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 (r.a.) 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 (r.a.)
blessed
Akbar, and a son was born to him. He named the child Salim
in the memory of Salim Chisti
(r.a.).
Salim succeeded Akbar and ruled in the name of Jahangir.
Mazaar
of Salim Chisti is 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.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
