Fatehpur
Sikri is actually a historical capital city made out of twin village
of Fatehpur and Sikri that are situated 45 odd kilometers from the
city of Agra. The city is situated amidst barren ridge. Emperor
Akbar established this city, to serve jointly with Agra, as the
imperial capital of Mogul empire. The story of this 4 centuries old
city is no less interesting than the city itself.
Buland
Darwaza is a 15-storied high gateway that guards the
Northeastern entrance of the city of Fatehpur Sikri. Historians
have come to a consensus that this building was constructed in
the year 1575. It was commissioned by Emperor Akbar to
commemorate his victory over Khandesh and Ahmednagar in Gujarat
and Deccan respectively.
The intimidating structure stands 43 meters or 140 feet on the
pedestal and a cool 54 feet above the ground. The gateway is
approached by a steep flight of 42 steps, which add height and
majesty to the entire structure. Buland Darwaza that is counted
as one of the tallest gateways in the world is almost entirely
made out of the red-sandstone with a generous dose of marble
decoration on it. The blend of Hindu and Persian architecture is
very evident by the use of Quranic inscription on the front and
pillar and Cenotaph on the heights of the gateway. The
calligraphy work done on the inner façade of Buland Darwaza has
very less parallels in India.
Buland Darwaza has a very famous inscription written on it. This
inscription is actually a quote attributed to Jesus Christ, who
is revered equally by both Christians as well as Muslims. It
says, "The World is but a bridge, pass over but build no houses
on it." that is almost ironical for a city that was abandoned in
less than 15 years from the day it was constructed.
Fatehpur Sikri Fort
| Location: | At Fatehpur Sikri, 45 Kilometers from Agra |
| Ideal Time to Visit: | Anytime round the year, 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM |
| Attraction: | Jodhabai' s Palace, Divan-e-Aam |
| How to Reach: | Hire a cab or Auto from the hotel. Private buses are also available |
Fatehpur
Sikri was commissioned by Emperor Akbar to act as his
imperial capital along with the Red Fort of Agra. Fatehpur
Sikri Fort was commissioned in the year 1570 and was
completed in 5 years. While the Agra fort acted as a
military base and garrison, Fatehpur Sikri fort was used for
the residence purpose. Therefore it is but natural that the
Sikri Fort has cluster of buildings that were used for
different purposes as in case of Delhi and Agra's Red Forts.
Following are some of the most important buildings of the
Fatehpur Sikri Fort Complex.
Private Living Quarter
Private living quarters are situated at the southern end of
courtyard. They are architecturally centered on the pool
known as Anup Talab. It houses the famous library of
Emperor, which was a seat for the philosophical and
intellectual discourses. Close by is the Royal Archive
called Daftarkhana. This was used to store all the official
records of the empire. Above the Daftarkhana lies 'Khwabgah'
or royal bedroom. Water channels were reportedly used to
cool the whole space.
Miriam Palace
Miriam Palace is actually women's quarter also called Zanana
or Harem in Hindustani. Miriam Palace lies east of the Male
quarters. A small doorway joins the male quarter with the
female one. The palace has been named after one Miriam of
the then Goa who was one of the wives of Emperor Akbar. The
interiors of the Miriam Palace were richly embellished with
gold.
Jodhabai' s Palace
Jodhabai' s Palace is the largest of all the palaces in
Fatehpur Sikri. This was named after Jodhabai, Akbar' s
favorite wife and mother of his heir Salim. This palace was
specially made to house his queens. The Architectural
elements of Gujarat, Mandu and Gwalior have been blended
with traditional Islamic designs to decorate this palace.
Diwan-e-Aam
Diwan-e-Aam is the first enclosure of the palace from the
entrance. Divan-e-Aam is actually a vast courtyard that was
used by Emperor Akbar for the daily public audience called 'Jharokha'
in Hindustani. It was also used to dispense justice.
Diwan-e-Khas
Diwan-e-Aam gives access to the second enclosure that is
called Divan-e-Khas. This is undoubtedly the finest building
in the entire Fatehpur Sikri. The hall was used for the
private audiences and other court activities. Divan-e-Khas
is a magnificent chamber that is dominated by a massive
carved pillar. It supports a capital that in turns support a
balcony.
Panch Mahal
| Location: | At Fatehpur Sikri, 45 Kilometers from Agra |
| Ideal Time to Visit: | Anytime round the year, 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM |
| Attraction: | Buddhist Temple architecture |
| How to Reach: | Hire a cab or Auto from the hotel. Private buses are also available |
Fatehpur
Siri might have been abandoned in less than 15 years
from the day it was constructed, it has left many
heritages to ponder upon and appreciate. Most of these
monuments are living examples of Indo-Islamic
architectural blend in India. Panch Mahal is one of
them. Panch Mahal is basically a five-storied structure
that can easily pass as an architectural marvel. Panch
Mahal also signifies the undiluted imprint that Buddhism
has left on the Indian psyche. This is proved by the
fact that Panch Mahal is built on the Buddhist
architectural style.
Built on the pattern of a Buddhist Temple, Panch Mahal
was basically a pleasure palace of emperor Akbar. He
primarily used it for relaxation and entertainment
purpose. The structure has been so designed that each
story is pillared and is smaller than the other as you
move upwards. While no less than 84 columns support the
ground floor, the uppermost domed floor has only 4
columns. The whole structure is very airy and was styled
to give respite from the scorching summers of Agra.
Panch Mahal stands close to the Zeenana quarters or
Harem and that consolidates the fact that it acted as a
pleasure palace. The pillars that originally had Jaalis
between them support the whole structure. The women of
the royal household and ladies of the harem originally
used the pavilion and that is why Jaalis have been used.
The pavilion gives a majestic view of the fort that lays
on its left.
Salim Chisti Tomb
| Location: | At Fatehpur Sikri, 45 Kilometers from Agra |
| Ideal Time to Visit: | Anytime round the year, anytime |
| Attraction: | Tomb and Jaali work |
| How to Reach: | Hire a cab or Auto from the hotel. Private buses are also available |
Salim
Chisti is synonymous with Sikri. Khwaza Salim Chisti
was a Sufi saint of the Chisti order in 16th century
India. The saint used to reside in the then dusty
village of Sikri. It is said that Khwaza Salim
Chisti blessed emperor Akbar with a son. The son was
named Salim in reverence of the saint, who in the
course of history came to be known as Emperor
Jahangir Jahandar. Akbar later ordered the
commissioning of the city of Fatehpur Sikri that had
to be built out of the twin villages of Fatehpur and
Sikri.
When Khwaza Salim Chisti died, he was buried in the
same Sikri complex where he once resided. A tomb
that is popularly called Mazaar in Hindustani was
later commissioned that stands in the middle of the
courtyard of the Jama Mosque in Sikri Fort Complex.
The structure falls slightly right from the line of
view when one enters from the Buland Darwaza. If you
take a bird eye view of this structure, it looks
like a marble Jewel-box. Actually, the tomb was
built originally with Red-sandstone but was later
converted in to a marble one. The exterior is
separated from the sanctum with the help of Jaalis.
The Naqqashi and Jaali work of this low-domed tomb
has fewer parallels in India.
Inside, the structure is heavily ornamented with
Pearls, Lapis Lazuli and Topaz. A green cloth covers
the tombstone, typical of the Sufi order. The
tombstone rests under a canopy beautifully carved
out of ebony and decorated with pearl and brass. A
corridor for circumambulation surrounds the square
tomb chamber. The place sees hordes of visitors
every day and is popular as a wish-fulfilling site
among the barren women.
