Hazrat Salim Chisti In Fatehpur
Sikri
Annul
Urs Festival of Hazarat Salim Chisti in Fatepur Sikri
is on 29th Ramadan.
Shaikh
Salim Chisti (1418-1572) was one of the famous Sufi
saints of India.Salim
Chisti was greatly revered saint, and the Mughal emperor
Akbar also kept him in high regard. The legend states
that Akbar was not getting any offspring, and he prayed
through Salim Chisti. Salim Chisti blessed Akbar,
and a son was born to him. He named the child Salim
in the memory of Salim Chisti. Salim succeeded Akbar
and ruled in the name of Jahangir.
Salim
Chisti is buried in Fatehpur Sikri, Uttar Pradesh,
India.
Buland Darwaza : This gate is approached by
13 meter flight of steps from the outside. This is
built by Akbar in the memory
of his victory over Deccan in 1602 AD. This is the
highest and grandest gate of India.
About
Fatehpur Sikri : Fatehpur Sikri was the political
capital of India's Mughal Empire under Akbar's reign,
from 1571 until 1585, when it was abandoned, ostensibly
due to lack of water. Fatehpur Sikri shared its imperial
duties as a capital city with Agra, where a bulk of
the arsenal, treasure hoards, and other reserves were
kept at its Red Fort for security. During a crisis,
the court, harem, and treasury could be removed to
Agra, only 26 miles away, less than a day's march.
Innovations in land revenue, coinage, military organisation,
and provincial administration emerged during the Fatehpur
Sikri years.
Diwan-i-Khas – Hall of Private AudienceIt is
regarded as emperor Akbar's crowning architectural
legacy. Indeed, its numerous palaces, halls, and masjids
satisfy his creative and aesthetic impulses, typical
of Mughals.
Fatehpur
Sikri is a World Heritage Site. Some contemporary
Indian architects, notably B. V. Doshi, have cited
it as an important source of inspiration. Architect
or layperson, this city generally captures the imagination
and wonder of all who experience its urban spaces
and see its buildings.
Important
Buildlings
The buildings of Fatehpur Sikri show a synthesis of
various regional schools of architectural craftsmanship
such as Gujarati and Bengali. This was because indigenous
craftsman from various regions were used for the construction
of the buildings. Influences from Hindu and Jaina
architecture are seen hand in hand with Islamic elements.
The building material predominantly used is red sandstone,
quarried from the same rocky outcrop on which it is
situated.
Some
of the important buildings in this city, both religious
and secular buildings, are:
Naubat
Khana – Drum house: near the entry, where important
arrivals are announced.
Diwan-i-Am – Hall of Public Audience: a building
typology found in many Mughal cities where the ruler
meets the general public. In this case it is a pavilion
like multi-bayed rectangular structure fronting a
large open space.
Diwan-i-Khas – Hall of Private Audience: famous
for its central pillar with thirty-six voluted brackets
supporting a circular platform for Akbar.
Raja Birbal's house: the house of Akbar's favourite
minister, who was a Hindu. Notable features of the
building are the horizontal sloping sunshades or chajjas
and the brackets which support them.
Joda Bai's palace: The building shows Gujarati influence
and is built around a courtyard, with special care
being taken to ensure privacy.
Pachisi Court: a square marked out as a large sized
board game (modern day Ludo) where live coins- people-
participated.
Char Chaman Tank: a tank with a central platform and
four bridges leading up to it.
Panch Mahal: A five-storied palacial structure. The
bottom floor has 176 intricately carved columns.
Buland Darwaza – the 'Gate of Magnificence':
one of the gateways to the Jami masjid, a stupendous
piece of architecture from the outside, gradually
making a transition to a human scale in the inside.
Jama Masjid: the Masjid, built in the manner of Indian
Masjids, with liwans (aisles) around a central courtyard.
A distinguishing feature is the row of chhatris (small
domed pavilions) over the sanctuary.
Tomb of Salim Chisti: a white marble encased tomb
within the Jama Masjid's courtyard.
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