the Taj Mahal in the later years. It is the first tomb in India built entirely in white marble. The tomb is also justly famous for the glorious pietra dura (stone inlay) decoration depicting cypresses, wine glasses, and an amazing variety of geometrical arabesque. The jali screens set in arched recesses are splendid. Four small minarets rise at the four corners of the small tomb structure.

The whole structure gives the impression of an enlarged precious object. Due to the profusion of intricate work done on marble and the beautiful marble screen-work, the tomb easily qualifies as a veritable forerunner of the famous Taj Mahal.

It Mad Ud Daulah Gateways & Garden

One can enter the tomb of Itmad-ud-Daulah from the east, which is the only functional gateway of the tomb. The other three gateways built in other directions were constructed only to maintain the symmetry, following the rules of the Char Bagh pattern. Thus, they can also be 'garden pavilions'. These red sandstone gateways have inlaid marble designs and are double storeyed. Marble inlay work can be seen on the dados of the main iwan and spandrels of arches too. The northern and southern pavilions are almost identical. They have a single storeyed iwan in the middle and double storeyed wings on their sides. There are rooms and halls on the first floor of these pavilions. There are stairways on the sides of the façade. There are chhatris crowning these pavilions. The largest and most elaborately decorated pavilion is the western one, which is situated on the riverbank and is believed to be used by Itmad-ud-Daulah as the pleasure pavilion during his lifetime. Situated centrally in the Char Bagh, the tomb is surrounded on all sides by tanks and water channels.

How to Reach

The tomb of Itimad-ud-Daulah is located on the banks of the Yamuna, near the Yamuna Bridge railway station. Agra is well connected by air with Khajuraho, Varanasi, and Delhi. It has good rail and bus connections with major Indian cities. One can travel to the tomb by making use of taxi, tempo, auto-rickshaw, or cycle rickshaw. Prepaid taxis and autos from the railway station are available. Prepaid transport is also available for excursions in and around the city limits. Bicycles can also be hired on hourly basis from different parts of the city.