Fatehpur Sikri, , a city predominantly in red sand-stone, situated at a distance of 37 kms from Agra, was built by the Mughal Emperor Jalal-ud-din Mohammad Akbar, in honour of the great Sufi saint Salim Chisti ; its magnificence and uniqueness offers a fine example of the emperor’s architectural finesse. Akbar’s tolerant religious views and interest in literature, architecture and fine arts gave the buildings at Fatehpur Sikri a charismatic blend of Islamic and Hindu elements in their style and design.
At Fatehpur Sikri during sunset and sunrise, the turrets and domes create shadows and silhouette against the copper red sky; which truly is an inspirational scene for a painter’s canvas or the visitor’s eyes.
Fatehpur Sikri is enclosed by a 11 kms long fortification wall interspersed with numerous gateways. The remains of the great city; the Imperial Palace Complex, the intricately built marble tomb of the great Sufi saint, Salim Chisti and the grand mosque are second only to The Taj Mahal, a benchmark of architectural beauty.A rich imagination is all it takes to transport any visitor to the era of gold tapestry, drapes, rich plush carpets and the royalty of the Mughal courts.
Architecture
Diwan-i-Am
Diwan-i-Am or the public enclosure runs 112 metres from north to south and 55 metres from east to west. The colonnade of 111 bays runs around the court, broken at the west by the emperor's pavilion, from where Akbar would dispense justice. The pavilion is a projecting structure with a pitched stone roof and five equal openings to the front. The emperors sat in the central bay on cushions and carpets and on either side were stone screens carved in fine geometrical patterns. These geometric patterned ‘jalis’ are the only conspicuously Islamic feature. In the courtyard of the Diwan-i-Am there is a great stone ring embedded into the earth, which was probably meant to harness and exhibit captured elephants brought to the palace as trophies of war.
Daulat Khana
‘Daulat Khana’, literally, the Abode of Fortune, is the Imperial Palace within which lie the most celebrated structures of Fatehpur Sikri. The distinctive feature is not the Persian grandeur but the Indian execution of the decoration, characterized by supporting brackets, the broad overhangs, richly carved bell shaped pedestals with their capitals in the shape of stylized elephant heads, the carved and pierced stone screens. The two-roomed ‘Diwan Khana-i-Khaas’, the ‘Khwabgah’ or the ‘Khilwatkada – I – Khass’, the ‘Anup Talao’, the Turkish Sultan's Pavilion, are masterpieces in their own.
Diwan-i-Khass(Jewel House)
This is one of the most fantastically conceived yet enigmatic buildings in Fatehpur Sikri. Variously identified as the Diwan-i-Khass, the Jewel House and even the elusive ‘Ibadat Khana’, it consists of two chambers on the ground floor; one of the chambers on the ground floor measuring approximately 8 mtrs by 5 mtrs has three doors opening inwards. The lower walls have been hollowed out internally and the openings closed by stone slabs. The cavities thus created were used for storage of precious items and books on various subjects which the emperor had them read to him, as a regular practice, despite his over occupied schedule.
Its interior is dominated by a massive, richly carved pillar which supports one of the most elaborate capitals ever conceived: a circular arrangement of brackets that support a circular platform, linked by four diagonal 'bridges' connecting the hanging galleries to each corner of the building. It is said that the emperor often sat here, in this circular platform, to inspect his jewels.
The larger room, behind this chamber is 13 mtrs long and 9 mtrs wide [approx].Projecting from the wall is a platform supported on square shafts with a window opening into the wall. The emperor reached the platform by wooden / marble steps which could be slid under the platform when not required. It was perfectly adaptable as a palace pavilion in which a range of social and domestic activities could have been performed. To the east of the room is a small bathroom with running water facility provided by conduit pipes under the floor. A doorway in the western wall, leads to the courtyard.
The window on the southern wall of the larger chamber, looking on to the courtyard quadrangle, was the opening from where the emperor would appear before his subjects every day. The practice, popularized by Akbar, was known as ‘Jharokha-Darshan’.
Khwabgah [Khilwatkada – I – Khas]
The beautiful chamber on the first floor of the Diwan Khana-i-Khass was the emperor's private room, popularly known as Khwabgah or sleeping chamber where he would retire after a days work. It was here that he would allow his favourites and learned seers to read out passages to him from books of interest, advice him on the nuances of different religions and also where he would meet visiting dignitaries.
Measuring internally 4.24 mtrs by 4.35 mtrs and surrounded by a verandah 2.89 mtrs wide, the stone roof is elegantly carved. It has openings, through which rain water could pour out. The central room although flat, has a ceiling shaped like a wagon vault. On each side of the room are beautifully carved stone screens which serve the purpose of externally closing the windows above the doors.
The details on the carved, flat panel suggest Chinese inspirations and are attributed to Khwaja Abdus Samand, who was thoroughly conversant with Chinese art. The carvings and paintings neatly balance the mural decorations with a fine mix of yellow and dark blue creating a magical hue. Blue flowers on a chocolate background show the skillful mix and match of shades. The decorations are further enriched with panels of gold - lettered Persian verses in elegant nasta’liq script calligraphy.
Hammams
The Romans have been widely credited with developing public baths .This luxury of the ancient world acquired a new dimension when combined with Muslim religious sanctity. With the arrival of the Mughals the hammam acquired a pronounced importance. Babur had expressed his disappointment at the paucity of baths in India. Akbar and his nobles also placed extraordinary importance on the construction of baths hammams.
The hammams at Fatehpur Sikri constitute the largest surviving concentration of hammams in Mughal India.One of the grandest and largest hammam is the Hakims' Hammam. This majestic structure with delicate stucco work and golden paintings occupies an area 105 metres by 78 metres. Quality materials were used in the construction of hammams than those used for the houses of noblemen, the reason why the houses of noblemen have mostly collapsed, while the hammam remain, by and large, intact.
Anup Talao
Anup Talao or the Peerless Pool also called the “Kapoor Talao or the Camphor Pool” has steps leading down to the water, supplied from the northern waterworks. It is now less than one-and-a-half metre deep, having been given a new floor in the 1840s.
Anup Talao has a central island 9.04 mtrs square crowned with a kiosk and linked by four bridges to its sides resting on stone pillars with bracket capitals.
Legends point out that during a hunting session the emperor had a strange mystical experience and subsequently ordered a tank to be built and filled with coins to the brim, to be distributed to the general public. According to Jahangir’s memoirs, it was filled with copper coins amounting to 34 crores, 48lacs and 64 thousand dams equaling to one crore and three lacs of Indian rupees.
Through this the emperor wished to set an example that wealth is to be shared with the masses, and should be followed by one and all.
Turkish Sultana’s Pavilion(Hujra-i-Anup Talao)
North-east of the Anup Talao is a small, beautiful structure measuring internally 3.96 mtrs by 1.37 mtrs.To its west is a portico , almost as high as the roof measuring 2.64 mtrs by 4.97 mtrs,standing on an square base with octagonal shafts at the corners. The stone roof has been intricately designed as a peasant’s cottage roof.
Because of its beautiful structure and workmanship it has also been called the 'superb jewel casket'. The carvings on its bracket friezes, pillars and pilasters, specifically of fruits are so intricate that they appear to be the work of wood-carvers rather than stone – masons. Panels representing hunting scenes, water drinking horses, birds cavorting in the beautifully sculpted trees and branches are a real feast to the eyes of the beholder. It is indeed an exquisite example of fine workmanship that the Mughal architecture is famous for. Another remarkable piece of sculptor is a tree emerging from a vase of the supposedly water of life and spiraling upwards in symmetrical tendrils; it is an ancient Mesopotamian symbol of perpetual self-renewal of the cosmos. The Turkish Pavilion was the repose chamber attached to the pool and was designed and decorated accordingly.
The influence of various cultures in the arts of Mughal architecture, which later assimilated themselves as an inseparable part of the architectural design is very evident here, passing on to other architectural wonders later erected by the Mughals.
It is said, that the Anup Talao was in fact a ‘Zanan Khana’, inhabited by Salma Sultan Begum, wife of Bairam Khan.It is also believed that Ruqaya Begum, Akbar’s first wife, graced this talao with her stay.
Such similar structure are a plenty in Iran and India, with the ladies of the house enjoying the exquisite pavilion at times ,particularly because of their location and the vantage of being screened off by canvas sheets.
The Abdar Khana or the Water and Fruit Store
This two-storied structure was probably where Akbar's drinking water , referred to as the” water of immortality” brought from the Ganges , was kept in the care of a trusted nobleman. This was also the imperial store for fruits such as melons, mangoes, and grapes.The 'forty courses' that usually comprised the emperor's meal were tasted and served from this building.
A large courtyard of red sandstone that lies between the Anup Talao and Diwan-i-Khass is known as the Pachisi, measuring 66.29 mtrs by 46.93 mtrs. So named because the paving stones are laid out to resemble the cruciform board, measuring 1.47 mtrs by 1.29 mtrs on which the popular Indian board game of ‘pachisi’ is played.
The Treasury [Astrologers Seat]
To the left of the Diwan-i-Khaas is the Treasury or ‘Ankh Michauli’ ,[blind man’s bluff] once used for playing this game. Just in front of the treasury is the Astrologers seat, measuring about 3 square meters, rising from a small extension of the treasury platform. It is supported by four pillars; square at the base up to half the height and then changing to octagonal. The base of the columns is adorned with semi – circular pattern, with plain capitals and a small, reversed leaf design on each of the eight faces. The brackets supporting the plain lentil are chastely decorated. A square dome of red sandstone highlighted by a band of interlocking tulips, form the cover. The dome is paneled internally with arches on its sides and ribbed along its curvature.
Jodha Bai’s Palace [SHABISTAN – I – IQBAL]
Shabistan-i-Iqbal, the largest and most important building in the complex was designed to provide space, both private and shared, to the women living there. Having a single entrance, facing east across a wide paved courtyard, a screened viaduct runs across the road; through which Akbar had easy and private access from his Khwabgah to every palace in the Haram Sara.
The palace appears solemn and massive and the balconies at the corners allowed the residents a view of the outside but kept the interiors well concealed. The principal entrance, guarded by eunuchs, is double-storied. It projects 2.28 mtrs from the facade; its own façade being 13.26 mtrs broad and the angle walls are 3.20 mtrs.The central archways fringed with cusps enclose a recessed entrance. The whole effect is of a great gate in miniature. The brackets, balconies, and the carvings are excellently executed. The vestibules are designed to prevent anyone having a direct view of the interiors; the lengths of the gallery have sharp turns at regular intervals to prevent any direct gaze.
The palace courtyard is 54.9 mtrs by 49.32 mtrs with the central part slightly lowered, reached by a single step. A small square tank placed in the centre of the courtyard, was probably for certain ritualistic rites and worship. A room on the western side, opposite the entrance is said to have been used as a temple. A raised platform in the room was the seat of the emperor on his visits to the palace. Other apartments, in the precinct were allotted to the various other queens of the place. Remains of heating facilities are also visible.
The façade of these rooms, have a striking resemblance to the palaces of Gujarat. There are low, paneled walls enclosing the ground floor, decorated with diamond patterns and curved perforated rails, carved in pleasing creeper pattern and the wide spacing of the columns producing a low and long effect.
Jodha Bai’s Palace reflects different architectural styles; the bases, columns, and capitals in the central rooms are carved in the Hindu style and the plan draws inspiration from Rajput traditions as against the more Islamic pattern of other buildings. The azure blue ribbed roof of the upper rooms, made up of glazed tiles, stand out richly in the dull and weather beaten walls and kiosks. It leaves no doubts of the involvement of craftsmen from Gujarat and Multan and their creation is a fitting reflection of the great emperor’s finesse and taste for splendor.
Panch Mahal (Badgir)
The Panch Mahal is to the right of the Sunhera Makan. It is an elegant, airy, five storeyed pavilion; each floor smaller than the one below it, rising to a single, domed kiosk, supported by four columns. Its height gives it the privilege of providing a magnificent view of the city. Panch Mahal, meaning “palace of five storeys is modeled on the Persian badgir or 'wind-catcher' and meant to mitigate the intense summer heat. Akbar used to sit here behind the recessed screens with the ladies and children, enjoying the breeze in an ambience of comfort; remote and secluded.
Sunahra Makan [Maryam Ki Kothi]
Situated opposite the Diwan-i-Khaas is a severe looking building known as Sunahra Makan, so called because of the beautiful murals and gold colored paintings that adorn it; believed to be the palace of Akbar’s wife, Mariam-uz-Zamani, and is also referred to as ‘Mariam's House’. It is perched on a stone plinth, topped by a plain cornice in an inverted leaf pattern. Although somber from outside, the interiors are rich and intricately engraved. There are four rooms on the ground floor. The front room is long and narrow entered from the verandah and three others at the back face south. The parapet above has two arch shaped openings to discharge rain water.It is divided not with the usual interlocking tulips but with a common Mughal motif.
The front of the house has three-sided, massive pillars mitigated by oblong panels arranged vertically. The front verandah is larger than the side ones to preserve proportion. Two pairs of slightly thinner, square, unpanneled pillars, align with the outer walls. The bold combination of Hindu and Muslim methods is well balanced and the overall effect is quite mersmerising.Rich paintings, frescoes and elegant carving are the hall mark of this complex. The entire house, profusely decorated with paintings have a golden hue, so much so that the entire ambience had a golden glow, giving it the name of “Sunhara Makan”.A house equal in beauty and grace as the persons who inhabited it.
North –west of Jodha Bai’s palace is an elegant, two storied house. Whether this house was inhabited by Birbal or not is debateable, although lavish spread of Hindu influence on the carvings and decorations give strength to the belief. It is also widely believed and accepted that this building served as the residence for Akbar’s two senior queens, Ruqayya Begum and Salma Sultan Begum and probably also served as the quarters for the stay of important guests.
The plinth has octagonal balusters at its four corners. The bold , flat pilasters along the walls and the relatively short length of the eaves give it an air of loftiness. Interlacing tulips are also found in this house.
Hindu influence in the carving is evident with the bases of the pilasters typical of the style; A deep, double semi circle with a fan like halo, an arch is recessed in-between each pilasters. Rich carvings border these elegant structures. The doors too have cusped arches resting on the open mouths of elephants with two peacocks standing face to face in the space above.
The four ground floor rooms have paneled walls with double arches; the ceilings are so delicately and intricately designed that it appears that as if carpets have been used to cover them. It is undoubtedly an inspirational house as far as architectural finesse is concerned. Although small, it is a definite master piece of fine carving and ornamentalisation.
Jami Masjid
All principal mosques of any city are known as Jami masjids, as per Islamic traditions, so is the name of this magnificent mosque; literally it means “congregational mosque”.
The Jami Masjid is the principal building of Fatehpur Sikri and occupies the highest point on the ridge, spanning 133.6 mtrs north to south and 165.2 mtrs east to west. According to inscriptions on either side of the central archway of the prayer chamber, the construction of the mosque was completed in 1571-72. Akbar acknowledged his deep gratitude and respect for Shaikh Salim Chishti by ascribing the mosque to him. In 1579, he read the khutba, the prayer to proclaim his sovereignty, and also issued the mahzar or declaration from the hallowed precincts of Jami Masjid, assigning him unlimited powers in religious matters. Conceived on a scale larger than any previous mosque in India, the Jami Masjid follows the conventional structure of a mosque.
The Badshahi Darwaza forming the entrance, projects from the wall of the mosque in the form of a half-hexagonal porch and is 13.2 metres wide and 18.6 metres high. Its two sides have arched openings and a similar archway tops the entrance. It is the entrance to the dargah complex.
The great expanse of the courtyard (109.6 metre by 133.5 metres) of the Jami Masjid overwhelms the visitor by its great dignity and spaciousness. Around the edges of the courtyard are cells once used for the accommodation of the ‘mullahs’. From the Badshahi Darwaza, the visitor faces the majestic arch of the central prayer-chamber of the mosque.
The prayer hall has an arcade of pointed arches, interrupted and dwarfed by a towering central iwan which tends to obscure the central dome, while the lateral domes lurk behind a fringe of chhattris.The central dome rises from an octagonal base,a sixteen – sided drum divided into 48 panels painted in floral arabesques. There are three ‘mihrabs’ (marking the ‘qibla’ or the direction of the holy city of Mecca), in each of the seven bays. The central ‘mihrab’ of the Jami Masjid is pentagonal in shape and is covered by a semi-dome; a splendid specimen of traditional decorative art.
The wings are divided into three halls, each provided with a central mihrab flanked by two smaller ones, embellished with Quranic verses. The flat roofs of the side halls are supported on corbels.
Near the tomb of Salim Chisti stands a masonry tank of red sand stone. Shaded by a huge tree and adorned with a fountain in the centre carved in the form of a lotus ;this served the purpose of a tank for ablutions ,which are required before prayers ;such tanks have their own importance and are an integral part of every mosque. Throughout the World there are but a few mosques to hold comparison to the Jami Masjid of Fatehpur Sikri, which stands today in harmonious and serene majesty.
Hiran Minar
Downhill from the Hathi Pol is The Hiran Minar,a towering structure, rising on an octagonal platform, which in turn stands on a square one. The octagonal platform is 1.22 mtrs high and is edged by a small cornice. The tower on the octagonal base stands 4.64 mtrs in diameter and tapering upwards to a height of 21.35 mtrs.The red sandstone of the tower is marked with alternating rows of six-point stars and hexagons inlaid in buff stone.
The use of elephant’s tusks to decorate the tower, stems from the likeness of Akbar for the strong animal, which has always defined royalty and strength.Above the rows is a projection that serves as a upper verandah, lined by a low perforated railing. The tower is entered through a flat-topped doorway, on either side of which is a blind arch. The spandrel on the Minar is finely decorated with a small pattern of rosettes. From the kiosk on the top, a spectacular view can be had of the palaces of the Haram Sara, the northern wall of Jami Masjid and the towering Buland Darwaza.
It is said that Akbar used this tower to hunt deers,while others say that this was built as a memorial to his favourite elephant “Harun”.It is also likely that the minar served as a point from where mileage was read; Akbar built minars at each ‘kos’, [equal to 3.2 kms] on the road from Agra to Ajmer. Such lofty edifices were erected at a distance of 10 ‘Kos’, so that travelers would not lose their way.Small,lighted lamps were hung on the projecting tusks / horns serving as a light tower to guide travelers. They were accordingly called ‘kos” minars and are still visible enroute to Delhi or Fatehpur Sikri from Agra
Sheikh Salim Chishti’s Tomb
Called an architectural cameo, the tomb has more often than not has been described in the superlatives. Its chaste marble forms are ethereal in their delicacy, giving it a chiseled, polished and fretted exquisite appearance. The tomb, raised where the Sheikh’s ‘zawiya’ or meditation chamber stood, was completed in 1580-81. The main structure is low, consisting of a square exterior, with sides of 7.2 meters, and a mortuary chamber with a diameter of 4.8 meters. Originally, when the tomb was constructed, the interior and exterior was only partly faced with marble, while the verandah and the dome were of red sandstone.
Qutbuddin Khan Koka, added the outer marble screens, and paved the ambulatory with marble in 1606. In 1866, the external transformation of the tomb was completed by veneering the outside of the dome with marble.
The marble screens encircling the tomb offer a delicate pattern of hexagons enclosed within an interlacing eight-foil ornament, which in turn enfolds an elaborate eight-pointed star. Unlike most mosques and tombs, this has no means of accessing the roof; a mark of sanctity for the holy man buried within.Nothing compares to its lyrical and enchanting splendor; one of the most famous examples of marble – work in India.
Buland Darwaza
The Buland Darwaza, or literally ‘Lofty Gate’, is one of the greatest monumental structures of Akbar's reign. It has often been described as his most arrogant assertion of imperial power. This magnificent gate dominates the southern side of the Jami Masjid and is visible from a great distance. An imposing structure with a height of 40 meters, added to which, the 12 meters of steps leading to it makes the entire composition rise 52 meters above the road.
The principal arch stands in the midst of the three projecting sides of an octagon centered upon the apex of the dome in the entrance hallway. The central projecting face carries a great arch while the faces looking south-east and south¬west on either side are broken into three tiers. Crowning the whole is a handsome perforated parapet behind which rises a range of kiosks.
The design of the great archway can be divided into two aspects. The front facade along with its portal and the rear facade consisting of a lower and plainer portion, which intrudes into the main courtyard. The front design provides for the sheer immensity of proportions. Three horizontal panels of buff stone prevent an illusion of the topmost point of the frame bearing down too heavily. Decorated simply, the plain red sandstone spandrels are framed in white marble. At the apex of the central arch is a flower-like ornament inlaid in white marble, and a flattish rosette on either side. Within the three great cartouches are verses from the Quran, inlaid in beautiful calligraphy.
The angular façade and the short, straight sides of the projecting gateway are topped by heavy but architecturally exemplified battlements. The entire setup of the great gateway can best be described as a fine combination of delicacy with sobriety.
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