Panch Mahal
Open sandstone pavilion of five diminishing stories, with eighty-four carved columns at its base.
Location
About this audio guide
This guide to the Panch Mahal at Fatehpur Sikri traces Emperor Akbar's 1569 visit to the Sufi saint Salim Chishti to ask for an heir, and the palace of five diminishing stories he raised once a son was born. Eighty-four carved columns support the ground floor alone, drawn from Hindu, Jain, Persian and Buddhist traditions across an empire of many faiths. Look for the pierced stone screens on the upper floors, once used by the women of the royal household to watch the city below unseen.
This audio guide was created using AI.
Similar places
Fatehpur Sikri
Intact Mughal capital of red sandstone, abandoned after fourteen years and preserved as a ghost city.
Diwan-E-Aam
Colonnaded audience hall of Emperor Akbar, standing in his abandoned imperial capital.
Jodha Bai's Palace
Red sandstone palace built for a Mughal emperor's Hindu queen, blending Rajput and Islamic design.
Tomb of Hazrat Salim Chishti
Sufi saint's tomb in white marble with carved jali screens, revered by pilgrims for centuries.
Buland Darwaz
Towering sandstone victory gate built by Emperor Akbar, and the world's tallest ceremonial gateway.
Jama Masjid
Friday mosque where a saint's blessing secured a dynasty's heir, enclosing a luminous marble tomb.