Preserving the cultural heritage of Agra, the city of Taj Mahal

Agra, the former capital of Hindustan, is a city on the banks of the river Yamuna in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is 363 km west of the state capital Lucknow and 200 km south of the national capital New Delhi. It is one of the most populous cities in Uttar Pradesh and the 19th most populous city in India. It achieved fame as the capital of the Mughal emperors from 1556 to 1658 and remains a major tourist destination because of its many splendid Mughal-era buildings, most notably the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri, all three of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The volunteers in Agra will concentrate on the protection of the cultural heritage and the sites of historical importance and on creating awareness among the locals, tour guides, school children and the tourists. The volunteers will be involved in cleaning the heritage surroundings, planting trees, thereby converting dry areas into beautiful spots for an eye to rest on. This would involve some physical work but also a lot of creativity and motivation will be required from the volunteers to convey their message through dramas, street plays, puppet shows and other creative arts.

Find out more about this and other volunteer opportunities in India at: www.cadip.org/volunteer-in-india.htm

To learn more about the international volunteer workcamps: www.cadip.org/workcamp.htm