| Tomb
of Sheikh Salim Chisti Fatehpur Sikri
Salim Chisti is synonymous
with Sikri. Khwaza Salim Chisti was a Sufi saint of the Chisti order in
16th century India. The saint used to reside in the then dusty village
of Sikri. It is said that Khwaza Salim Chisti blessed emperor Akbar with
a son. The son was named Salim in reverence of the saint, who in the course
of history came to be known as Emperor Jahangir Jahandar. Akbar later ordered
the commissioning of the city of Fatehpur Sikri that had to be built out
of the twin villages of Fatehpur and Sikri.
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In 1580-81 eighty years
after the saint died in 1572, Akbar built the tomb in red sandstone. In
1606, Qutubuddin Khan Koka, on orders from Jehangir, covered the edifice
in white marble. Much later in 1866, a district magistrate of Agra replaced
the plaster dome with white marble. The magnificence of the splendid jail
screens carved out of huge marble slabs shows a rare perfection of craftsmanship.
The dramatic serpentine brackets supporting the wide chajja on all four
sides of the edifice have an amazing grace. The real grave lies in an undisturbed
repose in the crypt, closed to visitors. Women devotees longing for a child
come here and tie a colored thread to the jails. In a gesture of thankfulness
they come back when their wish is granted.
When Khwaza Salim Chisti
died, he was buried in the same Sikri complex where he once resided. A
tomb that is popularly called Mazaar in Hindustani was later commissioned
that stands in the middle of the courtyard of the Jama Mosque in Sikri
Fort Complex. The structure falls slightly right from the line of view
when one enters from the Buland Darwaza. If you take a bird eye view of
this structure, it looks like a marble Jewel-box. Actually, the tomb was
built originally with Red-sandstone but was later converted in to a marble
one. The exterior is separated from the sanctum with the help of Jaalis.
The Naqqashi and Jaali work of this low-domed tomb has fewer parallels
in India. |
Inside, the structure is
heavily ornamented with Pearls, Lapis Lazuli and Topaz. A green cloth covers
the tombstone, typical of the Sufi order. The tombstone rests under a canopy
beautifully carved out of ebony and decorated with pearl and brass. A corridor
for circumambulation surrounds the square tomb chamber. The place sees
hordes of visitors every day and is popular as a wish-fulfilling site among
the barren women. |
