Sikandara Akbars Tomb

Sikandara Akbars Tomb Agra The Tomb of the mighty Mughal Emperor Akbar is situated in the outskirts of Agra. The emperor got his tomb monument constructed while he was alive as his final resting place. His son Jehangir finished the complete construction which is totally done with sandstone and white marble. The monument that is found in Sikandra within the suburbs of Agra is built over a region of 119 acres surrounded by lovely gardens designed by the Emperor Akbar. Overseeing the tomb of himself while living is part of the Tartary tradition which Akbar followed for his own tomb. The tomb is toward the rising sun and roughly a kilometer close to his wife’s tomb also in Sikandra.

Introduction
Sikandra Tourism One of the most important bases of Mughal power, Agra is home to some of the finest examples of Mughal architecture. One of these is Akbar's Tomb at Sikandra, where one of the greatest mughal emperors in the world lies buried. Perhaps the greatest monarch India has ever seen and definitely the most powerful and able ruler of the Mughal dynasty, Akbar supervised the construction of the tomb himself during his lifetime. The rest of the tomb was completed by his son Jahangir after Akbar's death. Akbar's mausoleum is located in Sikandra, 8 kilometers from Agra. Its name Sikandra was derived from Sikandar, another name of Alexander. It is believed that it was the resting place of Alexander's army. Due to this the place called 'Sikandra'. Their is another popular version in which it is said that it was named after the rule of Sikandar Lodhi in Delhi from 1488 to 1517. Sikandar Lodhi was also a powerful king of Lodhi dynasty thus this is also a believable version. Before Sikander's invasion, Agra was a small town. The construction of the tomb in Sikandra was started by Akbar itself, but Akbar died before it was completed. To construct a tomb in one's lifetime was a Tartary custom, which the Mughals followed religiously. Later, his son Jahangir accomplished this. Jahangir made many changes in the original plan. Seeing this building shows how Mughal art is developed. Before in the Tomb of Humayun, and Akbar's tomb and finally Taj Mahal was created. There is a beautiful garden around the tomb, among which there is 'Baradi Mahal', which was constructed by Sikander Lodhi. At present Sikandra in Agra is a popular tourist attractions. During Agra city tour, tourists prefers to visit Sikandra also. Tomb's architecture is marvelous and well appreciated by tourists. We recommend our guests to visit this place during city tour and appreciate its beauty.

Location
Sikandra location is in North-West of Agra city. It is approx. 8 kms from city center and lies in North-West of Taj Mahal complex. It is peaceful location. Akbar's tomb is just 1kms from Mariam's tomb, who was wife of emperor Akbar and mother of Emperor Jahangir. Agra Fort is located in South-East of Sikandra. All these monuments are on the bank of Yamuna river.

Emperor Akbar
Akbar was the son of Mughal Emperor Humanyun and the grandson of empire founder "Babar". He was the king of Mughal Dynasty and the greatest emperor of medieval India's history. In Indian history, Akbar is well known for its social engineering in which he attained the support of mass, belonging to different religions. While reading about Mughal rulers, we will find that Akbar was more tolerant towards other religions and thus derived good public support, during his ruling period. He ruled from 1556 to 1605 AD. He established a vast empire, which was wider from Kabul to Assam and Kashmir to Ahmed Nagar. His kingdom was based on concrete theories of peaceful coexistence towards heresy, and the monarchy was based on secular institutions such as Manashab dari. The kings were gathered all the warring Rajputs under the Mughal umbrella and added the country under one cultural, political and administrative system. He affiliated his kingdom with the Indian land and made it a pure country. That is why he was called Akbar the Great.

Tomb
Emperor Akbar was also a great creator, and he had created a chain of forts in all his empires. He founded Fatehpur Sikri township, in which he made beautiful prints in his mixed style of impression. He remained there for 13 years (1572 to 1585 AD). He rebuilt the fort of Agra and built many government buildings in it. He also made plans of his own tomb and liked it for a place near the bank of Yamuna River in Sikandra. His name became 'Bihishtabad' (heavenly dwelling place). Akbar died in 1605 AD. Then the start of the tomb was just beginning. It was completed by his son Jahangir in 1612 AD according to the original design of Akbar.

Architecture
If we visit this mausoleum, and observe its structure, designing pattern and architectural facts, we will conclude that it is mixture of various architectures like Islamic, Hindu, Christian, Buddhist etc. This tomb is situated within vast garden premises. It is covered from high walls from all sides, and among which there are large multi-storeyed buildings. There is a gate building in south. On the Charbagh scheme, the garden has been divided into four parts by the high-rise chambers of bayonet stones. There is a small gutter in between and the verandah rose on the edges. The 75 feet wide these vertex connects the main tomb with all the four buildings of Parakote. It is evident that these verandahs are clearly lifted from the garden so that they can be reached by the stairs. Water pumps and troughs are built on these stairs. There are neither trees nor trees, nor are there flowers of flowers. Thus, the tomb has been made in a beautiful garden. It is designed according to Akbar's personality, that it expresses dignity, seriousness, ideology and peace. Its effectiveness, There is no joy and glow. It is designed to be 'mourning song' than 'love song'.The main tomb design is extraordinary. Its plan is quadruple and it is made up gradually in the reduced five floors. It has a square court, which is open to sky. The central courtyard is enclosed in all the sides by slender arches and piers and divided into bays, which has been roofed in the trabeate pattern. At the centre of the courtyard lies a square platform, over which a white marble cenotaph is laid out. This cenotaph is profusely carved with arabesque and floral patterns.

Timing
Before going to this place, it is important to know the Sikandra timing information. It is open for visitors from Sunrise to Sunset. During this period, visitors can visit this monument. Here entry is not fee and entrance charges are applicable. In order to know current applicable charges, their is NO fee for any child below 15-years. If you are visiting on Friday, you may get relaxation in fee as Agra Development Authority (ADA) do not levy toll-tax fee on Fridays.

Best time to visit
Best time to visit Sikandra is same as of Taj Mahal and Agra fort. When tourist will reach Agra city to visit these UNESCO sites, they can visit Sikandra monuments also. Here majority of tourists, especially foreigner visitors, comes in period from October to March. During this period, climatic condition is very good, weather was pleasant thus majority of tourists prefers this period. Thus we can say that best time to visit Sikandra is from October to March. Otherwise it is open for visitors, throughout the year. If you will visit in Fridays, you will have to pay less.