Discovery of Ibadat khana and Christian chapel at Fatehpur Sikri

Ibadat khana( the hall of interreligious discussion) was the Place where Akbar held discussions with scholars of various religions which culminated in the formation of a new religion known as Din I Ilahi. Most of the scholars such as V.A.Smith Percy Brown and H.G.Keen located it among the standing buildings of Fatehpur Sikri, especially the single pillared room. Saeed Ahmed Mararavi followed by A.A. Rizvi and Vincent Flynn were the only scholars who identified a buried mound with tall trees growing over it as the actual place of Ibadat khana. But their arguments suffered due to the lack supportive evidence. As part of a collaborative effort by Archaeological Survey of India and Aligarh Muslim University Mr KK Muhammed excavated the mound for two years with meticulous care and precision and compared the excavated structural remains with a painting of Ibadat Khana (Akbarnama painting) painted during the life time of Akbar, presently preserved in the Chester Beatty collection at Dublin. The fact that the details of the structure that was excavated remarkably tallied with the original painting of Ibadat khana proved that the mound and structure excavated is the real Ibadat Khana.

The church constructed by Akbar at Fatehpur Sikri for the accommodation and worship of Christian Fathers were earlier identified by Father Heras among the standing monuments. But Mr Muhammed located and excavated another mound on the basis of the description given by Fr Monserrate ( a Spanish Father who occupied the Church along with Fr Rudolf Acquaviva, head of the mission to Akbar) in his book Mongolicae Legationis Commentarius and argues that the chapel was not inside Haramsera but outside Diwan I Am and closer to Akbar`s bed chamber.( Khwabgah) Since Akbar built the Church in place of the existing perfume house (khushbu Khana)the careful excavation of Mr Muhammed could expose distillation pan and perfume bottles.

Father Acquaviva was very close to Akbar and there was wide spread perception that Akbar is on the verge of conversion to Christianity. After the failure of the mission to convert Akbar, the Fathers left Fatehpur Sikri much against Akbers will. But the parting of Rudolf Acquaviva was really painful For Akbar. After reaching Goa the Fathers were killed at Concolim by a local mob who was infuriated by their activities. Akbar heard the news of the death of the Father Acqua viva with tears in his eyes and said “Alas Father Did I not tell you not to go away. But you would never listen to me”

The Power Point presentation takes you through the corridors of history when the structures of Ibadat khana and Christian Chapels were reduced to mud and rubbles, overgrown with a number of trees. One can watch the drama of how historical structures slowly coming out out from the centuries of mud and ashes, after their initial encounter with the archaeologist’s spade and knife.

The defining moment comes when the painting of Ibadakhana is compared with the excavated structure , in order to prove its veracity as Ibadat khana.

Excavation of Ibadat khana (Nursery of Indian secularism) and the Christian chapel mark an important mile stone in the field of medieval archaeology and bring in to sharp focus the potentiality of Mughal paintings as a powerful tool to understand the various Mughal structures