This is in continuation of the last story on road, that I shared in the previous posting. When we reached Agra with all the intention to see Taj with our kids, after the smooth, pacy and yet the adventurous ride on the new expressway, we got stuck for a couple of hours in the traffic snarls of ill-prepared Agra. Agra never witnessed such flood of vehicles ever in its history, in its narrow lanes. It could not entertain the huge rush from Delhi that took the newly inaugurated expressway. So, quickly we exited and headed towards Fatehpur Sikri, that I have never visited before. Thanks to Indira and Mallika who insisted on going there at any cost to untie the knots at the chisti’s abode that they tied a couple of years ago, praying for our second child. Now that Svwara arrived in our life, we headed to the chisthi.

Thus we reached Fatehpur Sikiri and I was flabbergasted at the expanse of Mughal Architecture and its finery. I am always astonished at the Vision, Design, Execution and craftsmanship that go into making such grand structures, that have been existing in this land of INDIA for a cover 2000-3000 years, many are still standing majestically!

According to contemporary historians, Emperor Akbar took a great interest in the building of Fatehpur Sikri and probably also dictated its architectural style. Seeking to revive the splendours of Persian court ceremonial made famous by his ancestor Timur, Akbar planned the complex on Persian principles. But the influences of his adopted land came through in the typically Indian embellishments. The Easy availability of sandstone in the neighbouring areas of Fatehpur Sikri, also meant that all the buildings here were made of the red stone. The imperial Palace complex consists of a number of independent pavilions arranged in formal geometry on a piece of level ground, a pattern derived from Arab and central Asian tent encampments. In its entirety, the monuments at Fatehpur Sikri thus reflect the genius of Akbar in assimilating diverse regional architectural influences within a holistic style that was uniquely his own. Built during the 16th century, the Fatehpur Sikri is one of the best preserved collection of Mughal architecture in India

For the full canvas of sreeni’s photopaintings of the Fatehpur sikri, visit travel blog link ofsreeni on road

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