Ibadat Khana at Fatehpur Sikri was

Ibadat Khana at Fatehpur Sikri was

the mosque for the use of Royal Family
Akbar's private prayer chamber
the hall in which Akbar held discussions with scholars of various religions
the room in which the nobles belonging to different religions gathered to discuss religious affairs
This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2014
The Ibadat Khana (House of Worship) was built by the Mughal Emperor Akbar at Fatehpur Sikri in 1575. Its purpose was to provide a place for religious discussions and debates between scholars of various religions. Initially, it was open only to Muslims, but later Akbar opened it up to scholars of other religions like Hinduism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and even atheists, reflecting his quest for understanding different faiths.
– Akbar’s discussions in the Ibadat Khana contributed to the development of his religious and philosophical ideas, including the concept of Sulh-i-Kul (peace with all).
– Scholars from different faiths like Purushottam Das (Hinduism), Hira Vijaya Suri (Jainism), Dastur Meherji Rana (Zoroastrianism), and Rodolfo Aquaviva (Christianity) participated.
– The debates often became intense and sometimes failed to achieve consensus, leading Akbar to formulate his own syncretic views.
The Ibadat Khana discussions were a significant step in Akbar’s move away from orthodox Islam and towards a more inclusive and rational approach to religion. However, due to the sometimes acrimonious nature of the debates, Akbar eventually discontinued the Ibadat Khana discussions around 1582.