Fatehpur Sikri Local Customs

On our way around the exterior palace walls, we observed the accumulation of cow dung, a common kitchen fuel in India today. Since Indian traditions today reflect past practices, it seems likely that huge amounts of such cow patties were delivered by animal pulled carts for the palace kitchens. The ruler, harem, and administrators of the Mogul regime had to be fed!

The tomb of Sheikh Salim Chishti is surrounded by beautiful intricatly detailed marble lattice screens on all four sides. These screens are some of the finest in India and some of them are covered with small pieces of cotton thread that act as wishes to the saint. Devotees ask for the blessings of the saint to fulfill their wishes and believe that tying a black thread on the marble screens of the main tomb building with the promise of loosening the thread when the wish is fulfilled serves as a constant reminder to the saint to advocate for their wishes and grant them his blessings. You'll probably be approached by many children trying to sell these pieces of thread outside the tomb.

The most popular time to visit would be during the cooler months, November to March. AS the complex is open, it can be very hot and tiring during the hottest months. Don’t forget to take water as there are not really any stalls for buying snacks (not in the Palace Complex anyway).

Fatephur Sikri is open on weekends from sunrise to sunset. Entry for under 12 yr olds is free and entry to everyone else on Fridays is free. At other times the entry fee is about 485 rupees for foreigners.