Jodha Bai Mahal on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
Jodha Bai Mahal also known as Jodh Bai Mahal is one of the largest and most prominent palaces in
Born as a
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 Rajput 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, having triangular ceilings and other apartments. The gateway of the palace is situated on the east side and is very magnificent and is of typical Rajasthani architecture. It has a magnificent double-storey complex which is the Khawabgah of the palace.
It also has 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
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
Jodha Bai Palce in Fatehpur Sikri
{{coord, 27.0965, 77.6648, type:landmark_region:IN, display=title Mariam-uz-Zamani Fatehpur Sikri Forts in Uttar Pradesh Mughal architecture 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 1659 establishments in the Mughal Empire
Jodha Bai Mahal also known as Jodh Bai Mahal is one of the largest and most prominent palaces in Fatehpur Sikri
Fatehpur Sikri () is a town in the Agra District of Uttar Pradesh, India. Situated 35.7 kilometres from the district headquarters of Agra, Fatehpur Sikri itself was founded as the capital of Mughal Empire in 1571 by Emperor Akbar, serving thi ...
commissioned by Mughal Emperor Akbar after 1569 for his favourite wife, Mariam-uz-Zamani
Mariam-uz-Zamani (); ( – 19 May 1623), commonly known by the misnomer ' Jodha Bai', was the chief consort and principal Rajput empress consort as well as the favourite wife of the third Mughal emperor, Akbar. She was also the longest-servin ...
, commonly known as ' Jodha bai' . This Mahal is the largest complex of the zenana
Zenana ( fa, زنانه, ur, , bn, জেনানা, hi, ज़नाना) literally meaning "of the women" or "pertaining to women", in Persian language contextually refers to the part of a house belonging to a Muslim, Sikh, or Hind ...
(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 Rajput
Rajput (from Sanskrit ''raja-putra'' 'son of a king') is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating from the Indian subcontinent. The term Ra ...
princess, Mariam-uz-Zamani
Mariam-uz-Zamani (); ( – 19 May 1623), commonly known by the misnomer ' Jodha Bai', was the chief consort and principal Rajput empress consort as well as the favourite wife of the third Mughal emperor, Akbar. She was also the longest-servin ...
was married to Akbar
Abu'l-Fath Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar (25 October 1542 – 27 October 1605), popularly known as Akbar the Great ( fa, ), and also as Akbar I (), was the third Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1556 to 1605. Akbar succeeded his father, H ...
in the year 1562 as a result of a political alliance between Akbar and her father, Raja Bharmal
Raja Bharmal, also known as Bihari Mal, Bhagmal and Bihar Mal ( 1498 – 27 January 1574), was the 22nd Rajput ruler of Amber, which was later known as Jaipur, in the present-day Rajasthan state of India.
His daughter, Mariam-uz-Zaman ...
. 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 (30 August 1569 – 28 October 1627), known by his imperial name Jahangir (; ), was the fourth Mughal Emperor, who ruled from 1605 until he died in 1627. He was named after the Indian Sufi saint, Salim Chishti.
Ear ...
. 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 New Delhi and 330 km west of the state capital Lucknow. With a population of roughly 1.6 million, Agra is ...
to Fatehpur Sikri
Fatehpur Sikri () is a town in the Agra District of Uttar Pradesh, India. Situated 35.7 kilometres from the district headquarters of Agra, Fatehpur Sikri itself was founded as the capital of Mughal Empire in 1571 by Emperor Akbar, serving thi ...
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 (30 August 1569 – 28 October 1627), known by his imperial name Jahangir (; ), was the fourth Mughal Emperor, who ruled from 1605 until he died in 1627. He was named after the Indian Sufi saint, Salim Chishti.
Ear ...
. 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 Rajput 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, having triangular ceilings and other apartments. The gateway of the palace is situated on the east side and is very magnificent and is of typical Rajasthani architecture. It has a magnificent double-storey complex which is the Khawabgah of the palace.
It also has 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 (; sa, 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 one ...
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. There is a suite in the palace which served as a temple. It contains vedikas and other Hindu motifs. The suite has pillars with brackets. The western suite, which serves the purpose of the temple, 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 which also makes it very beautiful.
Gallery
See also
* Jahangiri Mahal *Ibadat Khana
The Ibādat Khāna (House of Worship) was a meeting house built in 1575 CE by the Mughal Emperor Akbar (r. 1556–1605) at Fatehpur Sikri to gather spiritual leaders of different religious grounds so as to conduct a discussion on the te ...
* Panch Mahal
References
External links
Jodha Bai Palce in Fatehpur Sikri
{{coord, 27.0965, 77.6648, type:landmark_region:IN, display=title Mariam-uz-Zamani Fatehpur Sikri Forts in Uttar Pradesh Mughal architecture 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 1659 establishments in the Mughal Empire