Tomb of Sheikh Salim Chishti, Fatehpur Sikri

The Tomb of Sheikh Salim Chishti (8 November, 2004)


The Tomb of Sheikh Salim Chishti is located within the Jama Masjid complex of Fatehpur Sikri, a World Heritage Site. Sheikh Salim Chishti is a Sufi saint who lived from 1418-1571. The Mughal emperor Akbar so revered Sheikh Salim Chishti that he founded Fatehpur Sikri in the saint's honour. According to belief, the emperor made a visit to Sheikh Salim Chishti in 1568 to seek the saint's blessing for a son. Sheikh Salim Chishti predicted that the emperor would have three sons. True enough, the emperor subsequently did get three sons. He named one of them Salim, in honour of the saint. Salim would eventually succeed his father to the through, taking on the title as Emperor Jahingir.

The chhaparkhat over the tomb is made of ebony inlaid with mother-of-pearl (8 November, 2004)


The Dargah, or shrine, of Shaikh Salim Chishti is located to the North of the Jama Masjid in Fatehpur Sikri. It was built in 1570. It was here that childless women come to get the saint's blessings. Even Akbar was blessed with three sons, when he came here. The lattice work in the Dargah is among the finest to be found any where in India. People tied strings on the lattice work believing that doing so will ensure that the saint grant their wishes.

Sheikh Salim Chishti died in 1571. In his memory, Emperor Akbar constructed the Jama Masjid and placed the saint's shrine on the north side of its courtyard. The entrance to the shrine has four pillars with Gujarati-style struts. Marble inlay work, called jali, of geometrical and floral designs, fill the brackets. The tomb chamber has a semi-circular domed ceiling and exquisite marble latticed walls. The four-pillared chhaparkhat or pavillion made of ebony inlaid with mother-of-pearl shelters the tomb. On the latticed walls, pilgrims tied cotton strings in the belief that these are their wishes and the saints will help getting them answered.

Strings tied to the latticed walls (8 November, 2004)

List of Mausoleums in India

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