Watching the world go by in Fatehpur Sikri

We arrive in Fatehpur Sikri in the afternoon and make our way straight to a hotel with a roof top terrace so we can sit and watch the world go by.

We’ve been in India a few days, so we know the streets are always entertaining, but those few days have done nothing to prepare us for the streets of Fatehpur Sikri.  

Sitting on the rooftop we watch as the people in town simply go about their business in the streets below.

We see men getting their faces shaved, a dentist chair that remains empty while we’re there and a fight break out between two sari-clad women only ending when one takes off her shoe and throws it at the other lady.

We see a festival of decorated horses and cattle and of course, as with all of India, we see sacred cows wandering the streets at will.

This is the India we’ve grown to love, the gritty streets that aren’t depicted in the glossy travel brochures or Bollywood movies. But that are every bit a part of India.

As interesting as the street scene is, we are here to visit a mosque and a palace.

So after a night watching the intriguing happenings of the town (and a drink or two too many with the other tourists staying in our hotel), we are up early ready for some sightseeing.

The Palace at Fatehpur Sikri was built by Mughal Emperor Akbar, who ruled from 1556 to 1605.

The Emperor was desperate to produce a male heir and in Sikri, he came across Shaykh Salim Chrishti, a Sufi mystic, who promised the ruler he would have at least three sons. A year later the first son arrived.

In celebration, the Emperor moved his entire court to Sikri, which served as the Mughal centre for 15 years. Today the palace grounds, while somewhat desolate, are very impressive.

Picture a huge red sandstone ghost town.

The Jama Masjid, which sits just outside the palace grounds is an impressive mosque, however the constant approaches by touts make it an exhausting experience.

It is far more relaxing inside the palace grounds, so after a quick look around the mosque, taking it in from every angle, we head inside the palace grounds where tourists are left to wander in peace. 

As with our trip to the Taj Mahal, we were pleasantly surprised to see that most of the tourists here are Indian tourists. They stop us repeatedly to chat, to take photos with us or to use our sunscreen.

The palace overlooks the city centre and sits among beautiful gardens.

The sandstone buildings are intricately carved and have been well maintained. One of the more unusual buildings is the five-storey Panch Mahal, where Emperor Akbar sat on hot summer nights enjoying the breeze.

His harem would dance around on the levels below, no doubt creating an impressive swirl of colour.

Today the colour comes from the local women visiting the site in their beautiful saris.

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