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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