Fatehpur Sikri, alternativ for the Forbidden city
Fatehpur Sikri seems like a city frozen in time. It was a short-lived Mughal capital in the 1600s and then abandoned completely. I have a book called The Alternative Travel List—Go here instead. This book suggests places that are less visited than the most popular worldwide. I must admit, I have visited several of the most popular sights. But this book gives me ideas of new, interesting places to go. I learned about Fatehpus Sikri, an alternative to the Forbidden City in Bejing. It was a perfect opportunity since it is only a one-hour drive from Agra, and I was going to Rajhastan.
Akbar the Great
Abu`l-Fath Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar, popularly known as Akbar the Great, was the third Mughal emperor who reigned from 1556 to 1605. He is considered one of the most extraordinary emperors in Indian history and led a successful campaign to unify the various kingdoms of Hindūstān or India proper. In celebration of victories, Akbar laid the foundations of a new walled capital in 1569 named Fatehpur (“Town of Victory”), which subsequently became known as Fatehpur Sikri.
Fatehpur Sikri
Fatehpur Sikri sits on a rocky ridge. The palace city is surrounded by a 6 km wall on three sides, with the fourth bordered by a lake. The general layout of the ground structures, especially the “continuous and compact pattern of gardens and services and facilities” that characterised the city, concludes that Fatehpur Sikri was built primarily to afford leisure and luxury to its famous residents. The town was constructed massively, preferably with red sandstone.
True or false
Emperor Akbar referred to himself as the Emperor of Islam, Emir of the Faithful, Shadow of God on earth, and the most just, wise, and God-fearing ruler. The emperor had several wives, and on my guided tour, I was told he had Hindu, Muslim, and Christian wives. However, I did not find any proof of that when I did my Research on Emperor Akbar. Today, it does not have any significant impact anyway, but it is interesting that he at least tried to have an open mind to the different religions.
The buildings’ exteriors and interiors are impressive. I have always thought sandstone was a very soft material that would wear off in time, but the details on these buildings are still so visible. In many places, they look like woodcarvings.
Mariym’s House
Mariyam’s House
This is the house of Emperor Akbar’s Christian wife. It has a central place in the courtyard. This was the medium size of his wife’s three main houses. The next one was the wife of a Muslim wife. This house was the smallest, however, the one with the most intricate ceiling, both inside and over the balconies.
Jodha Bai Mahal
Jodha Bai Mahal is the largest palace in Fatehpur Sikri, built for Akbar’s favourite queen consort. She was a Hindu princess who became his favourite wife because she was the first to give him a legitimate son and an heir.
Conclusion
If you are in Agra, the one-hour journey is absolutely worth it. It is a vast area, and there are generally very few tourists here. But, as you can see in the photo above, some school classes had an execution here, and that did not disturb the impression. They were very well-behaved, and it was fun watching them.
