Fatehpur Sikri – The Land of the Saint

After visiting Siddharth at Pilani, I was on my way back to Mumbai. Siddharth is my nephew. “Do visit Fatehpur Sikri, aunt” Siddharth had told me. His words haunted me and I discontinued my journey to Mumbai. I halted at Delhi. Fatehpur Sikri is around 39 km from the city of Agra. I flew to Agra and reached Fatehpur Sikri in one of the Uttar Pradesh State Transport Buses.

Bhushan, the tour guide who knew my sister well, received me at the airport and he was more than happy to furnish me with the history of Fatehpur. Much as I would have wanted that he keep shut and I retire to my hotel, he went on and on. Suddenly I got interested in his rambling. He was saying something very informative. He said that history has it that this was built in the earlier Fatehabad in memory of a saint Shaikh Salim Chisti who forecast that Emperor Akbar would have a son.

As his rambling went on, I reached my hotel and had some rest. My curiosity got the better of me and I found myself reading the brochures on Fatehpur Sikri lying on the table. I was quite excited that I was going to see a place which was declared a World Heritage Site by the Indian Government in 1986. I cancelled my plan of resting till late afternoon and called my tour guide and set off immediately.

We reached Buland Darwaza first. The fact that this magnificent Mughal architecture took 15 years to be constructed was seen in the perfection in the sculptures and art here. This is a huge gate like an arch of victory carrying two inscriptions reading “Jesus Son of Mary (on whom be peace) said the world is a bridge, pass over it, but build not houses on it. He who hopes for an hour may hope for eternity. The world endures but an hour. Spend it in prayer for the rest is unseen.”  I was filled with respect and awe.

I saw the horse shoe gate which is so named after horse shoes were nailed to the large doors to get luck.

Our next stop was Jama Masjid which meant the Friday Mosque. Here I saw the cenotaphs. I have seen cenotaphs earlier but these had such a historic feeling to them and this added to the mirhabs, three of them with the middle mirhab having a dome cover of marble made the entire experience so enthralling.

Agra is hot, and in the months of May and June it is hotter but the experience was so mesmerizing that one just forgot to feel the heat and feel sweaty and grimy. So when we finally reached the tomb of Salim Chisti the great Sufi Saint, my heart was filled with joy that I took Siddharth’s advice and reached this place. For this phenomenal work of Mughal architecture could only take me down memory lane and feel the era of the 14th and the 15th century. I called my friend and told him how beautiful the latticed window, the intricate designs and the haunting passageways were. My fingers didn’t stop clicking on the camera and the lovely greenery grazing the parapets of the monument lazily only added to the feel.

I also saw the tomb of Islam Khan, grandson of Shaikh Salim Chisti. This tomb was made of sandstone and the 36 cenotaphs here were a photographer’s steal.

Fatehpur Sikri is incomplete without a visit to the Hall of the Public Audience during Emperor Akbar’s rule – The Diwan – i-Am. I have read it in comic books, seen it in documentaries but today I saw the huge rectangular pavilion which had its own Baths.

I also saw the Hall of the Private Audience which was the Diwan-i-Khas. My history book came back in my memories as I saw the square building with the four cenotaphs on the top. The square based huge pillar inside with a shaft with 8 sides, the 36  brackets that hold Emperor Akbar’s platform, the walkways connected to this platform leading to the first floor all spoke of the intelligence and common sense that was applied those days.

Then I went round and saw the Ibadat Khana, Anup Talao, Naubat Khana, Pachisi Court, Panch Mahal, Birbal’s house, and came back satiated and well informed.

I had good Mughlai food here and tasted some of the best Rajasthani delicacies. All my diet gone with the wind but my experience embedded within me. I had the Fatehpur Sikri famous Nan Khatai and even today as I read about this place my mouth waters as do my memories which float in the memories of my tour to this place.

Certainly one of my better favorite travel explorations.