Area : 8 Sq.kms.
Altitude : 25249
Season : October-March
Perched atop a rocky ridge 37 kms. West of Agra Fatehpur Sikri came
into being four centuries ago when the Emperor Akbar created the
first planned city in Indo-Islamic architecture. The city is the
concept of one man; it was actualized with great energy while the
impulse lasted and completely abandoned a little more than a decade
later. This magnificent fortified city was the capital of the Mughal
Empire between 1571 and 1585 during his reign.
In 568 Akbar was secure and powerful but he had no son and heir. His
search for blessings for the birth of a successor brought him to the
Sufi mystic Shaikh Salim Chisti who lived in Sikri Village. The
saint prophesied the birth of three sons and soon after was born
Prince Salim later to become Emperor Jehangir. In gratitude for the
blessing Akbar decided to create imperical residences in Sikri which
would function as a joint capital with Agra.
As a mark of his faith and his recent victories he named his new
city Fatehpur Sikri. The setting of the Jama Masjid marked the
actual beginning of the city which came up around it. The palace
courts were laid out parallel to the cardinally aligned mosque and
the sequential order of the palaces space was at the lowest level
while the royal harem was at the highest.
The main palace compound and the magnificent Jama Masjid have been
brilliantly restored by the Archaeological survey of India but
perhaps the most interesting part of Fatehpur is the ruined city
which spreads out as far as the eye can see across the surrounding
country.
Fatehpur Sikri is built in red sandstone and is a beautiful blend of
Hindu and Islamic architectural elements. The sandstone is richly
ornamented with carving and fretworks. Fatehpur Sikri was abandoned
14 years after its creation. A shortage of water is believed to be
the reason. Today it is a ghost city its architecture is in perfect
state of preservation and wandering through the palaces it is easy
to imagine that this was once a royal residence and dynamic cultural
centre.
Places of attraction
Diwan-i-Am : The first enclosure of the palace is a vast
courtyard in which the emperor gave daily public audience and
dispensed justice. It was used for celebrations and public
prayers.It has cloisters on three sides of a rectangular courtyard
and to the west a pavilion with the Emperor’s throne with beautiful
jail screens on either side separating the court ladies.Besides the
Diwan-i-Am is the Pachisi Courtyard set out like a gigantic game
board.
Diwan-i-Khas : The Diwan-i-Am gave access to the second
enclosure a large quadrangle that contained all the major functions
of the palace and the finest buildings of Fatehpur Sikri. At the
northern end is Diwan-i-Khas. Also referred to as the Hall of
Private Audiences it is an astonishing chamber dominated by a
massive carved pillar which supports a fantastic capital above which
is a balcony. It is a single room with a unique circular throne
platform. Here Akbar would spend long hours in discussion with
Christians, Jains, Buddhists, Hindus and Parsis. They would list
along the walls of the balcony connected to the Throne Pillar by
screened bridges while courtiers could listen to the discussions
from the ground floor.
Private Living Quarter: These are at the southern end of the
Quadrangle clustered around a pool the Anup Talao. The structures
here include Akbar’s library the scene of his intellectual
activity.A window overlooked the Daftarkhana or records office.
Above this is the Khwabgah ‘the palace of dreams’ or Akbar’s
bedroom. This whole space was warmed or cooled by water channels.
Panch Mahal: This is an extraordinary 5-storeyed columnar
structure set in the corner of the male and female zones of the
palace each floor smaller than the one below rising to a single
domed kiosk on top. The lower floor has 84 columns no two of which
are exactly alike. There is a pleasure pavilion which was used by
Akbar for his special consorts. Commands a grand view of the palaces
below.
Salim Chisti’s Tomb: It was built in 1570. The white marble
jewel-like tomb of the saint lies in the courtyard of the mosque.
Its interior is ornamented with mother-of-pearl lapis lazuli and
topaz. It has become a popular wish-fulfilling shrine. Just as Akbar
came to the saint four centuries ago looking for a son, childless
women visit his tomb today.
Jama Masjid: Fatehpur Sikri’s beautiful mosque known as
Dargah Mosque contains elements of Persian and Hindu design and is
said to be a copy of the mosque at Mecca. The main entrance is
through the impressive 54mts. high Buland Darwaza
(Victory Gate), the Southern entry to the mosque which was
remodelled into a huge 15 storey high gate.
It was constructed to commemorate Akbar’s victory in Gujarat.
The oldest place of worship here was the Stone Cutters Mosque to the
west of the Jama Masjid.
Places of Jodh Bai: Jodh Bai the daughter of the Maharaja of
Amber lived in Raniwas the spacious palace in the centre assured of
privacy and security by high walls and a 9mts. high guarded gate to
the east. The architecture is a blend of styles with Hindu columns
and Muslim cupolas.
The Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Winds) is a projecting room
whose walls are made entirely of stone latticework. Through the arch
is the small Nagin Masjid the mosque for the ladies of the court.
The hammams (baths) are to the south of the Palace.
Raja Birbal’s Palace: Birbal Akbar’s Hindu Prime minister was
the brightest of Akbar’s ‘Nine Jewels’. This is a highly ornamented
house and it combines Hindu and Islamic elements (note of brackets,
eaves, jarokhas).
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