The Akbar's Tomb is situated on 119 acres of land in Sikandra area which is a suburb of the Agra city in Uttar Pradesh state of India. Akbar Tomb is a great masterpiece of Mughal architecture of that time which is an outstanding work of design and construction. Starting from the ceiling going through the walls and ending at the doors panels, everything is fascinatingly designed inside Tomb of Akbar. And the expertise on the architecture of the Mughal Empire is visualized in the form of huge Tomb.
The story behind Akbar’s Tomb is different from that of The Taj Mahal. Shahjahan started Taj Mahal’s construction for his wife Mumtaj so it is the mausoleum of Mumtaz Mahal especially. But the construction of Akbar’s Tomb Agra was commenced by Badshah Akbar himself to keep his sepulture. There are only few Tombs of this type in the world with such a great story behind the purpose of their construction.
The real Tomb of Akbar the Great is situated in the basement which is unfortunately not open for tourist for security reasons. The basement has panels, places to pass air and an open door where the actual body of Mughal Emperor Akbar is kept as per the mughal traditions.
The entire complex of Akbar’s Tomb is covered by thick walls from all sides and has four gates but only southern gate is being used for entry and exit which is the largest and enriched with vast work of architecture, all other gates are almost ruined. Akbar's Tomb has huge garden inside where you can easily spot wild animals like antelope, monkeys and peacocks. In fact the real beauty of Akbar's Tomb is the greenery and the animals roaming here and there inside the premises. Lush green surroundings with some wild life gives this tomb a unique identity in the city of cultural heritage.
It is said that while the grandson of Akbar, Aurangzeb was ruling the Mughal Empire, the rebellious Jats tapped the Akbar Tomb Agra and plundered a big amount of valuable articles, gold, silver and jewels. Furthermore, they destroyed a significant part of the tomb as well. During this time, the Akbar's Tomb has suffered a lot which was later repaired extensively by British rulers. But still they failed to return its original charm and heritage.
HOW TO REACH AKBAR’S TOMB
The Tomb of Akbar the Great is located right on the National Highway #2 popularly known as Mathura road in Agra. The distance from the city center is 10 kilometers and airport is located at 11 kilometers. Taj Mahal to Akabr Tomb distance is approximately 14 KM by road. There are three roads to reach Akbar Tomb from Agra city centre. Via Mahatma Gandhi Rd, Via Bagh Farzana RD and via National Highway, all three ways are of the almost same distance and convenient modes of transport are also available easily.
If you are coming from Delhi via National Highway, this should be first place to see in Agra and if you are leaving towards Delhi, Akbar's Tomb should be the last. Few decent accommodations are also available here but if you are looking for luxury, you should head towards Taj Ganj on Fatehabad road, plenty of good hotels and restaurants are available there.
AKBAR’S TOMB TIMINGS AND ENTRY FEE
The Akbar's Tomb is open for visitors from sunrise to sunset usually 6:00 AM to 6:30 PM. Huge parking space is also available in the designated area where you can park your vehicle. Winters are said to be best season in Agra as summers might be too hot and max temperature could be as high as 48 degree Celsius. If you are travelling in summer, avoid visiting Akbar's Tomb in afternoon, morning or evening will be better.
Akbar's Tomb Entry Fee is Rs. 30 only for Indians and Rs. 30 if you are coming from a SAARC Nations. However foreigners have to pay Rs. 310 per person. If there are children with you below 15 years of age, you do not need to buy tickets for them. Ticket counter is located just inside the parking area for your convenience, drinking water and other facilities are also available here free of cost.