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


 
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Mughal Sarai, Nurdi, Punjab

Sarai Nurdi is a small Mughal-period caravansarai (rest house) located in the centre of Nurdi village, south of the Chabal–Attari Road in Tarn Taran district of Punjab. According to historical accounts, the sarai was constructed between 1606 and 1608 CE by Amir al-Din, son of Nur al-Din Quli Isfahani, who served as kotwal of Lahore in the early seventeenth century. Built of lakhori bricks with glazed tiles and lime mortar, the sarai was modest in scale and architectural treatment, comprising a simple gateway, enclosure walls, and a mosque with an undecorated facade. The monument is unprotected and survives in a severely dilapidated condition, with only the eastern gateway, parts of the mosque, and fragments of the enclosure walls remaining.

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Mughal Sarai, Sarai Aajmabad, UP

Sarai Aajmabad is a Mughal-period caravansarai or rest house located to the east of the Grand Trunk Road in the northern part of Mathura town in Uttar Pradesh. Probably founded between the 1642-1645 CE by Azam Khan Mir Muhammad Bakir (also known as Iradat Khan), the sarai was constructed using lakhori bricks, red sandstone, and lime mortar. Now unprotected, the site survives only in fragments, including parts of the eastern wall, a semi-octagonal bastion, modified sarai cells, and a mosque within the enclosure, reflecting significant damage, alteration, and loss over time.

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Mughal Sarai, Shambhu, Punjab

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.

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Mughal Sarai, Sultanpur Lodhi, Punj...

This Mughal-period sarai or rest house is located in the centre of Sultanpur Lodhi, to the south of the Kali Bein river and east of the Sultanpur–Kapurthala road in Kapurthala district of Punjab. Although it bears no inscription, stylistic features place its construction in the seventeenth century, likely during the reign of Shah Jahan (r. 1628-58). Built of lakhori bricks set in lime mortar, the sarai originally comprised a rectangular enclosure with corner bastions, a monumental northern gateway, traveller cells, wells, and a mosque within the courtyard. The monument is protected by the Department of Cultural Affairs, Archaeology and Museums, Punjab and survives in a heavily altered state, with only fragments of the original structure remaining. A portion of the sarai was being used as a police station and as a dumping ground for scrap vehicles.

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Pukhta Sarai, Palwal, Haryana

The Pukhta Sarai is a rest house at Khail Mohalla, Palwal district of Haryana and built between 1611 and 1615 CE during the reign of Emperor Jahangir, and is possibly attributed to Shaikh Farid Bukhari. Constructed of lakhori bricks and lime mortar, the sarai once served as a rest house for travellers along the imperial route. Today, only parts of the structure survive, including the single-storeyed western gateway (known as the Delhi Darwaza), which is now occupied by shops. The monument is currently unprotected.

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Rani Ki Chattri and Tank, Ballabhga...

Rani Ki Chattri and Tank at Ballabhgarh, Faridabad district of Haryana, is a late Mughal-period cenotaph dated to around 1818 CE and commissioned by the widow of Anrudh Singh, Raja of Ballabhgarh. Constructed of brick and lime mortar with buff-coloured sandstone, the monument is maintained by the Department of Archaeology and Museums, Haryana.

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