Fatehpur Sikri

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It was said that today would be devoted to wonders of the world. And Fatehpur Sikri - 40 kms away from Agra - is obviously one. This magnificent fortified ghost city - a World Heritage site - was the Mughal Empire’s short lived capital between 1571 and 1585 during the reign of Akbar. Akbar is regarded as the greatest of the Mughal emperors. He extended his empire from Afghanistan to northern India. A wise and just ruler, he abolished many of the restrictions placed on infidels (non believers), including the very unpopular ‘pilgrimage tax’ on Hindus. Akbar had three wives: one Portuguese Christian, one Muslim from Turkey and one Hindu from Rajasthan. It was the latter who gave him a son. He went on to invent a philosophy known as Din-i-Ilahi (Faith of God), asserting the common truth in all religions. (that did not last after his death though)

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Although brilliant and unusual from an architectural point of view, Akbar’s city was erected in an area that suffered from water shortages and it was abandoned shortly after his death. The site is composed of two main attractions: the palace buildings and the mosque. The palace buildings (one for the emperor, and one for each of his wives – Muslim, Christian and the bigger one for the Hindu wife). The main palace blends Hindu columns, Islamic cupolas and blue Persian tiles.

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The beautiful Jama Masjid (Dargah mosque) was completed in 1571. It contains elements of Persian and Hindu design. The main entrance is through the impressive 54m-high Buland Darwaza (Victory Gate), perhaps largest in Asia, built to commemorate Akbar’s military victory in Gujarat. Inside the courtyard is the superb white marble tomb of Shaikh Salim Chishti, completed in 1581. Inside the mausoleum are brightly coloured flower murals and the canopy is decorated with mother-of-pearl shell. We leave this beautiful site and head to Jaipur.

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