Fatehpur Sikhri is a natural inclusion in this list. A chota 'suburb' of Agra you have the option of spending New Year's eve or New Year's day either near that glittering white temple to beauty, the Taj Mahal or exploring Akbar's ghost town -- Fatehpuri Sikhri. Now, the Taj Mahal, like the Pyramids or the Acropolis, would be a mighty special address to be at as the year of the two zeroes dawns. The monument opens at 0600 hours and though the Agra air is rather foggy and fumy, the sight of this sparkling masterpiece shining through the fog, as day breaks, should be enthralling.
Fatehpur Sikhri, with its hauntingly pretty Dargah Mosque, Panch Mahal, Birbal Bhavan, Diwan-I-Khas, Hathi Pol and other splendid monuments is a world heritage monument in its own right. Built to be the capital of the Mughal empire, it was erected on a vast scale. The town, 40 km west of Agra, was actually the seat of government during Akbar's reign for 14 years. In 1585 a chronic water scarcity led to a mass exodus of the town's population and Fatehpur Sikhri lapsed from collective historical consciousness… entombed in time.