Now a museum to house Fatehpur Sikri's legacy

The sprawling sandstone and marble township of Fatehpur Sikri built by Mughal emperor Akbar will get an archive to preserve its 500-year-old historical legacy for posterity.

 An Epic on Red Stone - the Fatehpur Sikri was built during the second half of the 16th century by the Emperor Akbar. Left almost deserted for about 400 years, Fatehpur Sikri (the City of Victory) was the capital of the Mughal Empire for only some 10 years. The complex of monuments and temples, all in a uniform architectural style, includes one of the largest mosques in India, the Jama Masjid. Minister of state for Planning and Parliamentary Affairs V. Narayanasamy Wednesday said a proposal to set up a museum at the treasury building located inside Fatehpur Sikri, a centrally-protected monument, had been presented to the ministry.

In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, the minister said the Archaeological Survey of India had restored the building and a blueprint for the museum was under process.

The minister said relics retrieved during exploration and excavations at Fatehpur Sikri that include 'Bir Chhabili Tila' and 'Hada Mahal', and contemporary relics from other sites will be displayed at the museum.

A list given by the ministry said exhibits will be sourced from Amravati, Chandragiri, Kondapur, Nagarjunakonda, Surya Pahar, Bodhgaya, Nalanda, Vaishali, Vikramshila, Purana Qila, Red Fort, Salimgarh, Lothal, Dholavira, Thaneswar, Kangra, Badami and several other archaeological sites for the new repository.

Source: New Delhi News