Fatehpur Sikri

Fatehpur Sikri

Fast Facts

Location : 40 kms south-west of Agra, Uttar Pradesh.

Built By : Akbar 

Open to Visitors : From sunrise to sunset. 

Entry Fee : Rs. 10, entry is free on Fridays.

Fatehpur Sikri - Overview

Situated 40 kms south-west of City of Taj - Agra, Fatehpur Sikri is a perfectly preserved Mughal city that you should not miss during your Agra trip. The name ‘Sikri’ originates from the Urdu word ‘Shukriya’, meaning thanks to Allah (God) and was originally uttered by Mughal Emperor Babar on the occasion of his triumphs over the Rajputs. But, today everything else related to Babar has vanished in Fatehpur Sikri except the place name ‘Sikri’. 

When Emperor Akbar conquered Gujarat, he expanded the name by adding Fatehpur to Sikri and since then ‘Sikri’ became known as Fatehpur Sikri. Akbar established the town of Fatehpur Sikri to commemorate his Gujarat victory and even made this city his new capital that remained operational between 1570 and 1586. But extreme scarcity of water forced Akbar to reshift his capital to Agra from Fatehpur Sikri and the city was abandoned. 

History of Fatehpur Sikri

Legend has it that Akbar’s harem was teemed with around 800 members and several begums (queens) but the Emperor was without a male heir. With the hope to get a male heir, Akbar made a pilgrimage to Fatehpur Sikri to meet the Muslim Saint Shaikh Salim Chisti. At last by the blessings of the Salim Chisti, Jodha Bai, one of the queens of Akbar, bore him a son. Out of the gratitude of the Saint Akbar shifted his capital to Fatehpur, the native place of the Fakir and named his son Salim. 

Emperor Akbar erected a fortress on a hill top in 1569 and very soon a township was developed around it. Akbar constructed his palace on a range of hills about 2 miles in length and 1 mile wide. Akbar’s Palace was flanked on its three sides by a wall and on the fourth side was an artificial lake extending to a length of over 20 miles. The new capital was build with a fine blend of the Hindu and Muslim architectural styles and the buildings were believed to changing colour from pink to red with advancing day. The main entrance to Fatehpur Sikri town was through ‘Shahi Darwaza’, situated to the east. 

Tourist Attractions in Fatehpur Sikri 

Diwan – i – Aam : Just inside the gates at the north-east end of the deserted Fatehpur Sikri town is the Diwan – i – Aam. Diwan – i – Aam or the ‘Hall of Public Audiences’ is the place where the Emperor presented himself before the assembled subject every morning. This building consists of a large spacious courtyard surrounded by cloisters. Apart from Diwan – i – Aam, there is a huge ‘Pachchisi Courtyard’ which is blocked out like a massive games board. It is said that Emperor Akbar played chess here, using slave girls dressed in yellow, blue and red as pieces.

Ibadatkhana : Close to Diwan – i – Aam is the Ibadatkhana or the hall of religious discussions. The Ibadatkhana is decorated prominently in Hindu architectural style. Deen- i- Elahi, the universal religion preached by Akbar himself originated from Ibadatkhana. 

Diwan – i – Khas : Diwan – i – Khas or the ‘Hall of Private Audiences’ a two storeyed building was made specially for the principal ministers of Akbar’s Durbar. Though the exterior of Diwan- i – Khas is simple, but its interior is quite impressive and unique. Diwan – i – Khas has two elegantly ornamented columns that supports a flat topped ‘throne’. From the four corners of the room, stone bridges lead across to this throne and it is believed that Emperor Akbar would sit in the centre while his four principal ministers would sit at the four corners.

Jami Mosque or Dargah Mosque : Believed to be a replica of the mosque at Mecca, Jami Mosque is an impressive building combining the elements of Hindu and Persian architectural styles. Enter inside the mosque through 54 mts high Buland Darwaza (the Gate of Victory), which was built in 1573 to commemorate the Emperor’s conquest of Gujarat. You can reach the huge gateway by a flight of 13 mts high staircases, next you will come across an inscription brought from Holy Qoran that means, “The world is a bridge, pass over it, but build no house upon it. He who hopes for an hour may hope for eternity.” Just outside the Buland Darwaza you can see a deep well which remains flanked by tourists most of the time. 

Jami Mosque is a big mosque and around 10,000 people may offer namaz (prayer) at a time here. When you move inside the mosque, you will see the Dargah (tomb) of Shaikh Salim Chisti. Built in sand-stone, this Dargah is wonderful specimen of Mughal period architecture. In 1571 Salim Chisti died at the age of 92 yrs and this dargah was built on Akbar’s instructions, who earlier blessed the emperor for Jehangir’s birth. Even today, large number of childless women visit this Dargah looking for a child. Every winter the Urs or death anniversary of Salim Chisti is celebrated here. 

Palace of Jodha Bai : After visiting the mosque, head north-east to see the Palace of Jodha Bai, Akbar’s Hindu wife and Jehangir’s mother. Just like other structures at Fatehpur Sikri, the Jodha Bai Palace is a blend of Hindu and Muslim architectural styles which you can see in columns and cupolas. When you enter inside the palace, the Hawa Mahal or ‘Palace of the Winds’ a projecting room will fascinate you with its fabulous stone lattice work. During Mughal period, this palace was used by the ladies of the court to keep a quiet eye on events below. 

Birbal Bhawan : Located close to Jodha Bai Palace, this building is believed to be constructed either by or for Birbal, Akbar’s favourite courtier. Although Birbal Bhawan is slightly smaller in size, but its wonderful design execution are quite enough to hold your attention. In fact, Victor Hugo, the Victorian-era French author, commented about Birbal Bhawan that it was either a very small palace or a very large jewellery box. 

Karawan Sarai and Hiran Minar : Karawan Sarai and Hiran Minar are another tourist attractions at Fatehpur Sikri. During Akbar’s period, Karawan Sarai or ‘Caravanserai’ was a big courtyard flanked by the hostels all round that were used by visiting merchants to the town. Hiran Minar or ‘Deer Minaret’ is believed to have been built over the grave of Akbar’s most-loving elephant. Here, you can see stone elephant tusks protruding from the 21 m high tower. It is said that Akbar had shot at deer and other animals, which were brought before him, from the top. 

Mariam’s House : Also known as ‘Golden House’, this building is located close to Jodha Bai Palace. Mariam’s House was used by Akbar’s Christian wife Mariam who belonged to Goa. During its early days, this house was gilded throughout and this gave it its name, the ‘Golden House.’

Panch Mahal : Next, visit the Panch Mahal or the ‘Five Storey Palace’ a building constructed in Persian architectural style which looks more or less like a Buddhist monastery. Quite notable for its architecture, this building has been tapered upwards and each of the five storeys is stepped back from the previous one until at the top there is only a small kiosk. The number of pillars has gradually diminished from 84 on the first floor to 56, 20, 12 and finally 4 on the top floor. The pillars of the Mahal are not identical and the walls were latticed in the past. Panch Mahal is crowned with a dome which is supported by four columns. Panch Mahal had stone screens on the sides and it was perhaps used by the ladies of the court or for holding assemblies. You can have a view of the entire fort from the top of building, but the climbing is somehow difficult due to uneven condition of the steps. 

Ankh Michauli : Ankh Michauli literally means ‘hide and seek’. It is the place where the Emperor used to play hide and seek with his queens. This building is situated South- West of ‘Diwan-i-Khas’ and is also called the treasure pavilion. Ankh Michauli also served as the Emperor’s record room and it has some curious struts with stone monsters carved into them. 

How to Reach

By Air : Kheria airport in Agra is the nearest airport from Fatehpur Sikri. Domestic flights are available to Agra from important places of India. From the airport, you have to reach Fatehpur Sikri via road route. 

By Train : Nearest major railway station is located in Agra. Agra railway is served by large number of express trains from important places of the country. Taj Express, Shatabadi express and several other trains are available from Delhi to Agra. Trains are available at regular intervals between Agra and Fatehpur Sikri.

By Bus : UPSTDC, ITDC and other private operators arrange conducted tours to Fatehpur Sikri, but the tour buses stop only for an hour. If you want to spend longer time at Fatehpur Sikri it is better you take a regular bus from the Idgah Bus Stand. 

Places Where You Can Stay

Very few accommodation options are available at Fatehpur Sikri, so Agra is the best place to stay. Agra is dotted with large number of star as well as economic hotels that provide you good accommodation facilities.

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Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal

Fast Fact
Location : Agra, Uttar Pradesh.

Built By : Shah Jahan.

Built In : 1653 A.D

Open to Visitors : From sunrise to sunset (6 A.M to 7 P.M). Taj Mahal is closed on Mondays.

Entry Fee : Rs. 20 for Indians and Rs. 750 for foreigners. Entry is free on Fridays. No entry fee is charged for children below 12 years. Information is subject to change.

Overview

The Taj Mahal, arguably the most attractive mausoleum in the globe is a symbol of immortal love. Built by the 5th Mughal emperor Shahjahan in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, this monument in white marble is also said to be a noble tribute to the grace of Indian womanhood. The beauty and grandeur that the Taj possesses could hardly be surpassed by any other monument in the world. The Taj is also said to be one of the largest and most expensive mausoleum built by any man on earth.

Reaching the Taj

Air : Agra is easily accessible by air from all major destinations of India.

Rail: Express train services connect Agra to many destinations of India. India's premier luxury train The Palace on Wheels also covers Agra.

Road : Deluxe bus services are available to Agra from many destinations of northern India. Agra is situated at a distance of 203 kms from national capital Delhi. 

History

It is widely believed that the name 'Taj Mahal' is an abbreviated version of Mumtaz Mahal's name. Just before her death in the year 1630, Mumtaz Mahal had wished before Shahjahan that he build such a tomb in her memory that the world had never seen before. . The construction of Taj Mahal began in 1631 A.D and completed in1648 AD. It is estimated that twenty thousand workmen toiled day and night for full 17 years to complete this magnificent monument. According to the inscriptions found in the Taj, Amanat Khan Shirazi was the calligrapher while Ustad Ahmad Lahauri was the designer of this great monument. 

Architecture

The Taj Mahal is a massive complex consisting of a main gateway, an elaborately laid beautiful garden, a mosque and a prayer house, outer enclosures and the enclosing walls. The main monument covers an area of 93.9 sq. metres and is set on a raised platform that measures 6.6 metres from the ground. There are four intricately carved minarets on all four sides with each minaret rising to a height of 41.1 metres. The mausoleum has been built in white marble but buildings flanking the tomb to the west and east have been built in red sandstone. The water causeway and fountains have been built in perfect symmetry with the tomb and gateway. 

Meticulously done stone inlay works adorn the surfaces both inside and outside. The stone carvings include inscriptions from the holy Q'uran, many geometrical shapes and a variety of plant and flower forms. Borders have also been inscribed to separate the carvings into blocks. Such is the precision of marble and precious stone inlays that the seam can hardly be detected. From the ground, all the letters of the inscriptions from the holy Quran look perfectly uniform but in reality some letters are bigger than others. The whole monument is actually a sum of many parts but all the parts fit perfectly to give the taj the look of a united structure with diversity. 

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Bekal Fort

Bekal Fort

General Information
District : Kasargod, Kerala
Distance : 156 kms, north of Kozhikode, 69 kms from Kasaragod
Best Time to Visit : November to February

Location 

Bekal Fort is located about 19 kms from the Kasargod district, in the state of Kerala. The fort stands rooted at the northern most point of the state. The fort is established over 35 acres of land and is abutted by the Arabian Sea.

Overview

Bekal Fort, that stands abutted by the vast stretches of the sea is a beautiful spot. The fort region is quite and calm, with the only noise coming from the waves that dash against the fort headland. The scene here is unique and reflects the dual faces of nature, the steadfast, quite fort and the rush and rumble of the sea.

The entrance to the fort follows a zig zag path with no big buildings and palaces. The fort was probably built to defend any possible invasion via sea route. The fort walls has many opening and there are trenches all around that prove the stated point. The observation tower that stands on a promontory is incredible. The observation tower exists as cascaded circular walls with opening for sea viewing. There is a regular flight of stairways leading to the tower. The base of the tower has the circumference of 80 feet and stands 30 feet in height. The tower provides a picturesque view of the Arabian Sea.

At the entrance lies the Anjaneya Temple. The temple is said as having been built at the time fort was constructed. The temple is dedicated to Sree Hanuman. The fort is connected with many underground passages that lead to outside at several points. There is a block inside the fort which was used to store weapons and ammunitions. These chambers are, at present, under the control of Archaeological Survey of India.

The excavation of coins and historical artifacts unearthed by the Archaeological Survey of India at the site has led to the popularity of the fort. The beach front near the fort, known as Bekal Fort Beach has recently been developed as a great beach resort. Two statues have been installed at the site and the place has been further beautified by a shed featuring mural walls.

History

Bekal Fort is more than 300 years old. Some contradictory accounts have been surfacing about the fort origins. The widely accepted belief gives the credit to Sivappa Naik of Ikkeri. The fort, as is believed, was built by Sivappa in the 1650's. The fort was occupied by Hyder Ali, father of legendary Tipu Sultan, in the year 1763 and finally surrendered to the British. However, one account holds Kolathiri Rajas responsible for the building of the fort. There are people who believe that Sivappa captured the fort that had already been built by Kolathiri Rajas. The history of the fort, as such, is enriched with many strong men and various eras it has witnessed.

A Stay at Bekal

For an overnight stay at Bekal there are quite a few hotels and tourist homes that serve the purpose. Most of the accommodation facilities lie in the nearby Kasargod town. Some popular service providers in the region include:

PWD Guest House - Bekal, PWD Guest House - Kasargod, Gitanjali Heritage, Nalanda Resorts, Hotel City Tower, Enay Tourist Home, Palika Bhavan, etc.

Reaching Bekal

Bekal is connected by a network of roads to the regions around and the rest of state. The railhead and long distance buses are provided at Kasargod, which is about 19 kms from Bekal. Buses and taxis provide the means of reaching Kasargod. At Kasargod there is a KSRTC (Kerala State Road Transport Corporation) bus stand with regular bus services to Mangalore, Kannur, Thalassery, Kozhikode and Kochi. The Kasargod railway station provides means of accessing the cities around via train. The nearest airport is the Bajpe Airport, located at Mangalore, some 69 kms from Bekal. 

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River Ride

Starting Point : Thuruthi, Kasaragod, Kerala.
Riders : Noushad, Mujeeb, Nilofar, Najma, Afrin & myself.
Travel Mode : Canoe.

On a sunny day, suddenly I got a call from my cousin Noushad as he want me to join with his family for a river ride on a canoe. I got thrilled and within an hour I reached his home. From there we went to his sister’s house which is on a river bank. Everything we needed for our trip was pre-packed from there and we were ready to hit the river in about five minutes. We had some fantastic views of the river as we headed near to it.

It was around 4 P.M. when we finally hit the water. Mujeeb – Our bro in law, slowly started paddling and water swiftly moved us downstream. We entered the larger body of water easily and floated along at a slow but steady pace. The constant crashing of waves eventually grated on my nerves. Birds twittered back and forth across the water as it rippled and gurgled against our canoe. The placid surface was often so still it reflected like a mirror to the sky. We had much geeky fun, and the best part was no one was around to witness it on the river bank. We also saw a group of goats standing on the river’s edge. They were in bushes, behind trees, scaling the rocks…more and more appeared before our eyes. I sometimes would call out to them, speaking their language: “Behh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh!” Most ignored me but some whipped their heads my way. We slowly sailed for an hour.

When we saw an eyot on the middle of the river, we headed towards it to take few minutes rest. While on the eyot we ate some snacks and basked. I and Noushad stripped down to our swimming dress and leaped into the water. It was a short but sweet swim, especially because it’s a sunny day. The sun had fallen behind the line and the sky was darkening. Then came the worst moment of the trip – The return. So we all returned back to the canoe and started paddling towards the landing point on the river edge. When we reached the bank, we threw our stuff into my car so that we can reach our homes as fast as we could.

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Lovely London

Highlights of this historic city in Great Britain

With its history, sophistication and culture, London is not only the United Kingdom's capital city, but a treasure-trove of important architectural sites, royal buildings, theatre experiences, and myriad of shops and world-famous department stores. With many escorted tours of England starting and ending in this cosmopolitan city, you have the chance to spend several nights in London before or after your tour to take in all it has to offer. In fact, you could spend a week or more in London and never get bored!

Westminster Abbey, Big Ben & Tower Bridge

Take, for example, the city's many sightseeing options. London landmarks include Westminster Abbey, Big Ben beside the River Thames, Tower Bridge over the River Thames, and St. Paul's Cathedral. Snap photos of the ceremonial Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, admire the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London, and see the sculptures and statues in Trafalgar Square.

Then there's the magnificent shopping you can do at Harrods, the city's largest department store -- it has more than 1 million square feet of display space! With an array of only-in-England gifts, accessories, and clothing, you'll surely find some lovely souvenirs. And be sure to stop in Harrods' world-famous Food Hall, with specialties from all over the world to eat on the spot, as well as packaged English teas, chocolates, and preserves to share with friends and family back home.

Theatre performances & day trips from London

Theater enthusiasts won't want to miss a show in London's West End, otherwise known as "Theatreland." More than three dozen large theatres are found here, and they host world-class performances, including musicals, classic plays, and comedies. Les Misérables and Phantom of the Opera are among London's best-loved and longest-running musicals; each has been performed in the West End for more than 20 years.

Day trips from London are plentiful. Consider nearby Stonehenge, the mysterious large stones that archaeologists believe were arranged more than 4,000 years ago. Or visit the town of Bath, known for its natural hot springs -- the first documented Roman spa. Tourists enjoy seeing many of the landmarks mentioned in novels by Jane Austen, who lived in Bath in the early 1800s. Other day trips can take you to Stratford-upon-Avon to see Shakespeare's birthplace, Oxford to visit the oldest university in the English-speaking world, or Kent with its magnificent Canterbury Cathedral.

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