QUICK TOUR OF FATEHPUR SIKRI (FROM DELHI)

At a distance of 1 km from Fatehpur Sikri Railway Station, Buland Darwaza or the Gate of Magnificence serves as the main entrance to the Jama Masjid Complex Fort in Fatehpur Sikri of Uttar Pradesh. This massive gate is the highest gateway in the world and it was built in 1576 AD by Akbar to commemorate his victory over Gujarat.

Buland Darwaza is an astounding example of the Mughal architecture. It is made of red and buff sandstone, decorated by white and black marble. One needs to climb a flight of 42 steps in order to reach the gateway, which stands tall at a height of 40 m. The total height of the structure is about 54 m (176 feet) from the ground level. It is a15 storied high gateway acting as the southern entrance of the city of Fatehpur Sikri. It took nearly 12 years to build this magnificent gateway.

It is semi octagonal in plan and two smaller triple storeyed wings on either side. It has three kiosks on its top surrounded by thirteen smaller domed kiosks. There are .....

At a distance of 1 km from Fatehpur Sikri Railway Station, Jama Masjid or Jami Masjid is one of the largest mosques in India and situated on the highest point of the ridge in Fatehpur Sikri Complex. This is one of the most notable tourist attractions to visit in Fatehpur Sikri as part of Agra tour. This mosque was recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986.

The Jami Masjid was built by Akbar in 1571-72 AD. This is also called Friday mosque. It is the congregational mosque and was perhaps one of the first buildings to be constructed in the complex. It was built under the supervision of Sufi Saint, Sheikh Salim Chishti and his descendants.

The structure of the Jama Masjid is in a rectangular form and is placed on an elevated platform. The mosque has a large courtyard and has gateway entrance from North, South and East. There are series of square shaped chhatris topped by beautiful brackets situated on the other three .....

At a distance of 1 km from Fatehpur Sikri Railway Station, Jodha Bai's Palace (or Jodha Bai Ka Rauza) is one of the largest buildings in the complex of Fatehpur Sikri. This Palace was constructed by Akbar for his favorite wife, Jodha Bai who was a Rajput Princess.

According to history, after Akbar conquered Malwa he faced strong resistances from the Rajput kings. Akbar dealt with the problem diplomatically, allowing them to keep their kingdoms and getting into marriage alliances with the princess of the Rajput clan. He married Jodha Bai, sister of Man Singh, the powerful ruler of Jaipur. She was his favorite queen and allowed to worship Hindu deity in her palace.

Jodha Bai Ka Rauza is an excellent example of the fusion of Hindu and Muslim architectures. The palace has distinct Gujarati and Rajasthani architectural patterns. The palace building consists of a rectangular block with a single magnificent gateway on eastern side, which .....

At a distance of 1 km from Fatehpur Sikri Railway Station, Panch Mahal is five-storey architectural monument located on the northeast direction of Jodha Bai's palace inside the Fatehpur Sikri Fort Complex of Uttar Pradesh.

Panch Mahal was built by Emperor Akbar primarily used as a recreational and pleasure palace by the queens and the other ladies of the court. This is also known as badgir or the wind tower. This pillared pavilion is made of red sand stone comprising of five pavilions, each of which is connected to the next floor by a flight of stairs. The ground floor of the building is made up of 84 pillars that supports the entire structure. As one climbs up the Panch Mahal, the size of the pavilions becomes smaller and the number of pillars supporting the upper floor decreases in number. The first floor has 56 pillars, 20 pillars on second floor, 12 on the third floor and 4 on the fourth level.

The top floor consists of a single dome with floral motifs on top. All the .....

At a distance of 1 km from Fatehpur Sikri Railway Station, Hiran Minar is located close to Caravanserai in Fatehpur Sikri Fort. It is believed that Akbar built Hiran Tower in the memory of his favorite elephant, Hiran. Alternatively, it is also believed that this tower served as a mile post and a light house for the night travelers.

With a height of 21.34 m, Hiran Minar is octagonal at the ground level and circular to the rest of the tower. This is built over an octagonal platform, which in turn stands on a square base. This tower is decorated with an alternate row of hexagons and six point stars. Earlier, elephant tusks were placed emerging from the center of each star, which are now replaced with stone tusks.

The tower is entered through a flat-topped door bordered by sand stone panel and flanked by closed arched panels. There are 53 steps leading to the top inside the tower. One can get a bird's eye view of Fatehpur Sikri from the top of the tower. It is believed that this .....