Chini Ka Rauza Agra: History, Timings and Guide

Chini Ka Rauza is one of the loveliest and most unusual hidden gems of Agra, a beautiful Persian-style tomb famous for its gorgeous glazed tilework, tucked away on the banks of the Yamuna away from the crowds. This guide from Delhi Agra Tour Packages covers Chini Ka Rauza in full, its history, the famous tiles, the timings, the free entry and how to reach it, a rewarding stop for anyone exploring beyond the big three monuments on a Golden Triangle tour.

I was born in Delhi and in more than 11 years planning trips across the region for Experience My India I have taken many curious travellers to this quiet, tile-clad tomb across the river. Here is the clear, practical guide to visiting.

Chini Ka Rauza at a glance

About Chini Ka Rauza

Chini Ka Rauza is a remarkable and little-visited monument in Agra, a tomb of striking beauty that stands quietly on the eastern or left, bank of the Yamuna River, among the cluster of lesser-known monuments on that side of the river. Its very name tells its story: "Chini" refers to the glazed tiles or chini, with which it is decorated and "Rauza" means tomb, so the name means, in effect, the tile-covered tomb.

What makes Chini Ka Rauza so special is precisely this tilework. It is celebrated as the first building in India to be decorated so extensively and exclusively with colourful glazed tiles, in the Persian manner and even today, though time has weathered much of it, the surviving tiles glow with beautiful blues and turquoise on the river-facing facade. It is a monument quite unlike anything else in Agra, a little piece of Persia on the banks of the Yamuna and a delight for those who love history, architecture and quiet corners away from the crowds.

The history of Chini Ka Rauza

Chini Ka Rauza was built around the year 1635 AD, in the great age of Mughal building under Emperor Shah Jahan, the same emperor who raised the Taj Mahal. The tomb houses the grave of Allama Afzal Khan Mullah, also known as Mullah Shukrullah Shirazi, a distinguished Persian-born poet and scholar who rose to become the Prime Minister or Wazir, to Shah Jahan himself.

As a man of Persian origin and great learning, serving at the very heart of the Mughal court, it is fitting that his tomb should have been built in the Persian style and adorned with the glazed tiles so beloved in the Persian world. The monument is thus not only a beautiful building but a reminder of the deep links between Mughal India and Persia and of the many scholars, poets and nobles of Persian origin who shaped the culture of the age. Standing before it, one is looking at the resting place of one of Shah Jahan's most important ministers, a man of letters as well as of state.

The architecture and the famous tiles

The architecture of Chini Ka Rauza is distinctly Persian, quite different from the red sandstone and white marble of Agra's more famous Mughal monuments. The tomb is built in the Persian Timurid style, with a large bulbous dome and a roughly square structure and it was conceived above all as a canvas for its glazed tilework.

The tiles, the kashi or chini work that gives the monument its name, are its glory. In its prime, the whole building would have been clad in brilliant glazed tiles in a rich palette of colours, with intricate patterns, floral designs and calligraphy covering the surfaces. Today, much of this tilework has been lost to the centuries and the weather, but significant and beautiful portions survive, especially on the river-facing facade, where the bright blues, turquoise and other colours still catch the eye and hint at how dazzling the whole must once have been. It is this pioneering, extensive use of Persian glazed tiles, the first of its kind in India, that gives Chini Ka Rauza its great historical and architectural importance and makes it a fascinating contrast to the marble masterpieces nearby, such as the great Taj Mahal, as our Taj Mahal ticket price and timings guide covers that monument.

Chini Ka Rauza timings and entry fee

Chini Ka Rauza is one of the easiest and most budget-friendly monuments to visit in Agra. It is open every day of the week, all seven days, from sunrise to sunset, which is roughly from around 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM, though as this follows the sun the exact hours shift a little through the year.

Best of all, entry to Chini Ka Rauza is completely free. No entry fee is charged by the Archaeological Survey of India, so anyone can simply walk in and explore this beautiful tomb at no cost. This makes it a wonderful and rewarding addition to a day of sightseeing in Agra, costing nothing but a little time. As it is a quiet, uncrowded spot, you can usually explore it at a relaxed pace, which is part of its charm.

Where is Chini Ka Rauza and how to reach it

Chini Ka Rauza is situated on the left or eastern, bank of the Yamuna River, in the group of monuments on that side of the river, about 1 kilometre north of the famous Tomb of Itimad-ud-Daulah, the monument popularly known as the Baby Taj. This makes its location easy to understand and easy to combine with the other trans-Yamuna sights.

From the Agra Cantt railway station, the main railhead, the monument is roughly 9 to 9.3 kilometres away and you can hire a local taxi or an auto-rickshaw directly from the station to reach it. From the Kheria Airport, Agra's airport, it is about 11.9 kilometres away, again reached by taxi or auto-rickshaw. If you are already touring the nearby trans-Yamuna monuments, such as the Baby Taj or Ram Bagh, Chini Ka Rauza is very easily reached by a short hop in a local auto-rickshaw or cycle-rickshaw or even on foot from the Baby Taj, making it simple to add to a tour of that side of the river.

Combine Chini Ka Rauza with the trans-Yamuna monuments

The real beauty of visiting Chini Ka Rauza is that it sits among a cluster of lovely, lesser-visited monuments on the eastern bank of the Yamuna, which together make a wonderful half-day away from the crowds of the main sights.

Just about 1 kilometre south lies the exquisite Tomb of Itimad-ud-Daulah, the Baby Taj, a jewel-like marble tomb often called a draft or forerunner of the Taj Mahal, as our Itimad-ud-Daulah Baby Taj Agra guide covers that beautiful monument. Nearby too is the great garden of Mehtab Bagh, directly across the river from the Taj Mahal and famous for its sunset views of it, as our Mehtab Bagh Agra guide covers that garden. Together, Chini Ka Rauza, the Baby Taj, Mehtab Bagh and the other sights of this bank make a rewarding circuit for those who want to see a quieter, more offbeat side of Agra, as our things to do in Agra guide covers the full range of the city's sights.

The best time to visit Chini Ka Rauza

Chini Ka Rauza can be visited at any time of year, but the best season to explore Agra and its monuments in comfort is the cool period from about October to March, when the weather is pleasant for sightseeing, as our best time to visit Agra guide covers the seasons in the city.

Within the day, the softer light of the morning or the late afternoon is loveliest for appreciating the tiles and for photography and the river-facing facade, where most of the surviving tilework is, looks especially beautiful in gentle light. As the monument is quiet and uncrowded at almost any time, you have the freedom to choose your moment and it makes a peaceful stop at any point in a day of Agra sightseeing.

How to plan your visit

A visit to Chini Ka Rauza takes only a short while, perhaps half an hour, so it is best enjoyed as part of a tour of the trans-Yamuna monuments or a wider day of Agra sightseeing, rather than a trip in itself. By private car with a driver, it is wonderfully easy to string together Chini Ka Rauza, the Baby Taj and Mehtab Bagh, along with the great sights across the river, such as the Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort, as our Agra Fort ticket and timings guide covers that mighty fort.

Agra itself is easily reached as part of the Golden Triangle, by road from Delhi, as our Delhi to Agra distance guide covers that journey and it fits beautifully into a wider trip, as our one week North India itinerary guide maps out a route taking in Agra and more.

Want your Agra trip planned, with Chini Ka Rauza, the Baby Taj, the Taj Mahal and the rest all sorted? Message us on WhatsApp and Experience My India will build it for you.

Tips for visiting Chini Ka Rauza

• Combine Chini Ka Rauza with the nearby Baby Taj and Mehtab Bagh for a rewarding half-day on the quiet eastern bank of the Yamuna.

• Visit in the softer light of the morning or late afternoon, which is loveliest for the tiles and for photography.

• Focus on the river-facing facade, where most of the beautiful surviving tilework can be seen.

• Remember entry is free and the monument is open sunrise to sunset, so it is easy to fit in at no cost.

• Allow around half an hour, as it is a compact monument best enjoyed at a relaxed pace.

• Travel by private car or auto-rickshaw, as the trans-Yamuna monuments are a little spread out from the main city.

• Treat the monument with care, as it is an old and partly weathered structure and tread respectfully as it is a tomb.

What to expect

A visit to Chini Ka Rauza is a quiet, atmospheric and rewarding experience, quite different from the grand, crowded splendour of the Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort. You can expect a beautiful, weathered Persian-style tomb, its river-facing facade still glowing in places with the blue and turquoise glazed tiles that make it so special, standing peacefully on the bank of the Yamuna. It is a place for those who love history, architecture and the pleasure of discovering a hidden gem away from the tour-bus crowds.

As the first building in India to be so extensively decorated with Persian glazed tiles and the resting place of one of Shah Jahan's leading ministers, Chini Ka Rauza is a monument of real importance and charm and a lovely addition to a deeper exploration of Agra. With free entry and only a short visit needed, it rewards the curious traveller handsomely.

Plan your trip with us

A visit to Chini Ka Rauza, as part of a wider Agra and Golden Triangle trip, is easiest and most enjoyable when the travel, the stays, the guide and the sightseeing are all arranged for you. That is what we do, a comfortable private car and an experienced driver, a knowledgeable guide to bring the monuments and their history to life, well-chosen stays and the whole trip planned around you.

Tell us your dates and group size and we will price it honestly around your standard rather than a fixed figure. You can combine Agra with the classic circuit on our Golden Triangle tours and we can build it all within our wider Delhi Agra Tour Packages.

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• Delhi day tour: the best of the capital in a day.

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