According
to popular beliefs the most probable occupants of this palace were
Akbar's two senior queens, Ruqayya Begum and Salima Sultan Begum.
Birbal's house stands near the northwest corner of Jodhbai's palace. It
is one of the marvelous buildings of imperial Harem. It was built in
1571. It consists of fours-quare rooms, each measuring 16'-10"
(5.13m) square side, all interconnected through open doorways and two
oblong entrance porches on Northwest and Southeast corners. While all
the four rooms, have flat ceilings, porches have triangular chhappar
ceiling with pyramidal roof. The interior of the building is divided
into three days by richly carved pilasters. Shafts of these pilasters
have been divided into three zones, which contain three different kind
of decoration like single border designs, arabesque geometrical designs
and stylized floral designs.
Capitals of these pilaster bears lotus petals and stalactite designs.
The first floor has beautiful Jharokhas overlooking the court below and
a simple chajja. Each dome of the upper rooms rests on an octagonal
drum, which is also carved with a raised trefoil pattern. The domes are
crowned by an inverted lotus and kalash finials and also bear traces of
tile work. Though the entire construction is composed of lintels and
beams, but beautifully carved brackets have been used to span the spaces
between the pillars and ornamental arches. These brackets are carved on
both faces with lotus and arabesque designs. Spandrels of the arches
also bear arabesque and floral design.
Read this article to know about the Birbal
house at Fatehpur Sikri.