Fatehpur Sikri - part three: Anup Talao, Khwabah, Maryam Makan, Jodha Bai's Palace

Walking past the religious education building, I stopped to admire the pool known as Anup Talao. It is located in front of the Khawabgah, Akbar’s private quarters. Measuring approximately 30 meters (98 feet) on each side, the square red sandstone tank is quite beautiful. In the middle is a raised platform with a short elaborate wall. At one time the tank was connected to the water system. We then entered the Khwabgah, an elegant structure. Along with his private chambers, the emperor held his secret meetings with his noble men here. One room contained exquisite relief carvings of a tropical landscape and others of ornate trees, framed by geometric designs. My guide explained that this was known as the Glass Palace, as the room once was covered with diamonds and reflective mirrors, placed in between the tracery. These were stripped by the British. We also saw Akbar’s personal sleeping chamber, a raised sandstone bed surrounded by a pillared veranda. The chamber features a unique ventilating shaft by the bed. The posts of the bed were carved with motifs of pomegranates and grapes, common Islamic symbols.

We then toured the Maryam Makan house (for Akbar’s Christian wife). I found it interesting that here too were symbols of all three religions. Either Akbar’s wives were quite tolerant/open-minded, or they had no say in the matter of how their homes were decorated! Our final structure to visit in the Royal Complex was the Jodha Bai’s Palace, a nearly self-contained harem complex. My guide explained that Akbar’s Hindu wife also lived here. The courtyard of the Jodha Bai was particularly large. On the right side of the complex were buildings used during the summer (getting a breeze from the river), while the left side buildings were used during the winter.

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