Site Name: Shambhu Khurd
Date: 1605-1627 CE (?)
Subject: General view of the west facade of double-storied Western Gateway (Lahori Darwaza)
CENTER FOR ART AND ARCHAEOLOGY
Sarai Shambhu is a Mughal-period caravansarai
or rest house located at Shambhu in Patiala district of Punjab, approximately
100 metres north of the old Grand Trunk Road. Although no inscription records
its patronage, architectural evidence suggests that the sarai was constructed
in the first quarter of the seventeenth century, likely during the reign of
Jahangir. Built primarily of lakhori bricks set in lime mortar, the sarai is
planned as a rectangular fortified enclosure with double-storied gateways on the
east and west, octagonal corner bastions, and semi-circular bastions
reinforcing the northern and southern walls. Rows of traveller cells line the
interior, and a mosque raised on a platform occupies the central area of the
enclosure. The monument is protected by the Department of Cultural Affairs,
Archaeology and Museums, Punjab and survives in good condition, with minor
surface deterioration and signs of vandalism visible in places.
