Posted on: 1 November 2010

Mausoleum of Akbar, Sikandra - 1830

Watercolour of the Mausoleum of Akbar in Sikandra, by a Delhi or Agra artist, c.1830. mausoleum of Mughal Emperor Akbar (r.1556-1605) at Sikandra. Dated inscriptions show that the tomb was completed by Akbar's son Jahangir (r.1605-27) in 1614. It is set in a vast square garden of the 'chahar bagh' plan, a formal garden divided into quarters by red sandstone causeways containing water channels, interspersed with fountains and ponds. The main entrance is on the south and ornamental false gateways on the other three sides lend symmetry. The monumental main gateway, in a hybrid style of Persian and Hindu elements, is of red sandstone with inlaid and mosaic patterns of floral and geometric shapes. It has four white marble minarets at the corners of its roof divided into three storeys by balconies and topped with domed pavilions. The north and south faces of the gate have recessed arches within the rectangular frame and inscription bands around the entrance. Inscribed below, 'Acbar's Tomb at Secundra.' Inscribed on the front in Persian characters: 'Sikandrah maqbarah i Akbar badshah du kuruh mufasilah az qil'ah i Agrah. bist u du' (Sikandra: mausoleum of the Emperor Akbar, two leagues distant from the Agra fort. No.22.)

Source : British Library


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And the 5th story in marble was added by Jahangir the 4th Great Mughal.

Pulin: And who built the main gateway to Akbar's tomb? The architecture is quite different from the rest of the mausoleum. In some respects, the gateway is more imposing than the mausoleum itself. All I can gather is that it was Jahangir (possibly Nur Jahan) who had it built after returning from operations in Lahore. This is because the gateway has greater architectural affiinity to the Etamad-ud-Daula than Akbar's tomb.

This tomb has a very strong presence. Anybody who's been there will know what I mean. There is a kind of magnetism about the place which makes you want to stay on.

what about Akbar's bones been lifted & given a Hindoo burial ? its still being heard in Agra-Bharatpur area

Srila Prabhupada speaks : "How long one remains in lusty desires?" This was Emperor Abar's question, and the minister replied, "Up to the last point of death." So Akbar did not believe it. Akbar said, "No, no. How it can be?" So the minister said, "All right, I shall reply, time." So one day, all of a sudden, he approached the emperor and said, "Sir, you immediately be ready to come with me with your young daughter." So Akbar, he knew that this minister is very intelligent; there must be some purpose. She went with him, and he took him to a person who was going to die. And the minister asked the emperor that "You kindly study the man who is going to die, on his face." So in the Akbar (indistinct), and his young daughter was entering, the dying man was seeing to the face of the young girl. So Akbar -- after all, he was emperor; he could study-he, that "Yes, Birbal, what he said, that up to the last point of death this desire is there to see the face of a young girl." This is called durapurena. It is never fulfilled. This attraction of man and women in family life continues. The other day one devotee came to me, and he was almost crying, that "My wife is suffering, and she may not live. So kindly give me some blessings." Before the death of his wife -- because there was nothing serious -- the wife has said, "My dear husband, I may not live very long with you," and he is so disturbed that he is thinking that "My wife may die at any moment." So this is the position. This is not very extraordinary thing. This attraction of man and women, this is material bondage. Therefore it is said, durapurena kamena: [SB 7.6.8] this lusty desires is never fulfilled even up to the point of death. And what is this nature of this lusty desire? Moha, illusion. It is not fact. It has no substance, but it is there; that's a fact. The example is given just like in dream, somebody is cutting my head and I'm crying. Actually there is no man cutting my head -- my head is there -- still, I am suffering by such thoughts. This is called moha. Actually there is no fact, but on account of being entangled in three stages of pollution... The pollution is that intelligence. The intelligence is polluted in three ways: jagriti, svapna, and susupti. Jagriti means just like we are now awakened; we are not sleeping. This is one stage. And another stage, at night when you go to sleep, and you sleep with dream, that is another stage. And another stage is susupti, so deeply, just like when a man is intoxicated or chloroform during surgical operation, he does not understand that "Surgical instruments are being applied on my body." He remains silent. This is another stage. So these three stages are there for polluting our intelligence.