The imperial city of the Mughal dynasty between 1571 and 1584, Fatehpur Sikri was built by Mughal Emperor Akbar. The architectural grandeur of this deserted city cannot be described in words and one can only experience the aura of its magnificent edifices by seeing them. Fatehpur Sikri is the most popular day excursion from Agra, the city of Taj and capital of invincible Mughals for a long time.
Fatehpur Sikri is located only 40 km from Agra city. Agra is well connected by air with Khajuraho, Varanasi, and Delhi. It has good rail and bus connections with major Indian cities. There are daily trains from Agra Fort railway station to Fatehpur Sikri.
History
Soon after Akbar succeeded Humayun as the third Mughal Emperor in 1566, he started campaigns against his adversaries-Rajputs and Afghans with determination to win. In 1569, with the blessing of the Sufi saint Sheikh Salim Chisti of Sikri, Akbar's Rajput wife, Harkha, princess of Amber, gave birth to his first son and cherished heir to the throne. Akbar called him Salim, after the saint. He decided to build a grand city on the ridge of Sikri where the saint lived in a humble hermitage. It was Babur's (the first Mughal emperor in India) resort but now Akbar's new capital. Ajmer, the great spiritual center of the most venerated Chisti order presided over by Akbar's guru Sheikh Muinuddin Chisti thus came nearer to Agra with the building of Sikri. Besides, it was also a shrewd diplomatic move to uproot the nobles from Agra and put them in a gilded prison at Sikri, in new humble houses below the ridge crowned with the Emperor's palaces.
Best Season, Climate, and Clothing
Being in the dry and arid region of the country, the climate of this area is characterized by very high temperature during summer and cold during winter. Rainfall in this area is very scanty and a dry wind flows especially during summer. For the visitors of the summer season, moisturizers and sufficient amount of water along with only light cotton cloth is recommended. During winter a good woolen sweater is a must especially at nights as the nights are normally colder than the day.
