Review: Google Chromecast

“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”

It’s probably the most overused quote in tech writing… which sucks, because I’d really like to use it to describe how I feel about the Chromecast.

The Chromecast is deceptively simple: you plug it into your TV, then stream video and music to it from apps running on your iPhone, Android device, or laptop. The Chromecast itself has no remote; whatever device you’re streaming from is the remote. The Chromecast has next to no user interface of its own, either; it’s got a single screen that shows the time and whether or not it’s connected to your WiFi that appears when nothing is being streamed, but again, the device you’re streaming from largely acts as the interface. The Chromecast is a wireless portal to your TV, and doesn’t try to be anything more.

A Box Full Of Surprises:

I’ve been thinking about it all night, and I don’t think I’ve ever been as surprised by a device as I am by the Chromecast.

The price? Surprise! It’s $35. Are you kidding me ? According to Google, they’re not selling them at a loss . Even after accounting for the WiFi chip, the CPU, 2GB of flash memory, the RAM, licensing the right to use HDMI, assembly, packaging, and shipping them to the states, they’re somehow making money selling these things for thirty five dollars. Sure, their profit margin is probably like, four cents — but that they’re not selling these at a loss at that price point is kind of absurd.

The setup? Surprise! It’s ridiculously easy. Plug it into HDMI, give it some juice (through USB, which most new TVs have, or a standard wallwart), then run the Chromecast app on a laptop to tell it what WiFi network to connect to. Done.

App compatibility? Surprise! It’s already there on day one in some of the most notable online video apps, including Netflix and YouTube. I didn’t even have to update the apps — I just launched’em on my phone and the Chromecast button was sitting there waiting for me. They’ve even already built an extension for Chrome that drastically expands the functionality of the device (though, in its beta state, it’s a bit buggy. More on that later.)

Hell, even the very announcement of the Chromecast was a bit of a surprise. Google somehow managed to keep the Chromecast a secret until right before its intended debut, even with a bunch of outside parties involved. Netflix, Pandora, teams from all over Google, everyone involved in the manufacturing process — all of them were in the loop, yet nothing leaked until someone accidentally published a support page a few hours too early.

Now, none of that is to suggest that the Chromecast is perfect. It’s not! Not yet, at least. But its biggest issues are quite fixable, assuming that Google doesn’t look at the “overwhelming” sales of the Chromecast and say ‘Oh, well, screw this thing.’ And for just $35, the few blemishes it has are pretty easy to overlook.

Taking The Bad With The Good:

Video streaming quality is quite good (on par with what I get on my Xbox 360 or my Apple TV, at least) particularly when pulling from an app or website that’s been tailored for compatibility — so Netflix, Youtube, or Google Play, at the moment.

If you’re using the Chromecast extension for Chrome on your laptop to project an otherwise incompatible video site (like Hulu or HBOGO), however, video quality can dump quite a bit depending on your setup. It’s using your laptop as a middle man to encode the video signal and broadcast it to the Chromecast, where as the aforementioned compatible sites just send video straight to the dongle, mostly removing your laptop from the mix. When casting video tabs on a 2012 Macbook Air running on an 802.11n network, the framerate was noticeably lower and there were occasional audio syncing issues.

While we’re on the topic, the Chrome extension packs a bit of an easter egg: the ability to stream local videos from your laptop to the Chromecast. Just drag a video into Chrome, and it’ll start playing in a new tab. Use the Chrome extension to cast that tab, and tada! You’re streaming your (totally legitimate, not-at-all-pirated-am-i-right) videos without bringing any other software into the mix. I tried it with a bunch of video formats (AVIs, MOVs, MKVs), and they all seemed to work quite well, albeit with the lowered framerate I mentioned earlier.

Even within the apps that have already been tweaked for Chromecast compatibility, there are some day one bugs. Sometimes videos don’t play the first time you ask them to, instead dropping you into a never-ending loading screen. Other times, the video’s audio will start playing on top of a black screen. These bugs aren’t painfully common, but they’re not rare, either.

Fortunately, it’s mostly all good — and it can only get better:

Even with a bug or two rearing its head, the Chromecast is easily worth its $35 pricetag.

Remember, this thing just launched, and it came mostly out of nowhere. Those bugs? They’ll get patched away. The sometimes iffy framerate on projected tabs? It’ll almost certainly get better, as the Chromecast extension comes out of beta.

Pitted against the AppleTV — or, in a fairer comparison, against the AppleTV’s built-in AirPlay streaming feature — the Chromecast’s biggest strength is in its cross-platform compatibility. Whereas AirPlay is limited to iOS devices and Macs, Chromecast will play friendly with any iOS, Android, Mac, or Windows app that integrate’s Googles Cast SDK. Having just launched, the Cast protocol obviously isn’t nearly as ubiquitous as AirPlay, either in terms of Apps that support it nor in terms of other devices (like wireless speakers) that utilize it — but assuming that developers embrace the format (and really, they should), both of those things could quickly change. If developers support the protocol, Google could quite feasibly open it up to third parties to be integrated directly into TVs, speakers, and other types of gadgets. If that happens, AirPlay could be in trouble.

On the topic of its cross-platform compatibility: the experience on Android is a slightly better than it is on iOS, as Google has considerably more freedom on the platform; for example, apps that use Chromecast can take priority over the lockscreen, allowing the user to play/pause/skip a video without having to fully unlock their Android device. That’s just icing on the cake, though; for the most part, all of the primary features work just as well on iOS as they do on Android.

Conclusion:

It’s one of the easiest recommendations I’ve ever made: if the Chromecast sounds like something you’d want, buy it. It’s easily worth $35 as it stands, and it’s bound to only get better as time goes on, the bugs get ironed out, and more apps come to support it.

Latest Hits

"Exotic"

Priyanka Chopra is the hottest and dazzling new superstar that hits the Music Industry today, with her latest song “Exotic” featuring the International Rapper, Pitbull or Mr. Worldwide. The song has been a great hit ever since it made the billboards and it even quickly made it to Number One song on iTunes India. The song has been a huge success round the globe, even on the internet the song reached over six million views within ten days of release. After the first hit single of Priyanka titled, “In My City”, featuring American rapper Will.i.am, which was a promotional single from her untitled debut studio album, the second recording was more energetic and more lively showing the celebrity life of a star, making it big and living it large in the new world of international living and lifestyle.

The video was first published on http://www.youtube.com

"Blurred Lines"

It is a song recorded by American R&B recording artist Robin Thicke, his 2013 album. The song features guest vocals from American rapper T.I. and American singer and producer Pharrell; all three share writing credits on the song. It was produced by Pharrell. The song was released as the lead single from Blurred Lines on March 26, 2013 through Star Trak Recordings.

The single has peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, as well as topping the Billboard R&B Songs chart. It has also become Thicke's most successful song on the Billboard Hot 100, being his first to reach number one on the chart. The song has been a worldwide hit, topping the charts in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland and the United Kingdom, as well as the top ten in Belgium, Denmark, Lithuania, France, Iceland, Italy, Portugal and Switzerland.

The video was first published on http://www.youtube.com

“Addicted”

It is a debut single of the rock band, Saving Abel. Formed in 2004 by vocalist Jared Weeks and guitarist Jason Null, Saving Abel combine riff- heavy hard rock with sexually charged lyrics and Southern rock influences. The quintet started in Corinth, where Weeks and Null were in different bands before merging their song writing talents. In early 2005, the duo attracted attention from producer Skidd Mills, who invited Weeks and Null to record in his Memphis Studio. Juggling day jobs and regional gigs, the two began driving back and forth between Corinth and Memphis, sporadically recording their self- titled EP with Mills while putting together a full line-up consisting of guitarist Scott Bartlett, bassist Eric Taylor and drummer Blake Dixon.

Within a year, the EP had earned Saving Abel a contract with Virgin Records and Mills returned to produce the group`s full length debut. Combining new materials with the EP best songs, the surf titled album was issued in March 2008. It went gold within the year, with the lead single “addicted” cracking the top 40 and nearly topping the modern rock charts. While touring the country in support of the album, Saving Abel began playing new material, most of which appeared on the sophomore album miss America in 2010.

The video was first published on http://www.youtube.com

Golden Temple: The most sacred shrine for Sikhs

The Golden Temple or the Harmandir Sahib at Amritsar stands at the core of Sikh belief system and also as a testimony to the 600 year old history of the birth and evolution of Sikhism.

The construction of Harmandir Sahib  was started by Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh Guru, and it was completed by Guru Arjan Dev. Guru Arjan Dev installed the Adi Granth, the holy scripture of Sikhs, in the gurdwara in 1604.

The video was first published on http://voiceof.india.com.

Originally built in 1574, the site of the Gurdwara was surrounded by a small lake in a thin forest. Mughal Emperor Akbar, who visited the third Sikh Guru, Guru Amar Das, in the neighbouring town of Goindval, was so impressed by the way of life in the town that he gave a jagir (the land and the revenues of several villages in the vicinity) to the Guru's daughter Bhani as a gift on her marriage to Bhai Jetha, who later became the fourth Sikh Guru, Guru Ram Das ji. Guru Ram Das enlarged the lake and built a small township around it. The town was named after Guru Ram Das as Guru Ka Chak', Chak Ram Das or Ram Das Pura.

The upper floors of the gurdwara was covered with gold in the early nineteenth century by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. This covering of gold on the upper floors gives the shrine its distinctive appearance and its English name of “Golden Temple”.

Golden Temple

The Harmandir Sahib is considered holy by Sikhs. The holiest text of Sikhism, the Guru Granth Sahib, is always present inside the Gurdwara. Its construction was mainly intended to build a place of worship for men and women from all walks of life and all religions to come and worship God equally. Over one lakh people visit the holy shrine daily for worship.

The film looks at this complex history of a spiritual sect emerging out of the confluence of Hinduism and Islam and it’s metamorphosis into one of the most prolific religions of the world by looking at a day in the life of the Golden Temple.

It follows the pre-dawn preparations and cleaning of the temple and the daily awakening ceremony at dawn to the re-installation of the Guru Granth Sahib in its chamber at 10 pm and in this duration explores the lives of the people associated with the temple, diasporic and otherwise, and their contributions to the upkeep of the temple specifically and of the faith at large.

Deeply embedded values of spirituality and selfless service play themselves out in the form of everyday activities like the langar.

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BMW 750-li

If BMW’s philosophy for the 3-series is “the best sports sedan we can make,” the 
strategy for the 7-series may well be “just cram in everything we have.” But it’s been a long four years since the current 7 was introduced, and in the meantime BMW has acquired, invested in, developed, built, or invented so much more, er, stuff. It’s all headed for the 7-series this summer, along with some very subtle visual changes.

New Engines for Everyone, Except the Billionaires

Other than the V-12–powered 760Li, every 7-series model will see significant upgrades to its powertrain. The 750i (and long-wheelbase 750Li) still use a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V-8, but BMW has added Valvetronic—its variable valve timing and lift system—to this engine. It helps pump up output from last year’s 400 hp and 450 lb-ft of torque to 445 and 480.

The six-cylinder 740i and 740Li models also were sent to the operating room, emerging with the newer version of BMW’s turbocharged inline-six underhood. Power and torque stay at 315 hp and 330 lb-ft, but BMW says it expects the single-turbo N55 engine to improve upon the fuel economy of the outgoing twin-turbo N54. BMW has replaced virtually every N54 in its lineup with the N55 during the past year or so, but we haven’t noticed major fuel-economy improvements in the cars we have tested.

Every 7-series model—yes, even the V-12 cars—now features an eight-speed automatic transmission in place of six-speed boxes. There are some other, less-headline-worthy upgrades: The eight- and six-cylinder cars now have standard stop-start systems to shut down the engine when the car is at a standstill. A self-flagellation system, called “Eco Pro,” has been added to the range of Driver Dynamics Control settings; it has the power to transform an ordinary 7-series into a Prius, strangling throttle response and shutting off the heating or air conditioning while stopped. Eco Pro also decouples the engine from the rest of the driveline when coasting at speeds between 30 and 100 mph. Finally, all-wheel drive now is available on the long-wheelbase version of the six-cylinder 7-series. In the past, it was offered just for the 750i and 750Li.

Hello, Different Hybrid System

The outgoing 7-series hybrid was not a winner. It was often unpleasant to drive, and was positioned more like Lexus’s LS600hL, aiming to give V-12 performance with V-8 consumption. BMW has binned the whole system for the 7, fortunately, and the new ActiveHybrid 7 seems to make more sense. This new gas-electric setup—available only in long-wheelbase configuration—is essentially the same as is used in the hybrid versions of the 3- and 5-series, pairing the N54 twin-turbo inline-six to an electric motor and an eight-speed automatic transmission. Combined output is 349 hp and 367 lb-ft of torque, down from the previous hybrid’s 455 hp and 515 lb-ft. Fuel-economy ratings aren’t out yet, but BMW says that in European testing the hybridized 7-series delivered a 14-percent improvement over a six-cylinder 740i.

Suspension, Steering, and Everything Else

There are, quite frankly, so many mechanical modifications and new gadgets for the refreshed 7-series that we’d need to buy a new computer server to list the rest of them. Here are some selected highlights:

● Active Roll Stabilization now is standard on the 760Li and continues to be optional on the rest of the range; it aims to mitigate body roll through active front and rear anti-roll bars.

● A self-leveling rear air suspension is now standard across the board; such a suspension was previously available only on long-wheelbase eight- and twelve-cylinder models.

● Adaptive LED headlights are now available and come standard on the 760Li; these replace the adaptive xenon headlights.

● The iDrive navigation and infotainment system has been updated to the latest spec.

● BMW’s Parking Assistant now is available; this feature uses ultrasonic sensors to find a parking space large enough for the 7 and handles steering the car into the space. You know, if you’re afraid of parallel parking.

Subtle Cosmetic Changes

Excluding models with the full-LED headlights, the new 7-series looks at first glance the same as last year’s 7er. There are, however, some changes. The kidney grilles are revised and more upright, and BMW has performed a major upgrade by adding vertical slats. The lower part of the front fascia also has been redesigned, with a wide opening giving the 7 more of an anthropomorphic face.

Inside the 2013 7-series, very little has changed. BMW describes the front seats as “more slender” than before and several new color and trim combinations find their way onto the options sheet. The roofline of the long-wheelbase models has been tweaked just slightly, which BMW says adds half an inch of headroom in the rear. A Bang & Olufsen sound system is now optional.

In India it is priced at INR 1.29 crore (Ex-Showroom New Delhi) 

Review: Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 Duos

In case you’re on a holiday or spending a weekend away, you have the option of switching off one of the two SIMs that you have loaded on to your phone. The sync feature on the Galaxy Mega 5.8 works just like it did with the Grand - connecting Facebook and both your SIM cards when it comes to contacts. So basically, your Gmail, WhatsApp, Facebook contacts can all be merged into one entry. You can merge up to five contacts together to make sure there are no unnecessary repeats on your list. Clicking on any name, gives you the option of calling, SMSing or video-calling that person. So, those used to one-touch calling will have to get used to always picking from these options, whenever they want to get in touch with someone.

The problem – which we are increasingly encountering with big phones – is that you can’t access the Home button with a comfortable, natural extension of the thumb. I almost always ended up moving my hand down to access any of the physical buttons built into the handset.

Although, the phone didn’t exactly lag during use, there were times when it took just a couple of seconds extra to open an app – launching the camera or switching from the live camera to the photo gallery. These niggles don’t really annoy you much though. We tried applications ranging from the TouristEye to StumbleUpon to Skype almost everyday and in about a week, the handset froze on us just once. The smartphone runs on a 1.4GHz Cortex A9 Dual Core Processor, the likes of which were used in the previous-gen Galaxy S3 and it is a tell-all in the performance benchmarking test that the Galaxy 5.8 Duos scored about 3,779 points, way below the likes of the one-year old HTC One X that scored about 4,897 points.

The camera on the Galaxy Mega 5.8 Duos is an 8-megger which gave us pretty decent results most of the time. The pics taken in fairly-lit conditions were almost completely devoid of grain. Pics snapped outdoors too turned out pretty life-like. Those of you looking for a decent camera on a smartphone won’t be disappointed.

                                

I streamed a bunch of new HD movie trailers on IMDb and YouTube and the sound quality on the smartphone turned out to be pretty impressive. You might not need speakers if it’s just you and another person sitting and watching a movie or listening to some music to distract yourselves.

The thing with the Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 is that it’s way too reminiscent of the recently-launched Galaxy Grand Duos. That might not be a problem for first-time budget-Galaxy users, but on a larger scale it just comes across as a bigger, newer, slightly pricier version of the Grand. But it’s not necessarily a bad thing, considering it sports a good mobile camera, bigger screen, and a fast processor at a decent price tag. Make sure you buy a nice, protective case to go with it!

Priced At 24500/-

Places to Visit In Agra

India is a land of rich cultural heritage and diversity. Because of this, much advancement has occurred resulting in many new types of architectural and historic buildings being constructed every now and then. There are many places in India with such improvements. Among them Agra is probably at the top of the list. Tourism in India is at its peak today, all of which is due to the fact that many such wonderful places exist today that people would want to come from faraway places so that they can have a view at the magnificence that lie before them. Agra has been under the influence of the Mogul kings for over four centuries. Because of this many buildings and beautiful places are constructed here since long ago. This place has become so much popular that any tourist who comes to India will want to this visit this place no matter what.

The Taj Mahal

When it comes to visiting Agra, the most notable and probably the most famous of all the places in India is the Taj Mahal. It was constructed in the year 1632 by the then Mogul Emperor Shah Jahan. He constructed this beautiful white structure in memory of his dead wife Mumtaz Mahal. This building is a mixture of Turkish, Persian and Indian construction styles. Its construction was completed in the year 1453, almost after 22 years since the construction began. 

The Taj Mahal

This amazing structure is called the jewel in the Muslim Style of construction in India. It is a dome shaped structure which involved over thousands of craftsmen. It is symmetrical shaped structure with a dome at the center. The building is located at the banks of the great River Yamuna.This also adds to the scenic beauty of the structure. Inside this amazing structure is like a whole new world. The walls inside the Taj are filled with designs by the artisans. Several precious gems are used for decorative purposes. There is an Octagon shaped structure in the inside which is highly decorated. The interior walls are over 25 m and there is a false sun motif decoration at the top. The graves of the great Mogul Emperor Shah Jahan and his wife are at the center of the structure. This is not very highly decorated as Muslim tradition forbids grave declarations. Surrounding this beautiful structure is a 300 m² square meter garden called the Mogul garden or Charbagh. The Taj Mahal is considered one of the 7 modern wonders of the world. This is one of the historic achievements of this great structure.

Sikandra Fort

Sikandra

There are many other places to visit in Agra besides the Taj Mahal. One such place is the Sikandra Fort. This was constructed by Emperor Akbar, the most famous of the Moguls. This fort is located 10 meters away from the main city and is surrounded by a garden. This garden is similar to the Charbagh garden around Taj Mahal. Water channels flow throughout the garden thus making way for a lot of fountains.This is a tomb made completely out of red colored sandstones. The Tomb shape is different when compared to other Mogul buildings. It consists of a large number of arches and Piers. The gateways to the fort are the most beautiful. There are four gates built completely out of sandstones and the southern gate leading to the tomb. Accessing this place from the main city is quite easy. There are lots of bus lines going in and out thus making this place easily accessible.

Agra Fort

Agra Fort

Agra Fort is a UNESCO World Heritage site located in Agra, India. The fort is also known as Lal Qila, Fort Rouge and Red Fort of Agra. It is about 2.5 km northwest of its more famous sister monument, the Taj Mahal and it can be more accurately described as a walled city. The great Mugals, Humayun, Akbar, Jehangir, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb lived here, and the country was governed from here. It contained the largest state treasury and mint. It was visited by foreign ambassadors, travelers and dignitaries. It was originally a brick fort, held by the Hindu Sikarwar Rajputs. It was mentioned for the first time in 1080 AD when a Ghaznavide force captured it. Sikandar Lodi (1488–1517) was the first Sultan of Delhi who shifted to Agra and lived in the fort. He governed the country from here and Agra assumed the importance of the second capital. He died in the fort in 1517 and his son, Ibrahim Lodi, held it for nine years until he was defeated and killed at Panipat in 1526. Several palaces, wells and a mosque were built by him in the fort during his period.

Fatehpur Sikri

Fatehpur Sikri

Another place that one must see when he or she is in Agra is the Fatehpur Sikri. During Akbar’s reign, this place was the political capital of the great Mogul empire. This place is famous for its red fort. All the treasure and Arsenal was kept here during their reign. When compared to other cities built by the moguls, this place acts as an innovation for modern times. It also acts as an example for decent revenue system, administrative and organizational place.

Fatehpur Sikri sits on rocky ridge, 3 km. in length and 1 km. wide, and palace city is surrounded by a 11 km wall on three side with the fourth being a lake at the time. Its architect was Tuhir Das and was constructed using Indian principles. The buildings of Fatehpur Sikri show a synthesis of various regional schools of architectural craftsmanship such as Gujarat and Bengal. This was because indigenous craftsmen from various regions were used for the construction of the buildings.Influences from Hindu and Jain architecture are seen hand in hand with Islamic elements. The building material used in all the buildings at Fatehpur Sikri, palace-city complex, is the locally quarried red sandstone, known as 'Sikri sandstone'. It is accessed through gates along the five-mile long fort wall, namely, Delhi Gate, the Lal Gate, the Agra Gate, Birbal's Gate, Chandanpal Gate, The Gwalior Gate, the Tehra Gate, the Chor Gate and the Ajmere Gate.

Jama Masjid

Agra is also a place of many religious beliefs. One example for this is the Jama Masjid. Here a large courtyard is constructed where people can gather around to pray. The Jama Masjid is highly integrated with interior writings and tiles of decorative colors and geometrical designs. A shrine of the great Sufi leader Salim Chisti is present inside the mosque. There is an amazing workmanship in the screens of marbles located inside the tomb. It was initially constructed using red sandstone. Aside the fact that the structure is an amazing architectural feat, it also serves as a place of worship for the Muslim complex. This makes the place one of the must-see locations when a person visits Agra.

Itmad – Ud Daula Tomb

Itmad-Ud Daula Tomb

The Itmad-ud-daulah tomb stands in the centre of a grand Persian garden, an architectural gem of its times. It is the tomb of Mirza Ghiyas Beg, Emperor Jahangir’s father – in- law. The structure was built by Empress Noorjehan in memory of her father, between 1622 and 1628 and is very similar to the tomb she constructed for her husband, near Lahore in Pakistan. This splendid garden tomb is believed to be the precursor of the magnificent Taj Mahal, and was the first Mughal structure to be built entirely of marble, and the first, again, to make use of pietra dura, the inlay marble work that came to be typical of the Taj.

Located on the left bank of the Yamuna river, the mausoleum is set in a large cruciform garden criss-crossed by water courses and walkways. The mausoleum itself covers about twenty-three square meters, and is built on a base about fifty meters square and about one meter high. On each corner are hexagonal towers, about thirteen meters tall. The walls are white marble from Rajasthan encrusted with semi-precious stone decorations - cornelian, jasper, lapis lazuli, onyx, and topaz formed into images of cypress trees and wine bottles, or more elaborate decorations like cut fruit or vases containing bouquets. Light penetrates to the interior through delicate jālī screens of intricately carved white marble.

Jahangir Mahal

Jahangir Mahal

One of the most beautiful buildings inside the Agra Fort that one must not miss at any cost is the Jahangir Mahal. Jahangir Mahal is one of the monuments that reflect the Akbari Architecture. The structure was built during the reign of Akbar. The structure has served as a palace for the members of the royal family, mostly women. This Mahal is a huge private resident of the then royal family inside the fort. Jahangir’s Palace was the principle Zenana Palace.

Agra is a wonderful city with many forts and historical monuments. The significant structures that this city holds include Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri. UNESCO has identified all the three places as World Heritage Sites. Jahangir Mahal is located within the premises of the Agra Fort. It is one of the biggest structures inside the premises and tourists for its architecture. This Mahal was the private resident for Akbar’s Rajput wives. The architecture of Jahangir Mahal is a splendid piece of work. The brackets in the palace are built with a Gujaratis way of approach to a building. The brackets are marvelously carved with flora and fauna patterns and appeals about the style of the Akbari period of architecture. The buildings are also dominating on the fact that most parts of the structure are built in the Islamic Style.

Chini ka Rauza

Chini ka rauza, Agra is considered to be the one of the masterpiece of glazed-tile decoration. This mausoleum is in fact a classic example of the Persian influence on Mughal architeture of that period. Parts of the walls are still covered with the colored enamel tiles (Chini) which gave the tomb its name. On the top of the dome you can see some Quranic texts inscribed on it. This really is a magnificent holiday site to visit in every season.

Soor Sarover

17 kilometer far from Agra, 15 acre of green wildlife area Soor Sarover is the best place to visit and view different species of birds. Soor Sarover is also known as “Keetham Lake”. More than Hundred species of migratory and native birds are found in this heavenly place. It’s a favorite place of nature lovers and picnickers. Soor Sarover is also known for the home of different species of Reptiles and Mammals. In pentagonal of shape it covers around 7.13 kilometers. It’s a place to enjoy the nature and this is the place which inspired Soordas to compose the “Bhakti Kavya”.

Dayal Bagh

This is the headquarter of the Radhaswami religious sect, founded in 1861 by Shri Shiv Dayal Singh, also known as Swamiji Maharaj. Being built to commemorate the Supreme Creator, this tall, unfinished facade of marble, lined with exquisitely carved pillars and panels, was estimated to cost about five million rupees when it was conceived. Today, the cost of work finished and work still to be done will run into ten million.

Ram Bagh

It is one of the earliest Mughal gardens, Laid out in 1528 by Babur the first of the Mughal emperors, a couple of kilometers north of Chini-ka-rauza. It is said that Babar was temporarily buried here before being permanently interred at Kabul in Afghanistan. Its original name was Aram Bagh (Garden of Rest). Ram Bagh, the garden of Babur is hot and dry. Emperor Babur, in search of rest and coolness designed Ram Bagh (garden of tranquility). Originally from Afghanistan he was a great lover of gardens and introduced this type of garden to the largely Hindu India, and his successors embroidered on his theme as far as garden design was concerned. It is especially because of the many religious and symbolic meanings that the ground of the Persian gardens has not changed dramatically.

There are many such places similar to the ones mentioned about that quite worth visiting in Agra like . Proper accommodation, decent transportation, green environment and decent support by the government for the tourists makes Agra one of the most sought after place to visit by every person at least once in his life.