Archaeological Survey of India, Agra Circle

T he Agra Circle erstwhile Northern Circle is one of the oldest circles of the ASI. It was established in the year 1885, with its headquarters at 22, the Mall, Agra. Eminent personalities like R. Froude Tucker, M. Muhammad Shuaib, Gordon Sanderson, H. Hargreaves, J.F. Blackiston, J.A. Page, Maulavi Zafar Hassan, M.S. Vats, K.N. Puri, B.B. Lal, S.C. Chandra, S.R. Rao, N.R. Banerjee, Y.D. Sharma, D.R. Patil, W.H. Siddiqui and other scholars have headed the Circle. There are 155 monuments /sites under the jurisdiction of Agra Circle spreading in 09 districts of Western Uttar Pradesh including those of three World Heritage Monuments viz. Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri, all of the Mughal period and located in district of Agra. The Circle is conserving and managing the monuments and sites through its 08 sub-circle viz. Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri, Sikandara, Itimad-ud-Daulah, Mathura, and Etah.