AFCP 2023-25, Documentation of 16th-17th Century Mughal Monuments on the Grand Trunk Road
  • AFCP 2023-25, Documentation of 16th-17th Century Mughal Monuments on the Grand Trunk Road
  • AFCP 2023-25, Documentation of 16th-17th Century Mughal Monuments on the Grand Trunk Road
  • AFCP 2023-25, Documentation of 16th-17th Century Mughal Monuments on the Grand Trunk Road
AFCP 2023-25, Documentation of 16th-17th Century Mughal Monuments on the Grand Trunk Road


 
Galleries

Mughal Bridge, Sultanpur Lodhi, Pun...

This Mughal-period bridge is located along the Kali-Vali River at Sultanpur Lodhi (Bein river) in Kapurthala district of Punjab and is attributed to the Aurangzeb period (r. 1658-1707). Constructed of lakhori bricks set in lime mortar, the bridge originally spanned the river with a series of pointed arches supported by buttressed piers. The structure is unprotected and survives in a highly fragmentary condition, with only portions of the arches remaining on both riverbanks amid extensive damage and later encroachments.

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Mughal Bridge, Taraori, Haryana

A Mughal-period bridge located about 3 kilometres west of the Delhi–Multan Road (Old Grand Trunk Road) on the Taraori (Anjanthali Road), situated between the Sarai and the northern Kos Minar at Taraori, Karnal district of Haryana. Probably constructed between 1600 and 1699 CE, the bridge is built of lakhori bricks, rubble masonry, and lime mortar, and consists of five arches supported by robust piers; a temple on its eastern side represents a later addition. The structure is unprotected and shows surface blackening, vegetation growth, encroachments, and partial submergence in debris, though it remains in active use with a modern roadway constructed above it.

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Mughal Bridge, Thanesar, Haryana

A Mughal-period bridge located within OP Jindal Park, northeast of the Sheikh Chilli Tomb at Thanesar, Kurukshetra, Haryana. Constructed of lakhori bricks, rubble masonry, and lime mortar, the bridge carries a roadway over four arches supported by piers with circular cutwaters, spanning a narrow rivulet historically associated with the Saraswati River. It is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (Chandigarh Circle), and has been restored and incorporated into the landscaped setting of OP Jindal Park, with portions of its lower fabric now buried under accumulated soil.

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Mughal Sarai, Doraha, Punjab

Sarai Doraha is a seventeenth-century Mughal caravansarai or rest house located on the Ludhiana–Khanna Road in Ludhiana district of Punjab, situated on a mound south of the Sirhind Canal. Known historically as the Sarai of Itimad-ud-Daula, its construction is generally dated to the early years of Jahangir’s reign (c. 1606–1611 CE). Built of lakhori bricks with red sandstone and lime mortar, the sarai follows a square plan with corner bastions, north–south aligned gateways, a hammam in the northeast corner, and a mosque within the western part of the enclosure. The monument is protected by the Department of Cultural Affairs, Archaeology and Museums, Punjab and survives in a partially ruined state, with sections under repair and traces of its original painted and glazed decoration still visible.

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Mughal Sarai, Fatehabad, Punjab

The Sarai at Fatehabad is a Mughal-period rest house in Tarn Taran district of Punjab. According to contemporary travel accounts, it was constructed in 1606 CE under the patronage of Jahangir. Built of lakhori bricks with red sandstone, glazed tiles, and lime mortar, the sarai originally comprised an east–west aligned enclosure with two monumental double-storied gateways articulated with multi-foiled arches, bastions, balconies, and upper chambers. The monument is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (Chandigarh Circle) and survives in a highly altered state, with only the gateways and limited wall remains extant amid dense later construction and adaptive reuse.

 

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Mughal Sarai, Kosikalan, UP

The Sarai Kosikalan is a Mughal-period sarai or rest house located in the town of Kosikalan in Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh. It stands to the west of the old Grand Trunk Road, just south of the local police station. The sarai is likely the same place referred to as “Cotki-sera” by the French traveller Jean-Baptiste Tavernier and was probably built between 1615 and 1666 CE. Constructed using lakhori bricks, red sandstone, and lime mortar, the sarai is square in plan with octagonal corner towers and gateways on the east, west, and south sides. The monument is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (Agra Circle), but over time it has been heavily altered. Modern buildings now surround the structure, and many of the original rooms have been changed or reused as shops, making it difficult to understand the sarai in its original form.

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