Jodha Bai Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri
-Rohit Kumar Parmar [1]
Pic JoBhMa 01 Majestic Façade and entrance, Jodha Bai Mahal
Fatehpur Sikri (Fateh means victory, Pur means place, and Sikri is the name of the village), founded as capital of the Mughal Empire in 1571 by Emperor Akbar, and ruled from 1571 to 1585, [2] was initially abandoned due to a campaign in Punjab. [3]
Pic JoBhMa 02 Aerial view, Fatehpur Sikri
Red stone buildings of Fatehpur Sikri caught the imagination of Indian film producer F.C. Mehra and film director Sushil Majumdar in Lal Patthar (1971), which has opening and closing scenes at Fatehpur Sikri melodramatically mentioning Lal Patthar (Red stone) by Raj Kumar (the hero), while talking to tourists. Lal Patthar (1971) with mesmerizing songs, is a remake of the Bengali film, Lal Patthar (1964).
Fatehpur Sikri recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986, in two close locations – the Buland Darwaza and the Chisti Tomb in the first [4] and the Fatehpur (fort/ palace) complex in the second, has several palaces/ buildings including:
i. Buland Darwaza and Chisti tomb
Buland Darwaza; Islam Khan’s Tomb; Jama Masjid; Shahi Darwaza; Shaikh Salim Chisti’s Tomb,
ii. Jodha Bai Mahal (Palace),
iii. Fatehpur Complex
Anup Talao; Birbal's House; Diwan-i-Aam, (Hall of Public Audience); Diwan-i-Khas (Hall of Private Audience); Ibadat Khana or Din-e-Ilahi Mahal; Hammam (Turkish Baths); Khwabgah (House of Dreams) Akbar's residence; Pachisi Court (square marked as a large board game); Panch Mahal, a five-storey palace,
Pic JoBhMa 03 Customary ASI Stone, Jodha Bai Mahal
iv. Office Buildings in the Fatehpur Complex
Aankh Michauli or Khazana (Treasury); Astrologer's Seat; Daftar [5] Khana (Records Office); Karkhana (royal workshop); Naubat Khana; Taksal (mint),
v. Ancillary Buildings
Caravanserai; Darogha's quarters; Hakim's quarters; Hiran Minar; Stables.
The write-up on Fatehpur Sikri is in more than one part. [6] This (second) part covers Jodha Bai Mahal (Palace).
Pic JoBhMa 04 Balcony on the Majestic Façade, Jodha Bai Mahal
Jodha Bai Mahal (Palace)
Entrance to the quadrangle shaped Mahal is through a trapezium shaped, [7] two storied `entrance building’ with a majestic façade, with access to the roof on the third storey (Pic JoBhMa 01). The façade has two ornate and covered balconies on the east facing front and could also have been a viewing point of the main complex.
The balconies on the `entrance building’ to Jodha Bhai Mahal, built partly in trabeated [8] style, have extended stone beams as floor, four pillars supporting a chhatri, with sun-shades/run-offs to protect from strong sunshine and possible damage due to rain, perforated stone low latticed walls, suspended stone frills, supported by artistically carved stone as diagonal/ angular support. The walls of the `entrance building’ are artistically layered with dressed stone, with precision masonry.
Pic JoBhMa 05 Balcony on Majestic Façade, Jodha Bai Mahal
The façade has a large wooden door possibly for Jodha Bai, the King and other dignitaries, and a wicket gate [9] for others. (Pic JoBhMa 01 and 06)
Pic JoBhMa 06 Wooden door with wicket gate, Jodha Bai Mahal
Pic JoBhMa 07 Wicket gate, Jodha Bai Mahal
As the visitor enters Jodha Bai Mahal, he sees/faces an impregnable wall with no opening, which offered safety and possibly purdah to the residents of the Mahal. The visitor then has to take a right turn and then a left turn, to enter the courtyard of Jodha Bai Mahal. (Pic JoBhMa 08)
Jodha Bai Mahal is the largest building in the Fatehpur Sikri complex, with a large courtyard, ornate carved pillars, perforated stone latticed windows.
The horizontal and vertical beams to create roofs, doorways, and windows in trabeated style are visible in the `entrance building’ and in the main Mahal. The beams, doorways made of red stone are ornately carved.
Pic JoBhMa 08 Horizontal/vertical beams in `entrance building’, Jodha Bai Mahal
Indian red sandstone a type of sedimentary rock, obtaining it’s red colour due to the presence Red Hematite an Iron Oxide Compound, found in Bharatpur and Dholpur districts of Rajasthan has been used in Fatehpur Sikri and in several buildings in the area. [10]
Use of (Red) stone in the construction of large buildings, assumes the scientific understanding (ability to assess/gauge/measure) of features/characteristics of the stone, like consistent density, strength, and similar attributes, that are today measured by sophisticated sonographic instruments.
Pic JoBhMa 09 View from inside, of `entrance building’, Jodha Bai Mahal
Pic JoBhMa 10 Tree seen from entrance, Jodha Bai Mahal
Jodha Bai Mahal has several signs that display respect for the religion and culture of the Rajput princes. There is a place for the revered Holi tulsi plant at centre of the courtyard, even though the present plant is not a tulsi plant.
There are two sets of rooms in the north and south of the mahal, one for summers (to stay cool) and the other for winters (to stay warm and comfortable).
The mahal is largely a single-story building except for the main rooms for the queen in the centre and on the four corners of the mahal. The main rooms for the queen in the north and south have a first floor with ornate chhatris, similar but larger than those on the balconies.
Pic JoBhMa 11 Place for Holi tulsi plant at centre of courtyard, Jodha Bai Mahal
Pic JoBhMa 12 Glazed blue tiles, North side, Jodha Bai Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri
The two sets of rooms in the north and south of the Mahal, also have prominent glazed blue tiles on the top, which even though damaged, may have beautified the Mahal.
Pic JoBhMa 13 View of Glazed blue tiles, North side, Jodha Bai Mahal
Typically, the summer/winter rooms for Jodha Bai, had glazed blue tiles on the roof, a partly covered balcony with low latticed wall, two chhatris at each end of the balcony, sun shades/ run-off on the first floor; three arched grand entrances in the centre, with two latticed windows at the ends.
Pic JoBhMa 14 North side and north-west corner, Jodha Bai Mahal
The four corners of the mahal also have a first floor with two sets of chhatris, a larger one inside and a smaller one on the outside, which may also have served as observation spots for security and/or espionage.
Pic JoBhMa 15 Ornate pillars, diagonal/angular support, beams, stone slabs of roof, ornate niche/s, Jodha Bai Mahal
On the ground floor built in trabeated style beams, lintels are artistically carved with motifs and design, and ornate niche/s. A typical room has carved pillars, diagonal/angular carved stones supporting beams, stone slabs forming the roof, ornate niche/s, and stone floors.
Pic JoBhMa 16 Ornate pillars, diagonal/angular support, beams, stone slabs of roof, ornate niche/s and stone floors, Jodha Bai Mahal
Inside of the rooms are also built in trabeated style beams, lintels are artistically carved with different motifs and design, and ornate niche/s. The roof is made of stone slabs supported by beams and pillars.
Pic JoBhMa 17 Ornate pillars and niche, diagonal/angular support, beams, stone slabs of roof, Jodha Bai Mahal
Rooms illuminated by sunshine add to the beauty of stone crafting in the mahal. (Pic JoBhMa 17 & 18)
Pic JoBhMa 18 Ornate double pillars, diagonal/angular support, beams, ornate niche/s, Jodha Bai Mahal
Pic JoBhMa 19 Sun-shade/run-offs, with ornate stone diagonal/angular support, stone frills at the bottom, Jodha Bai Mahal
At other places, shadows created by sunshine add to the beauty of stone crafting in the mahal. (Pic JoBhMa 19 & 20)
Pic JoBhMa 20 Sun-shade/run-offs with ornate stone diagonal/ angular support, Jodha Bai Mahal
Pic JoBhMa 21 Sun shining on a Chhatri, Jodha Bai Mahal
Pic JoBhMa 22 Ornate low wall on the first floor, sun-shades/run-offs with diagonal/angular support, Jodha Bai Mahal
Pic JoBhMa 23 Ornate double pillars, diagonal/angular support to beams, stone slabs of roof, ornate niche, Jodha Bai Mahal
Pic JoBhMa 24 Corridor next to the majestic entrance in trabeated style with ornate pillars, diagonal/angular support to beams, low balcony wall, Jodha Bai Mahal
[1] Author (Freelance, IES Retd, Former Senior Economic Adviser, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and former Adviser UNDP, Yemen P 4) has in posts on his website (https://rohitkparmar.wixsite.com/site), YouTube channel (https://youtube.com/@rohitkparmar), twitter (https://twitter.com/rohitkparmar?s=09), facebook (https://www.facebook.com/rohit.parmar.5268750/), Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohit-kumar-parmar-841b4724) been writing/ sharing varied topics and can be reached at rohitkparmar@yahoo.com. [2] Akbar’s reign, however, was from 1556 to 1605. [3] Later Fatehpur Sikri was also permanently abandoned. [4] This part can be accessed at link https://rohitkparmar.wixsite.com/site/post/buland-darwaza-and-chisti-tomb-fatehpur-sikri-rohit-kumar-parmar [5] Residents of Delhi/NCR will recall the DTC bus terminal outside North Block of the Central Secretariat was called Daftar, meaning office. [6] The first part is at link given in footnote number 4. [7] A trapezium is a four sided figure, with one pair of opposite sides being parallel. The parallel sides are called bases and the non-parallel sides are called legs. [8] Trabeate (from Latin Trabs meaning beam) style of architecture has horizontal and vertical beams to create roofs, doorways, and windows. [9] A wicket gate is a pedestrian door or gate, built as part of a larger door. [10] Red forts in Agra and Delhi, Datia Mahal, Datia, Madhya Pradesh, https://rohitkparmar.wixsite.com/site/post/datia-palace-rohit-kumar-parmar .
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