Agra

The man who built the world's most famous monument to love spent his final eight years locked in a tower, staring at it through a window. Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned the Taj Mahal in 1631 after his wife Mumtaz Mahal died giving birth to their 14th child. Twenty thousand workers spent 22 years crafting the white marble masterpiece.

In 1658, his son Aurangzeb overthrew him in a brutal power grab and imprisoned him in Agra Fort. Shah Jahan died there in 1666, gazing at the tomb he'd bankrupted an empire to build.

Agra started as a modest city founded by Sikandar Lodi around 1506. Emperor Akbar made it the Mughal capital in 1556 and built the massive Agra Fort from red sandstone. The fortress sprawls across 94 acres and became the center of Mughal power for generations.

The Mughal emperors transformed Agra into an architectural powerhouse. Akbar, Jahangir, and Shah Jahan filled the city with palaces, gardens, and monuments that blended Persian, Indian, and Islamic styles. The wealth flowing through Agra funded some of the most ambitious building projects in history.

Then the empire started crumbling. After Shah Jahan's death, the Mughal dynasty slowly weakened. The British took control in the 1800s, and Agra shifted from imperial capital to colonial outpost.

Today, the Taj Mahal draws millions of visitors annually, making it one of the most visited monuments on the planet. The building changes color throughout the day, glowing pink at sunrise, white at noon, and golden at sunset.

Visit the Taj Mahal at dawn to beat the crowds and catch that pink morning glow. The monument sits on the banks of the Yamuna River, framed by perfectly symmetrical gardens. Tour Agra Fort's maze of courtyards, mosques, and the octagonal tower where Shah Jahan spent his final years. Walk through the gardens and find the marble bench where he sat watching the Taj.

Try petha, Agra's famous translucent sweet made from ash gourd that dates back to Mughal times. It comes in flavors like saffron, rose, and even chocolate if you're feeling adventurous. Order Mughlai classics like mutton korma and nargisi kofta at restaurants near the fort. The city's street food scene serves up spicy chaat and bedai with jalebi for breakfast.