The
Jama Masjid at Fatehpur Sikri, near Agra is also known as the Jami
Masjid. The mosque is one of the largest in India. It was
constructed in 1571 A.D. during the reign of the Mughal Emperor
Akbar the Great. The mosque is built at a height due due its exalted
purpose and has a large courtyard where the faithful can gather to
pray. To the right of the mosque is the Jammat Khana hall and then
the Zenana Rauza, or the tomb of the women of the royal household.
Jama
Masjid is India's largest mosque and can hold 25,000 worshipers at
one time. Wide red sandstone steps lead to entrances on the North,
South and East sides of the mosque. The tower is made up of five
distinct storeys, each marked by a projecting balcony. Beautiful
calligraphy adorns its adjacent edifices. The first three storeys of
the tower are made of red sandstone, the fourth is made of marble,
while the fifth is made of sandstone again. The main entrance is
through the 54-meter-high Buland Darwaza, the Gate of Victory,
constructed to commemorate Akbar's victory in Gujarat. This
impressive gateway is reached by an equally impressive flight of
steps. Inside is the massive courtyard dominated by two red and
white striped sandstone minarets which cap the main prayer hall on
the west side (facing Mecca). On Fridays and other holy days the
courtyard is filled with devotees who come in for 'Namaaz'. The
majestic architecture of Delhi's Jama Masjid suggests an awesome
monument to history and religion.
At Sikandra, 10 km
north-west of Agra, the tomb of Akbar lies in the centre of a large
peaceful garden. Akbar started its construction himself but it was
completed by his son, Jahangir. The building has three-storey
minarets at each corner and is built of red sandstone somewhat
cluttered architectural lines of the tomb inlaid with white marble
polygonal patterns. Four red sandstone gates lead to the tomb
complex; one is Muslim, one Hindu, one Christian, and one is Akbar's
patent mixture. Like Humayun's Tomb in Delhi, it is an interesting
place to study the gradual evolution in design that culminated in
the Taj Mahal. Akbar's mausoleum is open from sunrise to sunset.
The
lattice screen tomb of Islam Khan, one of the nobles buried here, is
also worth seeing. The focus of the Sufi shrine or 'dargah' is the
relatively small but exquisite tomb of Sheikh Salim Chisti, much of
which was originally crafted in red stone and only later faced in
marble. The lattice screens are the most intricate and beautiful in
the world, with serpentine brackets supporting the eaves. To the
left of the Jami Masjid is the Stone-Cutter's Mosque, the oldest
place of worship at Fateh Pur Sikri. The main entrance is through
Buland Darwaza, though it is advisable to enter through the eastern
entrance known as the Badshahi Darwaza, as emperor Akbar used to
enter through this door from his Khwabgah for daily prayers.
A
grand gateway known as the Buland Darwaza leads you to the Jama
Masjid. This gateway, which stands 40 meters high, was constructed
to commemorate Akbar's victory in the Kandesh military campaign.
There is another magnificent gate known as the Badshahi Darwaza,
which also has a beauty and grandeur of its own. One of the most
important tourist attractions in Agra, a visit to the Jama Masjid
would really be a worthwhile experience.
