Sikandra | Uttar Pradesh | Top | Best Tourist Places in India

Sikandra 

Fast Facts
Location : 10 kms north of Agra, Uttar Pradesh.
Built By : Akbar and Jehangir
Open to Visitors : From sunrise to sunset all weekdays.
Entry Fee : Rs. 10, on Friday entry is free.

Sikandra – Overview

Sikandara, a historic town located 10 kms north of Agra is known as the place where the Mughal Emperor Akbar lies in his eternal rest. Popularly known as Akbar the Great, the Mughal Emperor ruled an empire that stretched across North India from 1556 A.D to 1605 A.D. Following the death of his father Humayun, Akbar came to the throne when he was just 13 - yrs- old, but his reign is considered the pinnacle of Mughal dynasty in India.

Today, Sikandra, the peaceful resting place of the Akbar, is a site that greets you to step back into history and get a glimpse of the eventful life and period of Akbar the Great. Built in the Indo-Saracenic architectural style, Akbar’s tomb has a towering arched gates, green lawns on which you can see grazing deers. Moreover, on the road from Sikandra to Agra, you can see numerous tombs and also two Kos minars ‘milestones’.

History of Sikandra
Historically, the name of Sikandra bears the memory of the Afghan general Sikandar Lodhi who occupied Agra in the year 1492 A.D. Sikandar Lodhi constructed a fort here and later a town grew up around it, which became known as Sikandra. He also built the Baradi Palace inside the mausoleum gardens but that is now a forgotten chapter of history.

Akbar’s Mausoleum
Akbar’s Mausoleum is the main attraction at the old town of Sikandra. Mughal Emperor Akbar himself started the construction of his tomb in 1605 but he died and his son Jehangir completed it in 1613 A.D. Situated in the centre of a large garden, Akbar’s mausoleum has four massive identical entrances leading to the tomb complex. Made of red and white sand stone, the four entrances were erected to represent the four essential religious creeds such as the Hindu, the Muslim, the Christian and the Universal, Deen-e-Elahi (preached by Akbar himself).

Enter through the Buland Darwaza, the towering main gate that opens on the southern side and leads you to the great garden enclosure. Move further, at the end of garden lies the four-storied, Akbar’s mausoleum, built after the pattern of the Panch Mahal of Fatehpur Sikri. The 100 ft high mausoleum has four minarets (towers) each containing a flight of 93 stairs. Akbar’s tomb is situated in the basement and there is a cenotaph chamber around 30 ft above it. The entrance of the tomb is beautifully decorated with marble inlay work, while the interior of the tomb’s dome is decorated with images of flowers, geometric designs and Islamic calligraphy. Akbar’s unique pyramidal tomb has an open terrace top contained within the massive panels of jail screens. You can see Allah-o-Akbar (God is Great) and the name of deities of 99 religious sects carved in the walls of the tomb. Close to Akbar’s tomb lies the tomb of Mariam Zamani, Jehangir’ mother.

Architecture of Akbar’s Mausoleum
Akbar’s Mausoleum is combination of Hindu and Muslim styles of architecture. Akbar was a great connoisseur of the arts and he was known for incorporating various architectural styles into the designs of his buildings. Actually, Akbar had a different architectural plan for his mausoleum but he could not finish the construction. Later, Jehangir finished the structure by using designs and methods not originally intended by Akbar, like he left out a crowning dome. Interestingly, some of the designing features of Akbar’s Mausoleum are similar to the design of the Taj Mahal built later by Shah Jahan in Agra.

How to Reach

By Air : Nearest airport is located at Agra, which is connected with Delhi, Varanasi, Khajuraho and other important cities of India. From the airport, you have to take the road journey to reach Sikandra which is 10 kms north-west of the Taj Mahal on the Delhi – Agra highway.

By Train : Agra Cantt. Railway Station is the major railhead near Sikandra. Several express, superfast and mail trains run from various parts of the country to Agra. If you want to visit Sikandra from Delhi, Taj Express and Shatabadi express are good options for you as they run every day to Agra. From Agra railway station take bus, auto rickshaw or taxi to reach Sikandra.
By Bus : Agra is well connected by National and State Highways with important places of the country. As Sikandra is situated on the Delhi – Agra Highway, so it is well-served by buses. If you are visiting Agra from Delhi you may leave your bus at Sikandra.

Places Where You Can Stay
Agra is quite close to Sikandra and is best place to stay as enough accommodation options are available there. You may choose from plenty of hotels ranging from five star luxury hotels, four star, three star to budget hotels as per your budget.