Fatehpur Sikri and its Splendid Monuments

By Mira Pawar.

A city predominantly built in red sand-stone called Fatehpur Sikri, is located 37 kms from Agra District of Uttar Pradesh, and has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city was founded by the 16^th century Mughal emperor Akbar in 1569. Fatehpur Sikri meaning the city of victory, was the capital of the Mughal empire. It was the first planned city of the Mughals to be marked by magnificent

administrative, residential and religious buildings comprising of palaces, public buildings, mosques and residing areas for the court, the army, the servants of the king and an entire city. After moving the capital to Lahore, Fatehpur Sikri remained as an area for temporary visits.

Amongst the magnificent monuments at Fatehpur Sikri, the four   prominent ones are Jama Masjid, Buland Darwaza, Tomb of Hazrat Salim Chisti and Panch Mahal.

Jama Masjid: This is a grand mosque that reflects the architectural prowess of Mughals. The mosque contains the tomb of Hazrat Salim Chisti, an extraordinary masterpiece of sculpted decoration completed between (1580-81) and further embellished under the reign of Jahangir in 1606. This monument is 540 feet tall.

Buland Darwaza: Located at the south end of the court, this is an absolute imposing structure. The construction of this monument started in 1573 by Emperor Akbar to commemorate his victory over Gujarat.  Buland Darwaza is the main entrance to the Jama Masjid. Without any doubt, it was the greatest monumental structure during emperor Akbar’s entire reign and also one of the most perfect architectural achievements in India.

Tomb of Hazrat Salim Chisti: Emperor Akbar build the tomb of Salim Chisti to honour the Sufi saint and to show his respect. Legends has it that the saint predicted the birth of Akbar’s son Salim who was named Salim after the saint, and later was known as Jahangir. The burial place of the Sufi Saint Salim Chisti is located within the quadrangle of Jama Masjid. Its a white marble mausoleum known for its delicate latticework.  

Panch Mahal: This monument is considered the most important buildings in Fatehpur Sikri. It’s a five level palace with 176 intricately carved columns commissioned by Emperor Akbar which was used for entertainment and relaxation. The entire building is made of red sandstone called sikri sandstone.

Fatehpur Sikri is located on the banks of the sacred rivers Ganga and Yamuna. The city as a whole, is a unique example of Persian-Indo-Islamic style architectural ensembles of extremely high quality. Fatehpur Sikri remained the capital for Mughal Empire until Akbar moved his capital to Delhi in 1586, due to inadequate water supply in Fatehpur Sikri. The population here is believed to be only 30,000 and therefore, the city has been addressed as “Ghost Town”.

It’s believed that there was a secret tunnel connecting Fatehpur Sikri to Delhi. This tunnel was used to transport artilleries and other important stuff belonging to Mughal emperor and his empire.