Abandoned by Mughals

Without a doubt, visiting the Taj Mahal for the first time was awe inspiring. However, the next stop on my inaugural 2002 tour of India proved equally memorable. After visiting the Taj Mahal, our group travelled to Fatehpur Sikri, an historic town located 35km west of Agra.

Fatehpur Sikri was founded as the capital of the Mughal Empire by Emperor Akbar in 1571. However, extended periods of drought eventually saw it abandoned in 1585. The palace complex, courtier buildings and surrounding grounds have been meticulously restored.

I must admit I'd never heard of Fatehpur Sikri before I joined this tour. It's a classic example of how much there is to see and do in India that never makes the cover of a travel magazine. India is simply loaded with cultural experiences beyond imagination.

This immaculately preserved red stone complex is extraordinary. There’s so much to explore and for much of the time, we had the complex almost to ourselves. Highlights include the Panch Mahal, a multi-storied pillared palace, and the 54-meter high, highly ornate Buland Darwaza gate that leads into Fatehpur Sikri’s equally photogenic Jama Masjid Mosque.

I also loved the story behind The Hiran Minar, or Elephant Tower. This circular tower is covered with stone projections in the form of elephant tusks. Most visitors see from an elevated viewpoint on the edge of the main complex. Traditionally it was thought to have been erected as a memorial to Emperor Akbar's favourite elephant.  However, modern scholars believe it's a zero-mile marker from which distances across the empire were measured.

The scale of the mosque is awe-inspiring. You enter through the main gate into an enormous Sahn, or courtyard. This open space extends 165 metres from side to side and is an equally impressive 130 metres wide. Towards the courtyard's northern flank sit several tombs, including that of Salim Chishti. His tomb, unlike its red sandstone neighbours, is made entirely from brilliant white makrana marble.

Fatehpur Sikri is one of those tourist destinations where you simply can't take too many photos. Structure after structure offers spectacular shadows, ruddy hues, angles and perspectives that simply leave you in awe. I’ll let just a handful of the dozens of images I took tell the story for me.

After a full day of touring our group returned to our hotel for dinner before heading to the railway station where we caught an overnight train to Varanasi. The train took about nine hours to reach India’s holy city on the Ganges, the final stop on our eight-day tour. 

Our sleeping carriage consisted of tiered bunks accessed from a corridor running down the carriage. Privacy was maintained with nothing more than a “well-used” curtain and the bathroom at the end of the carriage contained a classic squatting pan. I slept reasonably well despite the carriage’s constant jostling as we headed east. 

Follow this link to experience the colour and chaos of Varanasi for yourself.