The Anup Talao or 'peerless pool' in Fatehpur Sikri is where Tansen used to sit and sing under the full moon. It’s a water body with a stone elevation in the centre. The pool was once the beneficiary of an important event in Akbar’s life. Once, Akbar was hunting by the banks of the river Jhelum in Punjab. For ten days his men drove wild animals in a circumference of 80 kilometers into a tightening circle for Akbar to slaughter. But when the emperor prepared to kill, he underwent a transformation. He put his sword down and ordered all the animals to be freed into their habitat. It was an unexplained moment of love. To mark the incident, he filled Anup Talao in his courtyard with gold, silver and copper coins and asked the poor and the learned in his country to come and take it all away. The coins were worth over 10 million rupees in those days. The distribution lasted three years!
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