Fatehpur Sikri stands 40km from the city of Agra, the capital of the Mughal Emperor Akbar between 1571 and 1585. The Archaeological Survey of India has perfectly preserved this Mughal city as it was at the height of the empire’s splendour. This walled city, majorly made of red sandstone, contains the dargah or mausoleum of the Sufi fakir, Sheikh Salim Chisti who is said to have granted Akbar and his queen Jodhabai their wish for a son. The main entrance to Fatehpur Sikri is through the 175ft Buland Darwaza, the highest gateway in the world. It was built by Akbar to commemorate his victory over Khandesh in Gujarat. The building at the northeast end is the birthplace of Din-e-Ilahi, the religion founded by Akbar in an attempt to synthesise all the major religions of the world.
    A proper tour through the walled city, from the Buland Darwaza upto the rear entrance and moat, would take about three hours. Just beyond the moat is an old bungalow built in 1908 by the British and now used by the Archaeological Survey of India. Another major attraction is the old man who performs the amazing feat of diving from the ramparts of the fort into the moat from a height of approximately 60ft. This fortified ghost city is most lively during the end of the Ramadan Festival.

Getting There
Just a few kilometres from Agra, one can easily get to Fatehpur-Sikri by road. As for rail links, there are four trains a day from Agra Fort to Fatehpur Sikri.

Accommodation
Gulistan Tourist Complex (Middle Budget)
Tel: 882490

Archaeological Survey Rest House (Low Budget)
Tel: 882248
Advance Bookings to be made at:
22, The Mall, Agra
Tel: 0562-363506

Maurya Rest House (Low Budget)
Tel: 882348

Rangmahal Guest House (Low Budget)
Tel: 882219

Goverdhan Tourist Complex (Low Budget)
Tel: 882648

Sightseeing
Jama Masjid
Also known as the Dargah Mosque, Jama Masjid contains elements of both Persian and Hindu architectural design. The main entrance is through the 54m high Buland Darwaza. Near it is the dargah or tomb of Shaikh Salim Chisti, a monument made of white marble, constructed in 1570.

Palace of Jodha Bai
The palace of Jodha Bai, the Hindu wife of Akbar and mother of Emperor Jahangir, is a blend of Hindu and Muslim architectural styles.


Karawan Serai and Hiran Minar
Karawan Serai is a large courtyard with hostels all around built for the visiting merchant caravans of yore. The Hiran Minar is said to have been the grave of Akbar's favourite elephant. Stone elephant tusks protude from this 21m high tower which gets its name from the fact that the emperor shot deer from here.

Palace of the Christian Wife
This was the house used by Akbar's Christian wife Maryam.

Panch Mahal
The Panch Mahal, a five-storeyed tower, is the highest point in Fatehpur Sikri. This extremely airy tower is supposed to have been used by the emperor's many queens.

Treasury
It was earlier believed that Emperor Akbar often played games with his ladies in this building, especially aankh-micholi or hide and seek. But historians now believe that it may have been the imperial treasury.

Diwan-i-Khas
This chamber of private audience was used by Emperor Akbar to hold meetings and discussions. But the exact function of the building is unsure - could have been the place from where the Emperor meted out justice or where he sat in discussion with religious heads and theologians.

Diwan-i-Am
This large courtyard surrounded by cloisters is the hall of public audiences. The floor is designed like a lifesize board of Pachisi with large squares. Slave girls were used as pieces in the game of chaupar.

The Palace Complex

This is the beginning of Akbar's noble but doomed attempt to fuse Hinduism and Islam. Thus what is called Birbal's palace and Jodhabai's palace are the only buildings where Hindu architectural styles predominate while the others tend to be Mughal in nature. That wasn't the only departure Akbar made here. Instead of aligning his buildings with the cardinal points, Akbar broke new ground by following the diktats of the topography. Thus all the buildings face southwest or northeast except for the Jami Masjid and the most private apartments that face west towards Mecca. For 400 years it has stood empty, an almost perfectly preserved a liberal emperor's tryst with syncretism and modernity. Fatehpur Sikri is open from 6 am to 5.30 pm, entry fee Rs 5, free on Friday, Video camera permit: Rs 25.

Jama Masjid

The only purely Muslim building is the Jama Masjid. It is said to be based on the mosque in Mecca. You enter it (shoeless) through the 54m high Buland Darwaza (Gate of Victory) which Akbar built to commemorate his conquest of Gujarat. When critical mass accumulates around the gate, you can watch while young men take the leap from the top of the gate to the deep well outside it. The touts are at their most concentrated here. Outside the mosque are the remains of a mason's mosque, supposedly also the place where Shaikh Salim Chishti's cave was originally when Emperor Akbar came on foot to ask for a son.

The tomb of Shaikh Salim Chishti

In the northern part of the courtyard is the superb white marble dargah or tomb of Shaikh Salim Chishti, built in 1580. (It was originally made of red sandstone but was covered in marble in the early 1800s). The canopy above his grave is inlaid with mother of pearl. The screens (jalis) around it are unbelievably beautiful. They are festooned with threads, tied by childless women who invoke the saint's aid in getting a child. (When so blessed, they return to untie a thread. It is said that no thread ever wears off and falls away, so powerful is the intercessionary power and mercy of the saint.) Next to it is the larger red sandstone tomb of the saint's grandson and various other members of his family. Remove your shoes when you enter here. Carry a pair of socks or hire a pair of cloth shoes so that your toes won't freeze. (And yes, they can get pretty cold even on a hot day. Marble is like that.) And please be circumspect; a huge amount of human suffering and hope washes around this tomb.

Palace of Jodha Bai

There is still debate over whether this was the palace of Jodha Bai, the princess of Amber, whose son Jehangir was to rule after Akbar. However this is the name by which the palace is known and the name by which the guides still refer to it. Inside make sure you visit the Hawa Mahal, a projecting room whose walls are made of carved stone jalis; the ladies of the court could thus remain unseen but could watch the world go by in the courtyard below and enjoy whatever breeze there was. It can be an interesting visual exercise to come back at three different times in the day and note how different patterns of chiaroscuro form as the sun moves.

Birbal Bhavan

Since this one is in the women's quarters, it could hardly have been the home of the renowned Birbal, the great wit at Akbar's court. (Good place to start a feminist discussion: was Birbal a woman). However it could have been built by him which would account for the name. Most scholars now maintain that it is the senior queens' palace. It is a rather elegant building, almost too elegant. However when you go in you will notice how much cooler it is inside. That's because it cleverly uses a double domed structure to insulate the interiors and the positioning of the building itself allows for the maximum shade. (This might be another reason why it was called Birbal Bhavan, to tie in with his great wisdom.)

Caravanserai

Badly defaced elephants at the Hathi Pol still guard the entrance to the resting place for passing travellers and caravans. Fitted into the ridge, it was probably one of several that were built to accommodate merchants and visitors. Also notice the waterworks with a deep well that uses an ingenious device to raise water into the aqueducts which were above the height of the ridge. Inside is the 21 m high Hiran Minar (the minaret of the deer), said to have been constructed as a monument over the grave of Akbar's favourite elephant, Hiran. It may also have been an akash diya (a lamp to light the night sky) or the zero point from which distances in kos were measured.