Once regarded as a paradise in the Mahabharata, the epic tale of India holds as its cultural treasure, Agra. Hence, it is now a bustling city, and home to several buildings constructed in the Mughal Era, most notably the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort, both classified under UNESCO World Heritage status. The Taj Mahal alone is recognizable to most people in the world, particularly the ones who’ve heard of it as a labor of love and one of the most famous buildings on earth, as well as being an architectural masterpiece for all time.
Climate and Geography
The Yamuna River banks are where the city of Agra is located. It is approximately situated more than two hundred kilometers from the country’s capital New Delhi. The average elevation of the city is at one hundred seventy meters above sea level, and it’s surrounded by other cities on all sides as well. It’s the third biggest city in the state of Uttar Pradesh, with one million eight hundred thousand residents.
Like much of India, Agra’s climate is sub-tropical in nature, with summer periods, followed by monsoons, then the winter season in order to complete the yearly cycle. April to September is the duration of summer, which is quite long by any standard, which also overlaps the monsoon season that starts in July. The monsoon season brings about most of the rain during the year, with a modest amount of almost seven hundred mm. the average temperature in Agra hovers at twenty-four degrees Celsius on the higher end of the scale, and temperature lowers down at six degrees. However, that changes during wintertime, because sub-zero temperatures are common occurrences during this time.
Demographics of Agra
Agra has always been a sleepy town, and the demographics of the residents show the same trend. Overall literacy is at sixty-five percent, not much higher than the national average. As is the case throughout most of India, the population in Agra has more males than females, with males comprising fifty-three percent of the population count and females the remainder.
Economic Background
The main modern industry in Agra is tourism, because the draw to the city for tourists is enough to bring a significant portion of the total revenue of the city from its visitors alone. Many of the small and medium-sized businesses in Agra are also tourism-based, giving further importance to the tourism industry in this city. Commerce is also a big portion of the city’s economy, with plenty of small businesses sustaining residents during their day to day.
What is doing the grunt work in supporting Agra’s economy, however, is Agriculture. The crop produce in Agra is wheat, Mustards, and potatoes, among others. Another industry doing the heavy lifting in Agra’s economy is handicraft and manufacture, again mostly small or medium-sized businesses. Forty percent of the total economic support in Agra comes from the combined industrial output.
Traveling Within Agra
There are a lot of places to go to while in Agra. The Taj Mahal is probably the most famous monument the city is known for, and for many tourists visiting India, it wouldn’t be complete without a stop at one of the most famous wonders of the world. It’s carved from marble, and laid out in perfect symmetry, taking twenty-two years of hard labor. This is under the biggest dome of the monument which is the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal, Shah Jahan’s beloved wife. It’s truly a must-see sight when you visit India.
Another monument classified as a world heritage site by UNESCO is the so-called Agra Fort. It is also set in a rich historical background. Aside from this, it is regarded as a walled palace that is often referred to as the red fort due to the red sandstone used in building it. This fort was built during the Mughal Era, where in, its walls were built in order to defend the palace from outside attacks, standing as a great architectural wonder in its own right. The fort is crescent shaped, with a flatter side located east. Going around the walls, you will be walking almost two and a half kilometers.
Either of these two monuments are great places to visit, but Agra has a lot more to offer to its visitors, like Fatehpur Sikri, which is also built during the Mughal Era. It is historically significant and a wonderful place for tourists in order to get a glimpse of how marvelous Indian culture is. Temples are also abundant in the city, and you can really see how Agra has followed Indian culture throughout its evolution.
Investments in Agra Properties
Agra has been mostly viewed as somewhat “stuck in time”. This is primarily due to the fact that is seen caught up in its past and fails to move on with progress. Although historical sites dominate the city, it is still one of the heavy draws on this city. The atmosphere changes as Agra becomes more receptive to modern real estate projects. The Property developers in Agra have also realized that partnering with the historical appeal of the city can be used to their advantage, as leverage. The city is also relatively calmer than other regions in the state, with a more peaceful law and order situation. Due to these advantages, new major projects in construction have been launched in Agra as an initiative to bring new life to this city.
The potential real estate values in this city are tremendous, and a big change from previous decades where the government did most of the development for residential properties, has resulted to management practices that could’ve been better. Now private developers are getting ready to increase the value of real estate along with their various projects. If you’re planning to invest in a real estate in Agra, the time is just about right for you to put your money in with the city’s properties, with almost half of the demand being for residential sites alone. The prices for land in this city have also doubled in recent years, which can really work to the investor’s advantage. You can also check with a developer that is operating in Agra in order to see what they have in store for the city. Plus, how you can get some part of the action and watch your money grow as the city properties increase in value in a short amount of time.