About an hour by bus east of Karauli, Fatehpur Sikri is the
deserted former capital of the area that was later moved to Agra. Apparently
difficult to defend (lack of access to water is also cited), the palatial fort
was left to it’s own devices in the 16th century. The beautifully
maintained lawns and quiet buildings of intricately carved stone are a respite
from the more populated area of Agra. My favorite part of Fatehpur Sikri is the
sort of thing little kids go for: the head-popping elephant story. In the
middle of one of the palace courtyards where public audiences were held, there
is a large stone, about the size of a one-drawer file cabinet. 
This was where
unfortunates who had offended the Mughal emperor Akbar would lay their heads;
Akbar’s pachyderm pal would then graciously put massive foot to stone, with any
heads inserted between becoming just another red stain. No worse than the
guillotine, I suppose. Outside the fort, a tower marks the grave of this
beloved elephant, and hundreds of ivory tusks jut from the walls—each one marks
a successful step-down by the world’s most famous exotic animal act.
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