Fatehpur-Sikri
Other than Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri is another important historical place here. Situated around 33 kms from Agra, it is on the border of U.P., next to Bharatpur in Rajasthan. The site for Fatehpur was first discovered by Babar, but it was his descendant Akbar who built the fort here. At one point, he had contemplated to shift the capital here, but the water problem thwarted his plans. Folklore has it that Akbar was desperate for a son and had visited Ajmer dargah for blessings. There, he had a dream that he should visit Saleemuddin Chishti at Fatehpur, which he did (reportedly on foot). His queen, Jodhabai was blessed with a son, and Akbar named him after the saint - Saleem. Since then, the dargah is known for fulfilling all wishes and prayers.
The fort’s Bulund Darwaza is stated to be the biggest gate in Asia, and admittedly it is quite an awesome sight. The dargah, in white marble, is pure and serene. And yes, there is also the closed gate leading to a tunnel that supposedly links Agra with Red Fort in Delhi. Mughal-E-Azam was reportedly shot here, probably the last time the tunnel gates were ever opened.
Otherwise, there have been several films/songs shot on the premises, including Yateem, Lal Pathar and the most famous of all - Pardes (Do dil mil rahe and the climax qawaali).
Fatehpur is still the property of Saleemuddin Chishti’s descendants, and hence has free entrance. The neighboring (and more clean and well maintained) Sikri , however, is with ASI and there is a nominal entry charge of INR 20 (for Indian nationals).
(Clockwise, from top left) 1. Bulund Darwaza- It was tough fitting it on the camera phone’s miniscule lens. Still I think I managed well. 2. The ‘Mughal E Azam’ tunnel-as the local guides there will describe. Supposedly it links to Delhi’s Red Fort 3. The ‘Dargah’ at Fatehpur - Very serene!
Photographs: Deepak Jeswal, Kislay
Taken on : Nokia 3230
Dated : 28.01.07
More on Fatehpur : The Mughal Gallery , Fatehpur , Tourism-Fatehpur/Sikri
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January 30th, 2007 at 2:24 pm
The name Fatehpur-Sikri always reminds me the film Lal Patthar.
You mentioned L to R but photos came T to B
Nice to know more about the historical place. Nice post and nice pictures
January 30th, 2007 at 4:41 pm
wth?!?!? post after post after post? koi contest main hissa liya hai kya?
January 30th, 2007 at 5:21 pm
sahi hai…another one. A good treat for all the readers!
January 31st, 2007 at 4:10 am
DJ
Nice to revive the history.Good post and pictures.
Thanx & Rgds.
Jan 30 2007
January 31st, 2007 at 10:09 am
Juneli - Yep, the photos came way diff from what i was seeing in the preview
Kaush - Nazar mat laga yaar…chalne de yeh flow…
Mannat - - Thanks
Harshad - Thanks
January 31st, 2007 at 1:45 pm
i remember visiting Fatehpur Sikri last year in Jan. The visit to the palace was quite fun. I remember trying to envisage the palace is all its glory - full of the luxuries as it ould’ve been in its heyday.
The photograph of Buland Darwaza is really well taken!
February 1st, 2007 at 1:30 am
Hmmm…Goom kar aaye ho ya article likha hai bas? Waise u are visiting so many far flung places these days that fatehpur seems to be ur backyard!! -)
Btw..Did u get the news? Writer Kamleshwar is no more..
More on this link…
http://www.fmw11.com/content/2007/01/30/writer-kamleshwar-is-no-more/
February 1st, 2007 at 9:45 am
Anks - Yep I remember u being in Agra last year…wasnt a detailed travellogue promised?
Gaurav - Nahi bhai, ghoom ke aayein hai, photos bhi khud ke kheenche huin hai.
Yes, heard about Kamleshwar. Thankfully , the Hindi newspaper Amar Ujala did a very neat and detailed coverage, with lots of editorials and write ups.
February 12th, 2007 at 10:19 am
[…] It was lunch time when we left Taj Mahal. My sister insisted that she wished to have a proper lunch no kachauris, samosas or burgers and pizzas. Frankly, I held the same view as well.I zeroed in to The Park Restaurant at Sadar Bazaar the food is good, the service pretty fast and the ambience crisp and neat. Thankfully, they all loved it too.We roamed awhile at Sadar Bazar, Agra’s best shopping centre.Fatehpur Sikri From Sadar we proceeded to Fatehpur-Sikri. The route leads through Shahganj, a crowded marketplace. It took some time to cross it. Everyone was fidgety. This is normal here, I laughed at their discomfort, having got stuck in innumerable unnecessary traffic snarls in the past six months.I will skip the details of Fatehpur Sikri since I have covered it here already. We had hired a guide, but because the stories were fresh in my mind I was prompting the guide even before he could begin his narration so much so that my sister remarked that I could be a better guide there! […]