Day 4 Fatehpur Sikri

After breakfast of homemade paratha's and cutlets we headed to Fatehpur Sikri. It's approximately an hour drive from Agra. Here also you have to do online booking at ASI site. Though drive was for an hour , we took more than that and credit goes to Google Aunty. Google has decided to show us real India so it makes sure to take us from small gullies, market area making sure we not only experience local living but also prove our driving skills. So please check with localite on route and don't rely on Google map entirely.

Fatehpur and Sikri are two different area in same vicinity. Once you reach there and park your vehicle (parking charges Rs .100) you can take shuttle to goto fort. You can get a guide here but do negotiate.

Fort is maintained well. It used to be residence of Akbar Badshah and his three queens. Our guide was giving us the information as if he was childhood friend of Akbar Badshah so I could not resist but to ask him " Aapko itna kaise pata?"(how do you know so much of detailing) . I think my question made him angry. He told us , he was read "Aaine Akbari" written by one of the Navratna of Akbar Abdul Fazl. Epic was he didn't forget to show us place where Abdul Fazl used to sit and write this book. ,

Jokes apart, architecture is really good. Some carvings have so much of detailing which left you amazed.

There are 47 monuments in Fatehpur Sikri, takes minimum 2 hours to see everything and if you are someone like me who loves clicking and if you get a guide like ours then it would take you 3-4 hours to see this place.

Food items are not allowed inside but do carry water bottle, suncap and wear good shoes as you have to walk a lot.

Our next destination was Salim Chisti's darga who was Akbar's Guru. It's a walking distance from fort so be aware of fraud here ,ppl may misguide you.

On Our way , we saw this man selling kulfi.

After Kulfi break we went to Darga. Now here you have to be careful of pocket pickers, road side vendors. Guide would try to influence you to buy chadar, flowers. We were told as couple we should together in darga with chadar and tie a dhaga asking for a Mannat. No offense but we don't believe in this so we strongly said no and our guide was upset. Also men need to wear full length bottom wear no shorts are allowed. Incase you are wearing shorts, you need to tie piece of cloth like lungi. Women need to cover head with chunari which you get at the entrance of Darga.

Premises of darga is huge , there is a masjid known as jama masjid. Interesting part was "Tunnel" which is closed now but it goes to Agra fort from here and apperently when price Salim was in mad love with Anarkali ,this Tunnel was used to take Anarkali away from Fatehpur (Source of this information was our guide).

Unless you are very religious person it's one time visit place.