Panch Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri

View of the Panch Mahal.

Panch Mahal is a five-storey palace in Fatehpur Sikri, Uttar Pradesh, India.

It is also known as "Badgir", which means windcatcher/tower. Panch Mahal stands close to the Zeenana quarters or Harem and that supports the fact that it acted as a pleasure palace. This is an extraordinary structure, entirely columnar, consisting of four storeys of decreasing size disposed asymmetrically upon a ground floor, which contains 84 columns. The pillars, that originally had jaali between them, support the whole structure. Once these screens provided purdah (cover) to queens and princess on the top terraces enjoying the cool breezes and watching splendid views of Sikri fortifications and the town nestling at the foot of the ridge.

The pavilion gives a majestic view of the fort that lies on its left. It is built by Akbar and only took 10 years to build the whole city.Built on the pattern of a Buddhist Temple, Panch Mahal was basically a pleasure palace of emperor Akbar. He primarily used it for relaxation and entertainment purpose.The pool in front of the Panch Mahal is called the Anoop Talao. It would have been filled with water, save for the bridge, and it would have been the setting for musical concerts and other entertainment.

References

• http://www.bharatonline.com/uttar-pradesh/travel/fatehpur-sikri/panch-mahal.html
• http://www.archnet.org/library/sites/one-site.jsp?site_id=3845