Indo-Islamic Monuments in Punjab
  • Indo-Islamic Monuments in Punjab
  • Indo-Islamic Monuments in Punjab
  • Indo-Islamic Monuments in Punjab
Indo-Islamic Monuments in Punjab

Indo-Islamic Monuments in Punjab

 
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Sarai Amanat Khan, Punjab

Sarai Amanat Khan is a monumental Mughal period Caravan Sarai located to the southeast of Amritsar, in a village by the same name, on the Tarn Taren - Atari Road. It is the last Sarai located in India along the Agra-Lahore route. This Sarai was built by Abd al Haqq alias Amanat Khan who was a calligrapher in Shahjahan’s court. Shahjahan bestowed the title Amanat Khan on him after his appointment as the calligrapher of the magnificent Taj Mahal. The eastern gateway of the Sarai bears an inscription that testifies to the date of its construction. This square-shaped Sarai built around a large courtyard is known for its glazed tile decorations. The use of glazed tiles was a characteristic feature of Persian architecture and shows the Persian influence on medieval Indo-Islamic monuments. The Sarai also features splendid gateways on the eastern and western sides with floral arabesque designs rendered on the spandrels. The Sarai had octagonal bastions at every corner covered with chhatris only two of which on the western side survive. The western gatehouse which was in ruins is currently restored by the ASI. Sarai Amanat Khan also houses a three-low domed mosque with blue-coloured tiles on its gateway. Though this monument has a protected status, at present the Sarai is occupied by rural occupants who migrated here during the Indo-Pak partition in 1947. Step wells or baolis provided a huge relief for the travellers and the mobile soldiers from the extreme summers of the northern Indian region. Constructing baolis was also seen as an act of charity or religious devotion. The multi-storeyed step well near the Western gateway of Sarai Amanat Khan has neither received the attention of scholars nor the care of archaeological restorers. Medieval chroniclers have not mentioned this baoli but the architectural splendour of this monument indicates the possibility of its patron being a prominent Mughal noble. The façade of the two-storied entrance gateway of this step-well is still erect high though falling from many places. Right now the step well is surrounded by debris and the overgrowth of vegetation. The kos minar near Sarai Amanat Khan, on the road-side between Atari and Amanat Khan, is found without much damage. It gives the appearance of a tapering circular pillar rounded at the top. The octagonal base is separated from the circular portion by moulding.

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Sarai Dakhani, Mahlian Kalan, Punja...

Sarai Dakhni is one of the best preserved examples of Mughal sarais built along the old highway from Agra to Lahore. It is situated to the south of village Mahlian Kalan on Nakodar-Kapurthala road, 12 km from Nakodar. Currently there is no approaching road to this sarai and the monument is completely cut off from the main road. The sarai has a square plan with two lofty gateways at the east and west sides, and walled enclosures which are strengthened at the corners by an octagonal bastion topped by a domed pavilion. The façade of both the gateways were embellished with glazed tiles exhibiting arabesque designs most of which has come off. The mosque of the sarai is built in the southern part of the courtyard. The interior of the mosque is profusely painted with floral wall paintings. According to some sources, the sarai also had a hummam (public-bath) which presently doesn't survive. During early nineteenth century this monument was being used as a leper asylum.In 1919 it was given the status of a protected monument by the ASI of India.

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Sarai Doraha complex, Doraha (GT Ro...

Sarai Doraha complex, Doraha (GT Road)

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Sarai Doraha, Doraha (GT Road), Pun...

Sarai Doraha is a large 17th century caravan-sarai (rest-house) located to the south of the National Highway 1/Grand Trunk Road ((GT Road) at Doraha in Punjab. After the partition, some refugee families appropriated the sarai for their permanent residence. However, the State government got the sarai vacated in early 1970s and it was declared a protected monument.

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Sarai Lashkar Khan, Kot Panech (GT ...

Sarai Lashkar Khan is situated 12 km to the west of Khanna, on the National Highway 1/Grand Trunk Road in the district of Ludhiana. According to the inscription on its eastern gateway the sarai was erected by Lashkar Khan, a Mughal Military General, during the reign of Emperor Aurangzeb, in 1669-70 AD. This sarai is also made of bricks. The sarai maintains an aesthetic restraint unlike the other ones in this route perhaps characteristic of the religious views of Aurangzeb. Another distinct feature of this sarai is the absence of bastions in the middle of the northern and the southern walls and the arrangement of rooms in the interior, corresponding to this portion. The central arched portal, which is of stone, is flanked by two storeys of triple openings. At the top of each gateway runs an inscription engraved on white marble slabs. The courtyard of the sarai has 30 rooms on each side i.e. 15 on either side of the gateways and an equal number on each side of the central higher compartments in the northern and the southern walls. The mosque is located in the southern part of the courtyard. Its domes are damaged. There are two wells in the sarai which is being used for irrigation of the entire land which has been converted as a farm for past many years. A kos minar is also located nearby. The sarai is currently in a dilapidated condition. The inner courtyard around which the rooms are located serve as farmland.

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Sarai Nurmahal, Punjab

Sarai Nur Mahal is situated in a small town Nur Mahal, located on the Lohian Khas-Nakodar -Ludhiana line, in Jalandhar district. During the Mughal period this route was part of an important highway leading from Agra to Lahore. The sarai was commissioned by Nur Jahan, the most famous and prominent wife of Mughal Emperor Jahangir. It is regarded as the most magnificent sarai built during Jahangir’s time. This sarai stands out for its unconventional depiction of prolific realistic figures which were usually avoided by the abstract tastes of Islam and in the use of Hindu motifs such as dueling elephants, pairs of peacocks, and three-dimensional lotus flowers. The eastern and western sides of the Sarai are facilitated with imposing portals on either side that bear most of the decoration carved in sandstone on the facade. The sarai is square in design and had rooms on all the four sides for travellers; The northern wall has greatly altered due to many shops and offices that occupy this space now. The gateways are multileveled and have many rooms which would have accommodated the staff. The mosque of the sarai is in the northeast quarter of the courtyard standing on an elevated platform. The public-bath (Hummam) which was also constructed for the travellers on the east side of the mosque, survives today. The bath-building was modified later to suit the needs of a 20th century rest - house which was run in this building until the sarai complex was taken into the protection of the Archaeological Survey of India. Almost half of the sarai had worn down due to natural and man made devastations before it was taken over by ASI and the monument was restored.

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