Trip to North India - Dec 2010

In December of 2010 I met three of my friends in Delhi to start our trip through Northern India. Two came from Serbia and were former colleagues of mine, and the other flew from Wisconsin, a former art professor and elementary art teacher of mine. Our journey would take us from Delhi to Dharamasala, back to Delhi, on to Udaipur, then to Jodhpur via Ranakpur, Jaipur, Shekhawati region, back to Jaipur, then on to Fatehpur Sikri, Agra, and finally back to Delhi. In this series of blog entries, I will attempt to highlight some of our experiences.

You may find more of my photos on my Flickr site.

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Tipu Sultan's Daria Daulat Bagh

On our way to Bangalore, we stopped by the historical town of Srirangapatnam. This island town was made famous by Mysore’s raja Haider Ali and his son Tipu Sultan, both of whom were responsible for transforming the small state of Mysore into a major Muslim power. Nicknamed the “Tiger of Mysore,” Tipu Sultan took it upon himself to try and rid India of the hated British invaders. In 1799, the British finally managed to capture the citadel at Srirangapatnam, killing Tipu and firmly establishing Britain’s presence in South India.

After quickly photographing the Jami Masjid mosque (built by Tipu in 1787), we went to Tipu Sultan’s summer palace – Daria Daulat Bagh, also built in1787. Walking through the yellow archway at the entrance revealed the summer palace in the middle of a beautiful symmetrical garden. Large columns were made of teak. Green sunscreens covered much of the open veranda surrounding the entire palace. The scalloped arches of the veranda reminded me very much of the architecture I had seen in Agra and Fatehpur Sikri. The rather simple exterior of the palace failed to prepare me for the beauty of the interior. Every inch of the teak walls and ceiling was covered with patterns and colors. Some walls had painted floral designs with raised Arabic “window” frames. Columns were carved with zigzag stripes in blue, green, and cream colors. The ceiling had 8-pointed stars with floral designs inside each star. The floor was also patterned and quite colorful. Near the entrance was an upper balcony from which Tipu was able to view visitors. My favorite part was the two walls covered with murals. The west wall recalls in great detail the victory by Haider Ali over the British at Pollilore in 1870, painted in a Mughal style. Heroism and bravery by the Indian fighters was prominently presented. The east wall is basically narrative portraiture of the royal family, including queen smoking a hookah pipe. How I would have loved to photograph these mural treasures, but photography was not allowed. Sharing the space were scores of school kids in uniforms. They quickly snaked through the rooms & exhibits, many of whom were more interested in us than what was on the walls and displays. More busses full of kids were outside, with other groups sitting on lawn under shady trees, one class sitting neatly in a row.

See more photos of Srirangapatnam on my Flickr page

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Tomb of Akbar

In the Agra suburb of Sikandra, we visited the Tomb of Akbar, built between 1605 and 1613. Akbar actually planned his own tomb and selected a site, with his son Jahangir carrying out the construction. With equal precision as the Taj Mahal, this site is aligned with the points of the compass. Similar in plan to the Taj, there is a water channel (although much narrower) leading from the main entry gate to the actual tomb building. Like the buildings at Fatehpur Sikri and those (except the main building at the Taj), these were constructed out of red sandstone. The entrance was particularly ornate, built to imitate the Buland Darwaza at Akbar’s royal Fatehpur Sikri. Geometric designs of ochre, black, white, and terra-cotta covered its surface.

Walking up to the tomb building, my guide pointed out the triple religious elements; the square Hindu dome, below that the crosses, and the Muslim arches. While the façade wasn’t quite as decorative as the entry gate, the interior was a feast for the eye. Here there were geometric panel designs and others with gold floral ornamentation, divided with rib-like lines and containing contrasting colored backgrounds. Classic Arabic calligraphy ran horizontally in a border and along the edges of the arched windows. The false tomb was surprisingly simple, once again in a room with geometric latticed marble windows. The actual tomb is down below in a dingy room illuminated by a single lamp above and the basement opening pointing towards the entrance gate. For such a prosperous emperor, the tomb and its room were spartan and humble.

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Fatehpur Sikri - The Sacred Complex

Following the tour of the Royal Complex, we entered into the Sacred Complex, walking through the main gateway known as the Buland Darwaza (Victory Gate), as it was built to commemorate Akbar’s conquest over the Deccan in 1601. The largest gate in India and one of the highest in the world, it stands at 172 feet (53m). Similar stylistic elements such as the massive archway, stylized battlements, domed kiosks, and turrets were noted in other Mughal buildings in Agra, including the Taj Mahal complex. Lacking an entrance fee (this religious section is not under the governmental juristiction), many more people were inside this area. Many were near the white marbled building containing the tomb of Sheik Salim Chisthi, the revered Sufi mystic who predicted the birth of Akbar’s son. While not a particularly large building, the marble carving is incredibly fine and exquisite. Like the windows on the Taj Mahal, this structure has window “screens” carved from marble, letting in dappled light. In the middle room is the Sheikh’s tomb. Here pilgrims left offerings and tied strings to the interior marble screened window. If their wish came true, the person was to come back and untie the string.

Outside the marble building was a section of the courtyard containing tombs of the holy man’s family and another spot for his disciples. An elderly man sat cross-legged next to a tomb with rose petals placed on it, appearing to be in a state of contemplation or meditation.

The story of Fatehpur Sikiri according to my guide: The childless Akbar had a dream in which he was told that his desire for a child would be fulfilled if he went to the small stone village of Sikri and met a holy man there. So he walked the 40 km to Sikri and sought out Seikh Salim. Rather than answering (or barely acknowledging) him right away, the Seikh commanded Akbar to return to Agra. After the seventh time walking to Sikri, the Seikh finally asked Akbar to pray for a son from his Hindu wife. Indeed, this wife was the only one to bear a son – just as the Seikh predicted. 

For more information and a virtual tour of Fatehpur Sikri, visit http://www.tracyanddale.50megs.com/India/Rajasthan/HTML/fsikri.html#Virtual%20Tour

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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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Fatehpur Sikri - part two: Diwan-I-Khas, Ankh Michauli, Panch Mahal

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.

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Fatehpur Sikri - part one

My next main destination was Fatehpur Sikri, the abandoned capital city built by the Mughul emperor Akbar. The son of Humayan (of whose tomb I saw this past spring in Delhi), Akbar ruled the empire during one of its greatest periods. The Mughul capital for 14 years, Fatehpur Sikri was built in 1571 and completed in 1585. The site was chosen in honor of the Sufi saint Salim Chishti, who predicted the birth of Akbar’s son. Built mostly of red sandstone, the complex displays the translation of the emperor’s visionary philosophy, one that sought to recognize and unite the religions of Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam. In fact, Akbar was married to three women – one from each of these religions; a local Hindu, Portuguese Christian, and a Muslim from Turkey. Fatehpur Sikri wasn’t the capital city for long – probably only 14 years. It likely was abandoned due to lack of water, a particular problem in this arid region. Much of its treasures were plundered after Akbar left. Ironically, the same arid conditions that influenced the abandonment of the city also helped preserve the structures.

The 40 km (25 mile) drive from Agra was pleasant, due in part to the maintained toll road. Typical of India, cows ambled on and alongside the road. Sheep and goat herds roamed the landscape. Patties of cowpies were drying next to the road. Other cowpies were mounded up in tall beehive shapes, ready to be used for fuel. Large fields of mustard filled the landscape, its yellow flowers indicating readiness for its harvest of oil. Other fields contained potatoes and barley. Absent were rice paddies that dominate South India’s countryside, as this area doesn’t receive enough rain for such a water-intensive crop. Horses and a few camels pulled carriages and carts in this rural area.

A pleasant early morning, the guide and I decided to forego the exorbitant auto rickshaw price quotes and instead walk from the parking lot to the enormous complex. Remnants of walls and buildings in the same red sandstone could be found dotting the area. We then entered the main gate and into the Royal Complex. This portion contained private palaces and the administrative offices of Akbar’s government. Grassy porticoes surrounded a grassy area augmented with manicured bushes and flowerbeds. Here too fog enshrouded the buildings, reducing contrast and making photography a bit more challenging.

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