The Agra chronicles- II ( Fatehpur Sikri )

I have disturbed the chronology of the Agra trilogy by posting about Fatehpur Sikri here, which actually formed the last leg of the journey. The reason was to keep the historical thread going before I left the past behind and entered the contemporary era and the luxurious environs of  Amarvilas!

This was a difficult post to compose. As is often the case with writing about a topic like this , it requires a fine balancing act to impart the  relevant information without making the readers feel like they have been transported to those sleep- inducing prolonged lectures from their school /college days. Therefore, I'll be very brief with my commentary and let the beautiful images tell their own stories. There are links to greater details wherever relevant....

The historical city of Fatehpur Sikri was established by Akbar, the greatest of all Mughals as his capital in 1570, almost a century before the Taj Mahal was built. Built on a rocky ridge, the site now has two distinct compounds...the palace compound and the congregational mosque compound. The architecture of the palace compound is a stunning amalgamation of Mughal ( persian and Islamic) and Hindu architectural styles, with influences from the local style of Gujarat and Bengal also thrown in.

The entrance to the palace leads to Diwan-i-aam ( Hall of public audience)  a large open courtyard, flanked by pavilions..where the emperor would listen to the public's grievances...



Beyond that lies the inner palace compound with many important buildings including the Diwan-i-khas( Hall of Private audience) where Akbar would meet representatives from different religions as well has his ministers...

 As far as the eye can see..it is all red.....a rustic brick ...the color of red sandstone which was used extensively in all buildings that were built during Akbar's reign and later on during his son Jahangir's rule...

I was amazed by the intricacy of stone-work in this hall..... 

...this central pillar is without doubt the most striking element in the entire palace.....

 ....a close up shows the detail of the varied patterns on the pillar...that have been derived from Persian, Hindu, Jain and Buddhist architecture...if you look closely you may be able to spot a pattern right under the band of zig-zag, that looks like cathedral windows.....a christian influence perhaps? 

Far out into the distance this tower was built in the memory of an elephant, strangely named Hiran ( meaning deer)  who was an important element of Akbar's justice delivery system...the accused was tied down to the ground and the elephant was let loose to decide his fate...if spared, he would walk free...if not...he was already dead!! I always find such legends far more interesting than dry facts...

The platform in the middle of the pond is reached by four narrow walkways...it is on this platform that the legendary singer Tansen would often sing for the pleasure of the emperor, his wives and other members of his court...

This five-tiered palatial structure is the Panch-mahal...from where the women of the royal family would enjoy the performances...

...and this is where the emperor and his ministers would sit...

I was surprised to find that the pillars at the ground level were almost grazing my head and i am not a tall person...how would the men in those times pass through these...

This door leads to the another courtyard which houses the private quarter's of the queens....

...the most prominent among them is this palace for Jodha Bai, Akbar's favourite queen, who bore him an heir....

...beautiful details on the walls of this compound feature the zig-zag chevron pattern ( very common in persian design) topped with a row of intricately beautiful jumkas( earrings)... a nod to Jodha Bai's Rajput (Hindu) heritage...

.........aren't these earrings just amazing...such a beautiful detail...almost palyful..

.........a sitting room for the ladies of the palace...

delicately carved screen to let in light and air.....

A little walk up from the palace is the congregation mosque compound that houses the Jama Masjid  (friday mosque) and the tomb of sufi saint Salim Chishti. By the time we got there...it was well past 5 in the evening and a five hour journey back to Delhi lay ahead of us...we rushed through this compound and I could take only a few pictures ....

the south gate enterance

Jama Masjid

 The white marble clad structure is the tomb of Sufi saint Salim Chishti, much revered by Akbar since it was he who had foretold the birth of Akbar's son Jahangir...

...by the time we walked out , the sun had already set and I took one last picture of the imposing outer wall as seen through a maze of branches....

I wish we could have stayed on a little longer at Fatehpur Sikri as there is so much history that resides within its walls  and it is a stunningly beautiful site. If a visit to the Taj Mahal is ever on your agenda, do remember to make time for this magnificent place as well...it will be an experience to cherish forever!!

To read more on Fatehpur Sikri please go here.

To read The Agra chronicles-I (Taj Mahal) please visit here.

all images by maison marigold