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Fatehpur Sikri
Fatehpur Sikri is an imperial city found to the south-west of Agra which was built by the Mughal Emperor, Akbar. This is a royal city where all the buildings, pavements and courtyards in the complex are covered in red sandstone. The road connecting Agra and Fatehpur Sikri was once lined with shops and stalls catering to Mughal courtiers.

Towards the end of the 15th century, there were many Sufi orders in Northern India, including the Chisti order. Its network of saints settled in numerous cities like Ajmer, Delhi and Fatehpur Sikri while attracting thousands to hear their teachings of devotion and love. This is where their tombs then became places of pilgrimage for a large number of pilgrims to gather to revere their master.

The fort of Fatehpur Sikri should be visited in the winter months so that you don’t tire when taking walks along its long labyrinths. The main attractions of Fatehpur Sikri are the Diwani-i-Am (the hall of public audience) where the monarch used to listen to petitions he received. There is a paved courtyard here, the Pachisi where the monarch used slave girls as pieces to play a game resembling chess, chaubar.

The Diwani-i-Khas or the ‘House of Worship’ is where the emperor used to debate with famous theologians on numerous systems. Akbar, the most liberal of Mughal emperors was semi-literate and the person who founded Din-a-Ilahi, the Religion of God which was an amalgam of the main religions of the world. However this faith was decried by religious zealots of his community and disappeared with his death in 1605.

The Ankh Michauli is where Akbar played ‘blind man’s buff’ with his harem while the Jodhabai’s Palace is the grandest palace of Fatehpur Sikri. This palace was built after Akbar’s favored wife and mother of his son. The Friday Mosque is the largest of its kind in India in 1571 and measures 168 m by 144 m.

Salim Chisti’s Mausoleum is where issueless parents visit to pray for sons as Akbar had done four centuries ago. These parents tie little cords and paper wished to screens or any objects they find. All these monuments of Fatehpur Sikri have been constructed so well that there is not a single derelict monument found in the city and provides you a picture of the grandeur of the Mogul Empire.