'Jodha Bai Mahal' also known incorrectly as 'Jodh Bai Mahal' is the largest palace in

Fatehpur Sikri Fatehpur Sikri () is a town in the Agra District of Uttar Pradesh, India. Situated from the district headquarters of Agra, Fatehpur Sikri itself was founded as the capital of the Mughal Empire in 1571 by Mughal emperors, Emperor Akbar, servin ...

commissioned by Mughal Emperor Akbar in 1569 for his favourite queen consort,

Mariam-uz-Zamani Mariam-uz-Zamani (; – 19 May 1623), commonly known by the misnomer Jodha Bai, was the Empress consort, chief consort, principal Hinduism, Hindu wife and the favourite wife of the third Mughal emperor, Akbar. She was also the longest-servi ...

, commonly known as ' Jodha bai' . This Mahal is the largest complex of the

zenana Zenana (, "of the women" or "pertaining to women"; ; ; ) is the part of a house belonging to a Muslim family in the Indian subcontinent, which is reserved for the women of the household. The zenana was a product of Indo-Islamic culture and was ...

(palace for women belonging to the royal household). It is a masterpiece of the fusion of Hindu and Persian architecture made with red sandstone.

History

Born as a Hindu princess,

was married to Mughal emperor

Akbar Akbar (Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar, – ), popularly known as Akbar the Great, was the third Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1556 to 1605. Akbar succeeded his father, Humayun, under a regent, Bairam Khan, who helped the young emperor expa ...

in the year 1562 as a result of a political alliance between Akbar and her father, Raja Bharmal. She gradually became his favourite wife and was the first wife of Akbar to honour the royal household with an heir. In the year 1569, she gave birth to her third and first surviving child of Akbar,

Prince Salim Nur-ud-din Muhammad Salim (31 August 1569 – 28 October 1627), known by his imperial name Jahangir (; ), was Emperor of Hindustan from 1605 until his death in 1627, and the fourth Mughal Emperor. Born as Prince Salim, he was the third and on ...

. Akbar shifted his capital from

Agra Agra ( ) is a city on the banks of the Yamuna river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about south-east of the national capital Delhi and 330 km west of the state capital Lucknow. With a population of roughly 1.6 million, Agra is the ...

in acknowledgement of his faith in the efficacy of the holy man's prayer, Sheikh Salim Chisti, whose blessings he sought for the birth of an heir to his empire. The construction in Sikri started in 1569 and a grand palace was established for the empress and her newborn son,

prince Salim Nur-ud-din Muhammad Salim (31 August 1569 – 28 October 1627), known by his imperial name Jahangir (; ), was Emperor of Hindustan from 1605 until his death in 1627, and the fourth Mughal Emperor. Born as Prince Salim, he was the third and on ...

. This was the biggest residential palace in the city, and to this day it stands, though in ruins, as a monument of Akbar's love for the Amber princess.

Architecture and ornamentation

Jodha Bai Palace was commissioned by Akbar in her honour and was the largest residential palace in his harem. It is also known as Raniwas and Zenani Dyodhi. It shows the

Rajasthani art Apart from the architecture of Rajasthan, the most notable forms of the visual art of Rajasthan are architectural sculpture on Hindu and Jain temples in the medieval era, in painting illustrations to religious texts, beginning in the late mediev ...

influence and is built around a courtyard, with special care being taken to ensure privacy. This palace building consists of a rectangular block with a single magnificent gateway on the eastern side, which was protected by guard rooms, and has triangular ceilings, and other apartments. The eastern gateway of the palace is exceedingly magnificent and is of typical Rajasthani architecture. Fatehpur Sikri DSC 0047

The Khawabgah of this palace is a beautiful and spacious double-storey complex. The palace comprises a Hindu temple and a Tulsi math used by his Hindu wife for worship. This palace was internally also connected to the palace of Akbar. Several Hindu motifs have been used in the building alongside

Lord Krishna Krishna (; Sanskrit: कृष्ण, ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme God in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is wi ...

depictions on the walls, which confirms that the occupant of the building was a Hindu lady. This palace has distinct Gujarati and Rajasthani architectural patterns. Many motifs can be found in the interior like swans, elephants, parrots, Srivastava marks, etc. The western suite in the palace which served as a temple contains vedikas and other Hindu motifs. It contains beautiful curvilinear pillars with brackets. The superstructure of the building comprises chhatris, pillars with wall brackets, semicircular domes, and several niches. The palace is built with red sandstone making it seem captivating.

Gallery

File:"JODHA BAI PALACE".jpg, The bedroom complex inside the palace File:Entrance to Queen's Palace (Fatehpur Sikri).jpg, Entrance to Queen's Palace File:Fatehpur Sikri - Visit During WCI 2016 (87).jpg, The Rajasthani style-influenced entrance to Empress Palace File:Fatehpur Sikri - Visit During WCI 2016 (94).jpg, Tulsi math in front of the temple in queen's Palace File:Fatehpur Sikri DSC 0107.JPG, Hindu architectural design on the pillars of the temple inside Jodha Bai Mahal File:Fatehpur Sikri DSC 0116.JPG, Temple with a tulsi math in the middle of the courtyard File:Fatehpur Sikri DSC 0131.JPG, Rajasthani style chattris in the faux window. A typical example of medieval period Hindu architecture File:Fatehpur Sikri Fort 154.jpg, A window with Mughal and Rajasthani culture style File:Fatehpur Sikri Fort 167.jpg, The open style Hindu temple inside the palace File:Fatehpur Sikri Fort 170.jpg, An example of the textural amalgamation of Mughal and Rajasthani design File:Fatehpur Sikri Fort 176.jpg, A typical faux window design showing Rajasthani and Gujrat influence in the Palace

References

External links

Jodha Bai Palace in Fatehpur Sikri
{{coord, 27.0965, 77.6648, type:landmark_region:IN, display=title Mariam-uz-Zamani Fatehpur Sikri Mughal palaces Buildings and structures in Agra district Sandstone buildings in India Royal residences in India Tourist attractions in Agra district Archaeological monuments in Uttar Pradesh Akbar 1650s establishments in India 1650s establishments in the Mughal Empire 1659 establishments in Asia

History

Architecture and ornamentation

Gallery

See also

References

External links