Agra
Agra is a city on the banks of the Yamuna River in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India. It finds mention in the epic Mahābhārata where it was called Agrevaṇa , or ‘the border of the forest’. Legend ascribes the founding of the city to Rājā Badal Singh (around 1475), whose fort, Badalgarh, stood on or near the site of the present Fort.
Sultan Sikandar Lodī was the first to move his capital from Delhi to Agra in the year 1506; he died in 1517 and his son Ibrāhīm Lodī remained in power there for nine more years, finally being defeated at the Battle of Panipat in 1526.
It achieved fame as the capital of the Mughal emperors from 1526 to 1658 and remains a major tourist destination because of its many splendid Mughal-era buildings, most notably the Tāj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpūr Sikrī, all three of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Mathura
Mathura is a holy city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located approximately 50 kms north of Agra, , 150 kms south of Delhi and about twenty kilometers from holy Vrindavan.
Mathura is reputed to be the birthplace of Lord Krishna at the centre of Braja or Brij-bhoomi, called Krishna-janma-bhoomi. The Keshav Dev temple was built in ancient times on the site of Krishna’s legendary birthplace (an underground prison). As per the epic Mahabharata and per Bhagavata Purana, Mathura was the capital of the Surasena Kingdom, ruled by Kansa the maternal uncle of Krishna.
Fatehpur Sikri
The historical city was constructed by Mughal emperor Akbar beginning in 1570 and served as the empire’s capital from 1571 until 1585, when it was abandoned for reasons that remain unclear. The surviving palace and mosque are a tourist attraction and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The site itself is a ghost town.
