The Ibādat Khāna (House of Worship) was a meeting house built in 1575 CE by the Mughal Emperor Akbar (r. 1556–1605) at Fatehpur Sikri to gather spiritual leaders of different religious grounds so as to conduct a discussion on the teachings of the respective religious leaders
- The construction of ‘Ibadat Khana’ in 1575, where Muslim scholars would come together to have discussions on Islam to enlightening emperor Akbar. The ‘House of Worship’ soon became a place for arguments, which led to Akbar opening the gates for scholars of other religions, thus making it the first-ever attempt at secularism, also known as ‘Din-i-Ilahi’. Here, the best elements from all religions were encouraged. He encouraged Hindus, Roman Catholics, Zoroastrians, Jains, Buddhists, Sikhs and even atheists to participate. Religious leaders and philosophers from around this diverse empire, as well as those passing through, were invited to Akbar’s Thursday evening discussions
- The excavated complex of Ibadat khana at ‘Fatehpur Sikri’ has been done with the image in a miniature painting of Akbarnama housed at Chester Beatty Library. The painting convinced the excavators about the site is that of Ibadat Khana. This famous Ibadat Khana (at Fatehpur Sikri), a house to hold religious discourses of all faiths was a notable step in this regard. Thus, Akbar himself became the torchbearer for the fundamental unity of various faiths which differed only on the surface.