Fatehpur Sikri- a side trip from Agra. Review on Agra

I am continuing from my review on the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary. Only 21 km from Bharatpur on the Jaipur-Bharatpur-Agra Highway, the city of Fatehpur Sikri is well connected. The road is good and I would recommend that you drive using your own conveyance. Besides the fort and the dargah of Salim Chisti, there is nothing much to see in this place. If you are combining a visit from Agra, do the trip to Fatehpur Sikri in the morning and the Taj in the evening. You need about 2 hours in Fatehpur Sikri to do justice.

History The Mughal emperor Akbar decided to build this city after his victory over the Rajput king Sangram Singh, who belonged to a place called Sikri(now called Sikar). Fateh=Victory, Pur=place, so Fatehpur Sikri literally translates into a place built in the honour of a victory over the ruler of Sikri. The place was built in the 15th century, 1426-1446 to be precise.

Construction The fort has a large moat and also has the famous Buland Darwaza, which is the world's tallest arch doorway. Buland= Imposing, Darwaza=Door. The fort houses the palaces of the three queens of Akbar; Jodha Bai(a Hindu and sister of Raja Man Singh), Miriam(a Goan Christian) and Rukkaiya Begum(also known as the Turkish Queen). The place of Birbal, one of Akbar's Navrattans(Nine Gems) is also well preserved. The place where Tansen used to sing is also pretty well kept. Of the three palaces, the one of Jodha Bai is the largest;probably as she was the only one who gave him an heir, Prince Salim or Jehangir as he was later known. This was due to the blessings of Akbar's priest Salim Chisti- his mausoleum is made of white marble and the dargah has mother of pearl gilded over sandalwood. It is believed that the people with faith who tie a thread onto the marble window frames have their wishes fulfilled.

Things to See The fort is well kept as it is a monument maintained by the ASI(Archeological Society of India). The entry is Rs 20 for adults and the kids below 15 are free. Video cameras are charged Rs 25 and still ones are free. The dargah part is private property since people still pray there and is not maintained and cleaned. Compound this with the requirement to remove footwear and you will know what I mean. You must engage a guide or you will be hounded all through. We had had breakfast (Yummy Paranthas!) at the Shere Punjab Hotel at the entrance to the city and were introduced to Josh Mohammad(goes by the name of Joshi), the guide. The charges are 80-100, though they ask for more. I was taken for a real good tour, so I paid extra. The places to see are the three palaces, the royal kitchen, the Meena Bazaar, the house of Birbal, the Jharokha( a four stories marvel built entirely of pillars), the Toshakhana(treasury), the Buland Darwaza and of course the Dargah of Salim Chishti(the movie Pardes had a song shot here). The entire construction is of red sandstone and intricate carvings are really well preserved. Even the royal stables are well kept and so are the lodgings of the servants. The water tanks are still clear, though the original man made lake for the water storage has long been filled up. Water used to be transported upto the fort by Artesian and Persian Wheels. It was infact the water shortage which forced the abandoning of the fort after the reign of Akbar and shifting of the Mughal Capital to Agra .

Recommendations Keep about two hours to see the entire place. The season to visit is the winters as you can combine the visit to Agra/Bharatpur also. If you are going straight from Fatehpur to Delhi, dont make the mistake of entering Agra as I did and was royally stuck in some thick traffic in some of the narrowest roads for over an hour- there is a bye pass- ask before you enter Agra. Take a good guide- dont buy anything from the hawkers or allow the urchin boys to recite their ''shaiyari''- they will pester you all the way. The so called stone carvers dont seem to be local and the prices are prohibitive- haggle if you really want to buy souvenirs. Parking is free and dont feel obliged to let your car be washed! If you are doing a one day trip from Delhi, you will encounter the toll plaza twice(35/-each time), so buy the multiple entry ticket- you will save 50% for the return.

Have a nice time and Regards, Sandeep