CENTER FOR ART AND ARCHAEOLOGY

This Mughal-period bridge is located east of Sarai Dakhni, amid agricultural fields near the village of Mahlian Kalan in Jalandhar district of Punjab. The bridge is generally attributed to the reign of Shah Jahan (r. 1628–1658), though earlier references suggest imperial investment in bridge construction along this route during Jahangir’s reign. Built to span the Dhauli-Veni River, the structure originally served as the principal access route to Sarai Dakhni and features multiple arched spans with triangular cutwaters and broad parapets. Alterations and partial destruction occurred in the early nineteenth century, and shifts in the river’s course have further altered its context, leaving the bridge as a fragmentary.

The bridge at Sirhind is a Mughal-period masonry bridge located approximately 4 km north-west of Sirhind town, on the road leading to Fatehgarh Sahib district of Punjab, near the historic Aam Khas Bagh. Built of brick and lime mortar, the bridge comprises three sections articulated by a series of pointed arches resting on broad piers with cutwaters. Although traditionally attributed to either Jahangir or Shah Jahan, architectural and contextual evidence suggests a date not later than 1634 CE when Shah Jahan made substantial additions to the Aam Khas Bagh. The bridge is unprotected and continues to span the seasonal Sirhind choa (rivulet), which drains the surrounding landscape during the monsoon.

The Mughal Bridge, Khwaja Sarai is a Mughal-period bridge located over the Bhuriya (Budhaiwala) Nala along the old Grand Trunk Road, east of NH44 (Mathura Road) in Faridabad, Haryana. Constructed in 1676 CE under the patronage of Bakhtawar Khan, as recorded in the Mirat al-Alam, the bridge is built of rubble masonry with lime mortar and plaster and consists of three four-centred arches supported on piers, with a tower-like structure crowned by a fluted dome above the central arch. The monument is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (Chandigarh Circle) and remains functional for pedestrian use, despite surface blackening and minor vandalism.

This is an important Mughal bridge situated near the old Grand Trunk Road (Agra - Lahore highway/National Highway 1). It is made of bricks supported on arches. The old Firuz Shahi Jamuna canal ran through this area over which this old Mughal (Badshahi) bridge was constructed. The canal has now dried up and the bridge lays defunct.

A Mughal-period bridge located adjacent to National Highway 44 (Old Grand Trunk Road), east of Madhuban, Karnal district of Haryana. The bridge was most likely constructed around 1570–71 CE (978 AH), along with the excavation of the Shaikhnai (Shaikhu’s) Canal during the reign of Emperor Akbar, and is mentioned by Father Monserrate in 1581 CE. Built of lakhori bricks, rubble masonry, and lime mortar, the structure spans three arches supported by piers and features a broad passage with octagonal domed towers at both ends. The monument is protected by the Department of Archaeology, Haryana; however, it was in poor condition at the time of photography, with vegetation growth, structural cracks, submerged arches, accumulated garbage around the piers, and the construction of a nearby overbridge posing potential threats to its preservation.

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.