CENTER FOR ART AND ARCHAEOLOGY

Erangal, Baroque Architecture, Maharashtra

F Sites, AIIS, CA&A

Farrukhnagar, Gurgaon, Haryana

The Akbari Sarai at Fatehpur Sikri of Agra district in Uttar Pradesh is a Mughal-period caravansarai or rest house constructed during the reign of Emperor Akbar (r. 1556-1605) and is among the earliest surviving sarais of the Mughal era. It is referred to in early seventeenth-century accounts, including those of the European traveller William Finch. Built primarily of red sandstone, the sarai is a substantial four-terraced complex with a double-storeyed gateway and rooms arranged around a central courtyard. The complex also includes a Mughal-period octagonal stepwell, probably constructed between 1572 and 1575 CE, and the Hiran Minar, a watchtower or commemorative structure dating to the same period. All these monuments are protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (Agra Circle).

The Hisar district is located on the eastern side of Haryana. During pre-Mughal times the place was known as Hizar-i-Firuza which was located at a strategic point where the old Delhi-Multan route branched to Khurasan. This city was founded by Firoz Shah as a challenging attempt to reclaim this barren tract of desert. Shams Siraj records that Firoz Shah took personal interest in the construction of the town and the excavation of canals. The Palace of Firoz Shah is situated on the northwestern side of the ruined citadel-currently in the main market area of the Hisar city

Located along the Grand Trunk Road (NH 44) in southern Phillaur in Jalandhar district of Punjab, this site originated as a Mughal-period sarai (rest house), likely established in the early seventeenth century and associated with Shah Jahan’s reign (r. 1628-1658). In the early nineteenth century, Maharaja Ranjit Singh converted the sarai into a fortified complex by adding defensive walls, bastions, and a ditch, transforming it into what is now known as Phillaur Fort. The monument was notified as protected by the Archaeological Survey of India in 2010 and presently houses the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Police Academy. Only limited elements of the original sarai survive, notably the Lahori and Delhi gateways, while later Sikh-period and subsequent adaptations dominate the existing fabric.