Site Name: Shahabad
Date: 1600-1626 CE
Subject: General view, south facade of the double-storied Southern Gateway (Delhi Darwaza)
CENTER FOR ART AND ARCHAEOLOGY
The Sarai, Shahabad is a Mughal-period
caravansarai or rest house located east of the Old Grand Trunk Road in
Shahabad, Kurukshetra district, Haryana, near the banks of the Markanda River.
Although the exact date of construction is uncertain, the sarai predates 1626
CE and is associated with historical accounts involving Mahabat Khan and later
Sikh occupation under Banda Bahadur in the early eighteenth century. Built of
lakhori bricks, rubble masonry, and lime mortar, the structure originally had
north and south gateways and an internal well, but much of its original fabric
has been lost or altered. Today, the sarai has been transformed into a densely
inhabited residential settlement known as ‘Kila Sikkhan,’ with parts of the
gateways adapted for domestic use and a Gurudwara established within the
complex. The monument is currently managed by members of the local Gurudwara
committee.
