Lotus Niche

Birbal's House, Fatehpur Sikri (live map)

This elaborately carved niche is decorated with lotus buds, lotus rondels, and (photo left) traditional Islamic arabesques. In the bottom section of the photo, what at first glance appears to be a random net of very small petal shapes will resolve, on close examination, into a tiling of lotus petals – a fascinating synthesis of Islamic geometry and Indian motif.