Agra tourists to get daily 'cultural blast'

Tourism chiefs in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh are planning to showcase the "pristine art forms" on offer in Agra this winter.

Both domestic and foreign holidaymakers to the city, which is the gateway to the iconic Taj Mahal, are to be given a cultural treat in the form of classical dances from regional performers.

Ashok Jain, Agra's tourism industry leader, said: "India is the land of pristine art forms, but unfortunately the country does not have a platform to showcase the cultural treasure to the keen tourists who flock here.

"We are now going to bridge this gap. Every afternoon before lunch, a bouquet of Indian classical dances by best artistes from each region would be presented at the Kalakriti International Auditorium."

Mr Jain hopes visitors to the Taj Mahal will return home with a genuine "fragrance for India" and is convinced the new initiative will offer an alternative to the "spurious cultural expositions" that are on show in other parts of the country.