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Question 14 of 136 · Monuments & Religious Places
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The 'Panch Mahal', a five-storeyed palace pavilion, is located at:

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Answer: Option A — Fatehpur Sikri

Detailed Solution

The Panch Mahal ("Five-level Palace") is located in the palace complex of Fatehpur Sikri, near Agra in Uttar Pradesh.

About the Panch Mahal:

  • It was built by the Mughal Emperor Akbar.
  • It is a five-storeyed open pavilion, with each storey smaller than the one below it, ending in a small domed kiosk (chhatri) at the top.
  • It has 176 carved columns in all, with 84 on the ground floor; no two columns on the lower floors are exactly alike.
  • It was built as a pleasure palace and wind-catcher, where the ladies of the royal household could enjoy the cool breeze and views of the surroundings.
  • Its design is said to have been inspired by Persian "badgirs" (wind towers) and Buddhist viharas.
  • It is built of red sandstone.

About Fatehpur Sikri:

Akbar built it as his new capital between about 1569 and 1574, in honour of the Sufi saint Sheikh Salim Chishti, who had predicted the birth of his son, Prince Salim (later Emperor Jahangir).

It served as the Mughal capital for about 14 years (until about 1585). It was later abandoned, possibly because of a shortage of water and for military reasons.

"Fatehpur" means "City of Victory"; the name commemorates Akbar's conquest of Gujarat (1573).

It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986.

Important buildings in Fatehpur Sikri:

  • Buland Darwaza: the main gateway (about 54 m high), built around 1575-76 to commemorate the conquest of Gujarat.
  • Jama Masjid.
  • Tomb of Sheikh Salim Chishti: built of white marble, with beautiful lattice screens (jalis).
  • Diwan-i-Khas: famous for its central carved pillar.
  • Diwan-i-Aam, Jodha Bai's Palace, Birbal's House and the Ibadat Khana (house of worship), where Akbar held religious debates from 1575.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗Agra Fort has the Jahangiri Mahal and Musamman Burj.
  • ✗The Red Fort in Delhi has the Rang Mahal and Diwan-i-Khas.
  • ✗Amber Fort, near Jaipur, has the Sheesh Mahal.

Quick tip

Remember: Panch Mahal = Fatehpur Sikri (Akbar; five storeys; 176 columns); Fatehpur Sikri also has the Buland Darwaza, Salim Chishti's tomb and the Ibadat Khana; UNESCO 1986.

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Monuments & Religious Places — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Monuments & Religious Places, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers India's important monuments, temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras and pilgrimage sites, who built them and when, their architectural styles, and India's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Questions ask who built a monument, where it is located, or which dynasty or style it belongs to. For example, the Qutub Minar was begun by Qutbuddin Aibak, and the Sun Temple at Konark was built by the Eastern Ganga king Narasimhadeva I. Revise the UNESCO World Heritage Sites as a list, noting the most recent additions. Practise the monuments and religious places questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

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