Panch Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri

Panch Mahal is a palace in Fatehpur Sikri, Uttar Pradesh, India.

This structure stands close to the Zenana quarters (Harem) which supports the supposition that it was used for entertainment and relaxation.

This is an extraordinary structure employing the design elements of a Buddhist Temple; entirely columnar, consisting of four stories of decreasing size arranged asymmetrically on the ground floor, which contains 84 columns.

Once these screens provided purdah (cover) to queens and princess on the top terraces enjoying the cool breeze and watching splendid views of Sikri fortifications and the town nestling at the foot of the ridge.

It would have been filled with water, save for the bridge, and would have been the setting for musical concerts and other entertainment.