Palace of glass obscured by shadows of history
A visit to Mughal emperor Akbar’s tomb at Sikandra is a must on the itinerary of every tourist visiting the Taj city. Sadly, only a handful show interest in a magnificent structure standing forlorn, close to Sikandra.
This edifice is ‘Kaanch Mahal’ which was the ‘leisure palace’ of Mughal emperor Jahangir who built Sikandra. There are many theories about the mahal. Some claim it was the ‘shikargah’ (hunting lodge) of Jahangir while others relate it to Birbal, one of the nine jewels (advisors) in Akbar’s court.
Rajeev Saxena, secretary of Tourism Guild, says, “It was a palace where Jehangir rested. Its architecture is Indo-Islamic, as it has an ‘aangan’ (courtyard or open space) in between,” says Saxena.
The exterior of ‘ Kaanch Mahal’ is well decorated with inlay work, having dominant ‘jharokhas’ (windows) and ‘gaukh’ (balconies) for exterior view and reflects the attention given to proper ventilation those days, for the windows make it airy.
Built between 1605 and 1619, the structure is also believed to have been used as resort for royal ladies, as it possesses two storeys with rooms around an ‘aangan’ or central arena.
Brick masonry has been used, with carvings bearing patterns of lotus, vases and flowers in symmetry, constituting a geometrical pattern. Presently, there is no glasswork left in the structure but it is believed that inlay mosaic work in blue, green or orange tiles must have been used in the good old days. Many believe the tile work might have given it the name ‘Kaanch Mahal’ or palace of glass to the structure.
“The square structure has immense symmetry with impact of Rajasthani architecture on Mughal architecture in post Akbar era,” says Saxena.
Ironically, the mahal that is virtually within the premises of Akbar’s tomb, fails to grab attention of those passing by.
Conserved by the Archaeolo gical Survey of India, the mahal was chosen by the Tourism Guild of Agra as a lesser-known monument but after a conference held on highlighting such structures it sank into oblivion. A delegation visited the building a couple of years ago but this palace of glass is still given a miss by tourists.
“These are destinations which can add attraction to tourists’ visits but for this we need its proper upkeep, projection and publicity,” says Rajeev Saxena.