Tourist attractions in Fatehpur Sikri

Today, as one enters Sikri from the Agra Gate, one of the nine gateways on the way to the palace complex, Diwan-I-Aam, or the hall of public audience appears first. It is a huge rectangular walled-in courtyard where petitions were heard, proclamations made, embassies received and entertainment programmes held. The royal balcony, set within a frame of jali screens, appears on the western front. In front of the royal seat, a stone hook is still found embedded in the ground. As per tradition, Akbar's pet elephant Hiran was tied to this hook to crush to death under its feet the head of the guilty. If it refused to obey thrice, the victim was freed.

At the northern corner stands a small but grand single-storey structure of Diwan-I-Khas with the most magnificently sculptured and most photographed stone column at the center of the hall. It bursts forth into a set of 36 closely set volute and pendulous brackets supporting a circular platform from which radiate four passages.

Is it really the famous Ibadat-Khana where Akbar initiated religious discourses amongst diverse religious groups-Hindu, Muslim, Jain and Jesuit etc? Yet another conjecture is-it was the royal jewel house. Of particular note are the exquisitely carved ornamental brackets below the wide projected chajjas (eaves). The structure is decorated with four corner kiosks. Close to Diwan-I-Khas is Ankh Micholi, a set of three inter-connected rooms, where the Emperor, it is surmised, played hide and seek with his ladies.

Panch Mahal, a five-storied pavilion, stands on the western line of the courtyard. This is the badgir, the Persian wind tower for ladies of the harem. The jali screens between the 176 differently carved pillars have disappeared. Once these screens provided purdah (cover) to queens and princess on the top terraces enjoying the cool breezes and watching splendid views of Sikri fortifications and the town nestling at the foot of the ridge. In the courtyard Akbar played pachisi (checker board) with dancing girls as live pieces.

At the southern end of this great courtyard lies Anup Talao, an ornamental tank, and seat of Tansen, Akbar's court musician. Akbar used to have it filled up with gold, silver and copper coins on special occasions for distribution amongst the poor. Nearly 1.67 million rupees were thus given away till the Emperor was in residence at Sikri. Overlooking the tank is a grand pavilion, mistakenly called Turkish Sultana Palace.

Akbar's living quarters stand on the southern edge of the tank, a rather Spartan and primitive structure in finish but showing great strength and character of the emperor who built the great Mughal Empire: A raised stone platform for the royal bed, faint traces of murals and niches for safe-keeping of some precious manuscripts. A small window allowed Akbar to appear for jharokha darshan to his people.

Jodha Bai's palace belonged to Harkha, the Amber princess and mother of Jahangir, and the other Rajput wives and their companions. No wife of Akbar was called Jodha Bai. One of Jahangir's wives was so called. This is a high-walled edifice, guarded by a grand gateway leading to a spectacular courtyard. With double storied pavilions at the center of colonnades on all four sides, this place has some striking Hindu architectural features like ornamental columns, bells and chain motifs, heavy brackets and niches on the wall for the deities worshipped by Rajput ladies. The other smaller but beautiful palace belonged to Akbar's mother, Hamida Banu Begun, widow of Humayun. She was the most respected lady of the harem with the title Mariam-Makani. This palace is also called Sunehra Makan (golden house) because of the golden paint on the faded murals.

Buland Darwaza, the colossal triumphal arch, was built in 1575 on the southern wall of the courtyard. It celebrates Akbar's conquest of Gujarat. The towering portal has the height of 176 feet from ground level and 134 feet over the top step. A Quran inscription inside its archway says, "the world is a bridge, pass over, but don't build a house over it. he who hopes for an hour may hope for eternity".

Weekend Trips/Excursions
The most recommended sites to visit around Fatehpur Sikri are the Agra's Taj Mahal and the Bharatpur bird sanctuary. 123indiatravel can arrange excursion trips to these destinations from Fatehpur Sikri

Besides there are some other places to visit like the Naubat Khana, at one time it used to be the main entrance to the city. There's also a Hakim's house meant to be the house of the then doctor.

Events and Festivals
The end of the festival of Ramadan is very lively in Fatehpur Sikri.