One of the first buildings we visited was the
Diwan-I-Khas, meaning “hall of private audiences.” The building’s floor and walls, along with the courtyard was once carpeted. In the center of the building was a massive pillar with a central platform and attached diagonal galleries. My guide explained that Akbar used to sit on the central chamber while the four galleries were for his ministers. Other theories have also been proposed, thinking that it wouldn’t be possible to house the entire Parliament in such as small structure. Characteristic of other buildings in Fatehpur Sikri, the Diwan-i-Khas contained symbols of all three religions.
Next to the Diwin-I-Khas was the treasury building, known as
Ankh Michauli. Located in the interior walls of the building were deep recesses and secret coffers. At the bottom of the building’s molded struts were the heads of a truncated monster, which, according to Hindu legends, serves as guardians of treasures. Next to the building was a small kiosk. An inverted “V” shape connected the columns on each side. Having seeing this symbolism before, I enquired about its meaning. My guide explained that it contained the body of a crocodile and the head of an elephant – a very auspicious symbol. On the column I spotted the royal Muslim symbol as well as Christian crosses near the bottom – something my guide never noticed before.
Still within the administrative area of the complex is the royal pavilion known as
Panch Mahal. This five-storey pavilion was once covered with lattice screens, enabling ladies of the harem to have a great view of goings-on below without being seen. The height of the structure also provided a cooling breeze from the nearby river. The top level might have been for the king. In the stone courtyard by the Panch Mahal was a massive Parcheesi board. According to my guide, the many women of the harem (as many as 5,000) were used as playing pieces.
One of the first buildings we visited was the Diwan-I-Khas, meaning “hall of private audiences.” The building’s floor and walls, along with the courtyard was once carpeted. In the center of the building was a massive pillar with a central platform and attached diagonal galleries. My guide explained that Akbar used to sit on the central chamber while the four galleries were for his ministers. Other theories have also been proposed, thinking that it wouldn’t be possible to house the entire Parliament in such as small structure. Characteristic of other buildings in Fatehpur Sikri, the Diwan-i-Khas contained symbols of all three religions.
Still within the administrative area of the complex is the royal pavilion known as Panch Mahal. This five-storey pavilion was once covered with lattice screens, enabling ladies of the harem to have a great view of goings-on below without being seen. The height of the structure also provided a cooling breeze from the nearby river. The top level might have been for the king. In the stone courtyard by the Panch Mahal was a massive Parcheesi board. According to my guide, the many women of the harem (as many as 5,000) were used as playing pieces.
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