Agra, a city in Uttar Pradesh, is famous worldwide for its magnificent Taj Mahal. It is a city with rich heritage and a part of the popular Golden Triangle Tour. It receives a huge number of tourists every year. It was a part of the Mughal Empire and various emperors built various monuments and forts, attracting visitors from all over the world. Though it is famous for magnificent Taj Mahal, but it also has more monuments with the wonderful blend of different architectures. Chausath Khamba and Red Taj Mahal are some of these.
Chausath Khamba is a monument in Agra, which should not be missed during the golden triangle tour India. Initially, it was built as a hall with eclectic Mughal architecture, but later, it was converted into a tomb. This monument got its name for its sixty four columns, supporting twenty five bays and each of these have a dome. Since these were constructed in the reverse style, one cannot see these from outside. Constructed entirely with white marble, its roof is flat and its walls have five arches supported by pilasters.
Another lesser known monument is Roman Catholic Cemetery that is also known as red Taj Mahal. The Taj Mahal is an epitome of a husband’s love for his wife whereas this monument is an epitome of a wife’s love for his husband. It was constructed by Ann Hessing in 1803 A.D. She was the wife of a Dutch soldier, Colonel John William Hessing. He was from Utrecht, Holland and came to Ceylon to serve for Dutch E.I. Company in 1752. This monument has architecture similar to the Taj Mahal and was constructed using red sandstone.
Well, these are two lesser known monuments in Agra, which are worth visiting during the golden triangle tour India. There are more monuments in this city, which can be explored by availing luxury car rental in India.