• Location- Agra Uttar Pradesh

• Famous for- grand forts and beautiful monuments which blend Mughal and Persian architecture

• Time of construction- 1571- 1585

• Must places to see- Buland Darwaza, Diwan-i- Khas, Tomb of Salim Chishti, Panchal Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri

• Visiting time- From sunrise to sunset

• Best time to visit- November to February

• Entry fee- There is a neglible entry fee usually Rs 5, however entry for children below the age of 12 is free/ Entry on Fridays is free.

The City at a Glance- Sikri was a decrepit little village till the Mughal Emperor Akbar came visiting in 1568. Despite marrying the Amber’s princess Jodhabai in 1562, and having over 300 concubines at his beck and call, the monarch was childless. Desperate for an heir, Akbar visited the saint, Shaikh Salim who was encamping here and who predicted that Akbar would have a son within 3 years. As fate had willed it, Jodhabai bore him a son the next year. The emperor named him after the mystic. Not only that, he decided to move lock stock and barrel to the place and named it Fatehpur, or the ‘City of Victory’. His military conquest of Gujarat might also have persuaded him to shift base as must have the local abundance of red sandstone. In fact, apart from the marble-white mausoleum of Salim, nestling in one corner of the Jami Masjid – the city is entirely built out of red sandstone.

The Main Attractions of Fatehpur Sikri

Diwani-i-Am

The Diwani-i-Am (Hall of Public Audience) is where the monarch sat and lent a patient ear to all the petitions he received. A paved courtyard called the Pachisi was where the monarch played chaubar, a game that closely resembles chess– using slave girls as pieces.

Diwani-i-Khas

The Diwani-i-Khas nearby housed the Ibadat Khana or the ‘House of Worship’ where the emperor debated various systems with noted theologians and teachers of Islamic customs and traditions. Although semi-literate, Akbar was the most liberal of the Mughal emperors, and in 1579, he was declared the highest authority in matters of religion by the famous ‘infallibility decree’. Three years later, the emperor founded Din-a-Ilahi or the ‘Religion of God’ which was an amalgam of all the major religions of the world. Decried by religious zealots from his own community as an apostate, Din-a-Ilahi disappeared as a faith after Akbar’s death in 1605.

Ankh Michauli- As you enter the Ankh Michauli (Closed Eyes) pavilion, you realize that Akbar could be as frivolous as he was profound. Here the Mughal played ‘blind man’s bluff’ and indulged in frivolous pranks in the company of his harem.

Jodhabai’s Palace-Jodhabai’s Palace is befittingly the grandest of all palaces in Fatehpur Sikri – as she was his most favored wife and the mother of the crown prince. Other notable palaces at Fatehpur Sikri are the five-storeyed Panch Mahal and the Hawa Mahal.

Friday Mosque-Begun in 1571 and completed four years later, the Friday Mosque was the largest of its kind in India at the time, measuring 168 metres by 144, with a huge inner courtyard.

The Buland Darwaza or ‘Sublime Gateway’ was added later to commemorate Akbar’s military conquest of Gujarat. The gateway, which rises to a height of 45 metres, presents an awesome spectacle of isolation, and has exquisite persian calligraphy inscribed on it. It says,

“The world is a bridge.

Pass over it but build no house upon it, for whoever hopes for one hour, hopes for all eternity.

The world is one hour.

Spend it in prayer, for the rest is unseen”.

No more eloquent epitaph to the Mughal Empire – or any other empire can be written.

Salim Chisti’s Mausoleum- Any trip to Fatehpur Sikri would be incomplete without visiting Salim Chisti’s Mausoleum – the sage who played an important role in Akbar’s life. Droves of parents visit his shrine in to pray for sons as Akbar did over four centuries ago. They tie little cords and paper wishes to the screens and any other object they can find.

The Everlasting Glory of Fatehpur Sikri- By 1585, Akbar wearied of the dry, hot climate of the city and moved to the cooler climate of Lahore. Within a few years, the pomp and pageantry of the city vanished – but the sandstone monuments endure to this day. Such were the construction methods employed, that there is not a single neglected monument in the city. The Mughal Empire has long since vanished from the firmament but the greatest of the Mughal emperors, Akbar etched his name forever in the sands of time by building the Fatehpur Sikri.

How to reach Fatehpur Sikri

• Nearest Airport- Nearest Airport Kheria Agra

• Nearest Railway- Fatehpur Sikri Railway station

• Fatehpur Sikri is connected to Agra and neighboring towns by regular bus services of UPSRTC.