Mankameshwar Mandir

Deep in the lanes of Rawatpara, between Jama Masjid and Agra Fort, stands the city's most revered Shiva temple, held also to be its oldest. The lingam is sheathed in silver, and the name means lord who fulfils the heart's wish; by tradition the shrine is tied to Krishna's era. Darshan, the viewing of the deity, runs roughly 5:00 to 12:00 and 16:00 to 21:00, shoes come off at the entrance, and on the Mondays of Sawan and at Shivratri the crowds are enormous. Getting here means walking the old-city bazaars, which is half of what you came for.

Hindu Agra at its most alive: a silver-clad lingam in the old-city lanes, minutes from the Fort