Its all about the architectural summary of Diwan-i-Khas and Diwan-i-Aam.

1. DIWAN-I-KHAS AND DIWAN-I-AAM
FATEHPUR SIKRI
HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE – I I
I

2. CONTENTS
HISTORY
ARCHITECTURE
DIWAN-I-KHAS
DIWAN-I-AAM

3. HISTOR
Y
• Fatehpur Sikri is one of the best preserved examples of Mughal architecture in India.
• It is at Fatehpur Sikri that the legends of Akbar and his famed courtiers, the nine jewels or
Navaratnas were born.
• He named the city Fatehabad, with “Fateh”, a word of Arabic origin in Persian, meaning
"victorious." It was later called Fatehpur Sikri.
• Without disturbing the capital status of Agra, he shifted his residence and court to
Fatehpur Sikri, situated some 40kms west of Agra.
• Here, he commenced the construction of a planned walled city, which took the next fifteen
years in planning and construction, with a series of royal palaces, harem, courts, a
mosque, private quarters and other utility buildings.
• The easy availability of sandstone in the neighboring areas of Fatehpur Sikri also meant
that all the buildings here were made of the red stone.

4. ANUP TALAO - THE CHAR CHAMAND TANKPUBLIC COMPLEX – PANCH MAHAL
BULAND DARWAZAJAMI MASJID

5. ARCHITECTUR
E
• Fatehpur Sikri sits on rocky ridge, 3 kilometers (1.9 mi) in length and 1 km (0.62 mi) wide
and palace city is surrounded by a 6 km (3.7 mi) wall on three sides with the fourth
bordered by a lake.
• Its architects were R Roy and Dhruv Chawla and was constructed using Indian principles.
• The building material used in all the buildings at Fatehpur Sikri, palace-city complex, is the
locally quarried red sandstone, known as 'Sikri sandstone'.
• It is accessed through gates along the 5 miles (8.0 km) long fort wall, namely, Delhi Gate,
the Lal Gate, the Agra Gate and Birbal's Gate, Chandanpal Gate, T Gwalior Gate, the
Tehra Gate, the Chor Gate and the Ajmere Gate.
• There is virtual separation by means of high enclosing walls.
• Skillful organization of the terrain (the ridge and slopes).
• Perfect system of drainage and water-supply.

6. GENERAL PLAN OF THE CITY

7. • In accordance with social needs as Purdah and political compulsions as Security.
• The ridge did not have an even level, hence terraces on the receding levels were made
one for each of the three main complexes, namely
1. The Mosque Complex
2. The Royal Complex
3. The Public Complex
• The orientation of the buildings on all three terraces is on N-S axis of the ridge, facilitating
them to either face east or north.
• Some gates were double-storied buildings, each
containing a suite of a hall and adjoining chambers and
chatris on the roof.
• Gateways were stone-cased and impressively finished.

8. DIWAN-I-KHAS
• The free-standing structure situated in the
center of this courtyard has come to be
identified as the Diwan-i Khas.
• It is the grand spacious building which is
situated to the south of the Khwabgah palace is
Daftar khanah. (the royal office/ diwan-I-khas)
• Built in red sandstone, it is a square,
symmetrical building measuring 13.18
meters/side on the exterior. It stands on a
paneled plinth, 0.75 meters high. From without
it appears double-storied; its four elevations are
identical.VIEW OF DIWAN-I-KHAS

9. • Interior measuring 28’-8”(8.74m).
• This is a square two-stored building with a balcony supported on heavy corbels above
which is a chajja also supported on heavy corbels.
• On the roof there are domed chatris at each corner. It is about 1/3 of the total height of
the building.
• Inside the building consists of a two-stored hall with a gallery at first-floor level. Bridges
which run diagonally from the corners of the gallery connect to a balcony supported by a
central pillar.
BRIDGES WHICH RUN DIAGONALLY
FROM THE CORNERS OF THE
GALLERY CONNECT TO A BALCONY
DOMED CHATRIS AT EACH CORNERRICHLY CARVED PILLAR AND
CENTRAL PILLAR REFLECT
HINDU MANDALA

10. • The pillar is richly carved in the Hindu tradition with a mass of heavy corbels supporting
the circular balcony above.
• The arrangement of a square building with a central pillar may reflect some Hindu
mandala whereby the central column represents the axis of the world.
• It is set on a plinth of adequate height, it is composed of an oblong hall and a wide and
extremely spacious Dalan on its three sides, east, north and west.
• The southern side being in alignment with the lay-out of the court. The central opening on
the southern side has wide projecting Jharokha overlooking the ridges.
• Dalans were made up of high pillars, brackets and lintels, supporting flat ceiling. Tapered
square bases have used to give extra height to the pillars.
• Each opening occupies the whole thickness of the wall and has a sill and double grooves
on either sides which gives the impression that double doors were used on each side.
• The ingenuity of Mughal karigars knew no bounds and many a Mughal design is a
mystery to us today. This is because of the fine workmanship as well as strength and
stability of the structures and quality of their production.
• The oblong entrance are superimposed by arched opening which were originally closed by
jalis, admitting subdued light and air.

11. DOMED CHATRIS AT EACH CORNER
JALIS ADMITTING
SUBDUCED LIGHT AND AIR
KRITTIMUKHA MOTIFF
ON ALL SIDE
BALCONY
SUPPORTED
BY HEAVY
CORBELS
CHAJJA SUPPORTED
ON HEAVY CORLBELS

12. • Due to some evidence,
archeologists have confirmed that
interiors and ceiling was originally
painted, the sunk niches were used
to relieve the mural monotony.
These were finished with figurative
subjects, depicting contemporary
life.
• Pillars have square base bearing
the kirttimukha motif on all sides, a
12-sided shaft and stalactite capital
all carved in single piece, in each
case. A A’
SECTION AT AA’ FRONT ELEVATION
GROUND FLOOR
PLAN
FIRST FLOOR
PLAN

13. DIWAN-I-AAM
VIEW OF DIWAN-I-AMM
• Diwan-i-Aam or Hall of Public Audience, is a
building typology found in many cities where the
ruler meets the general public.
• In this case, it is a pavilion-like multi-bayed
rectangular structure fronting a large open
space.
• It is situated at south-west of the Fatehpur Sikri
city.
• It is a spacious oblong complex with a grand
court and pillar dalans on all its sides , formal
entrance which is no longer extant in their
original form, have been given in east and south
direction.

14. • The first court of the palace complex towards the Diwan-i Aam, the entrance to Akbar's
private residence.
• Dalans have decently raised plinth and are made up of square pillars, simple brackets and
continuous broad projecting chajja.
• In the middle of western side has been provided the throne pavilion which is the only part
of attraction in this simple building.
• It has a jalied balustrades and jali curtains separating the compartments.
• The most important feature of the central pavilion is Khaprel (stone tiled) over the
verandah. It is in this element that façade and superstructure have been combined
impressively.
• It is note worthy that some of these do not have arch and dome or any other typical
Muslim feature.
• The throne faces east, the direction of rising sun in accordance with the belief of Akbar.
• Dalans were provided for the architectural feature of the Mughal style and were not
always functional.
• Mughal fusion of Hindu and Muslim architectural styles was embodied in spacious
courtyards, wide palaces, and open pavilions, quarried from the local sandstone and
cooled by numerous water channels, ponds, and tanks.

15. • An oblong complex comprising a large quadrangular space, 112.38 meters north-south
and 55.20 meters east-west, it is wrapped by a colonnaded passageway (Dalan)
composed of one hundred and eleven bays.
• The dalans, constructed from red sandstone, are set on a raised plinth and are composed
of square stone columns with plain bases and slightly molded capitals. These are
surmounted by simple brackets supporting stone lintels and a continuous eave (chajja).
• The Emperor’s pavilion is a small rectangular structure of red sandstone, measuring 9.27
by 6.65 meters, positioned symmetrically to the enclosure and projecting slightly into the
courtyard. In plan, it is a single chamber with stone walls 1.10 meters thick surrounded by
a portico, 3.05 meters wide. The flat-roofed chamber itself rises above the porticos.
• The portico is shaded by a stone-tile roof (khaprel) resting upon carved brackets, above
which runs the same carved parapet as the one over the dalans. The eastern portico is
divided by two exquisitely carved three-part trapezium screens, with the Emperor’s seat in
the center.

16. PLAN OF DIWAN-I-AAM
VIEW OF DIWAN-I-AAM
• The most impressive feature of this complex is the
throne chamber facing east. It is said that it was so
built because of Akbar believes in “ SUN
WORSHIP”.

17. THANK YOU
PRESENTED BY-
ABINASH SENAPATI
ARUN KUMAR ROUT
AVINASH DUTTA
BAIJU SOREN
JAGDISH CHANDRA SAHOO
K.ATHOUSANA SINGHA