About Mariam-Zamani Tomb:
The daughter of Raja Bharmal Kachhwaha of Ambar or Amer, the wife of great Mughal Emperor Akbar and the mother of his much-awaited heir Salim, this Rajpur queen was known in Mughal History as ‘Mariam Zamani’ meaning ‘Compassionate to the World’. She was so named by Akbar on the eve of the birth of his son and heir Salim (later known as Jehangir) in 1569 at Fatehpur Sikri. When she died in 1623 at Agra, Jehangir built a stylish tomb for his mother close to the tomb of Akbar within the compound of Christian Missionary Society. These tombs are situated in Sikandra region, which was so named because Sikander Lodi was its founder. Originally, this structure was a barahdari, stylized into the tomb by Mughals by reconstructing the four facades of buildings in the Mughal architectural style of that time and making little alterations such as adding a crypt below the central compartment meant to be used as the mortuary chamber for the queen. One could visit the crypt using the red stone stairs built for the purpose. In the central chamber, a cenotaph was placed in just above the real tomb that was protected by red stone ‘jalied’ balustrade on all sides.
General Information about Mariam-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 Mariam-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.