About Layout of Maryam-Zamani Tomb:
Set centrally amidst a sprawling garden, the square building of the tomb of Mariam Zamani is built on a raised platform with stairs on its northern and southern sides. The two corridors running from east-west and north-south divide the structure nine sections that are further subdivided into smaller compartments. Brick and mortar are used as the primary construction materials and broad arches and vaulted ceilings grace the building. The cenotaph of Mariam Zomani is set in the central chamber, directly above the main mortuary chamber. There is a third grave of the queen too, situated as the white marble cenotaph on a brick masonry platform in the centre of the terrace. The upper rooms known as ‘duchhatti’ are accessible by stairways. The terrace has four massive cupolas in the corners and four ‘chhaparkhats’, one on each side. These cupolas are made of red sandstone. Below the ‘chajja’, there are beautiful brackets that serve both the ornamental as well as functional purposes. Their domes are crowned by an inverted lotus or ‘padma kosha’. The rectangular chhaparkhats with eight pillars and a cluster of brackets resemble the the corner cupolas.
General Information about Maryam-Zamani Tomb:
Location: Agra
State: Uttar Pradesh
Capital: Lucknow
Language: Hindi, English
Temperature: Max 42˚C, Min 27˚C (summer), Max 26˚C, Min 14˚C (winter)
Best Season: October to February
How to Reach Maryam-Zamani Tomb:
By Air:
Agra airport is 7 km from the city centre and 3 km from Idgah bus stand and is connected by domestic flights from major Indian cities. There are daily round trip flights from Delhi to Agra, Khajuraho, and Varanasi, with a return to Delhi. It takes only about 40 minutes from Delhi to Agra.
By Road:
Agra is about 204 km from Delhi, the capital of India. There is an excellent national highway connecting Delhi and Agra and it is only a 4 hours drive from Delhi. There are many luxury taxis and buses that drive to Agra everyday. Idgah and Agra Fort are the main bus stands of Agra from where anybody can catch buses to and from or Delhi, Jaipur, Mathura and Fatehpur-Sikri.
By Rail:
Agra is well connected by rail to Delhi, Varanasi and cities of Rajasthan. The main railway station is the Agra Cantonment station. There are many trains connecting Delhi and Agra like Shatabdi, Rajdhani, Taj Express and luxury trains like the Palace on Wheels.