CENTER FOR ART AND ARCHAEOLOGY

Guirim, Baroque Architecture, Goa

Gujarat (Architectural Drawings)

Remains of a large garden are found to the north of palace complex, inside the town wall and outside the citadel, in the center of Hisar city. It is now divided into small plots and a city road cuts into it. It stands on a massive platform made of rubble and mortar. The foundations are constructed of rubble and mortar and belong to the same period as Gurjari Mahal itself though they were smaller in size. Similar to the early Indo-Islamic monuments this building was constructed reusing the materials from probably ruins of north Indian Hindu temples. The floor is paved with bricks. The complex has nine tombs which belong to 17th or 18th century A.D. and do not seem to have any relation with the Gurjari Mahal. This was a secular structure. It is presumed to be built as an airy retreat away from the palace, for enjoying views over the gardens around, and cooled by the water flowing through the core of the platform.

The Guru ka Taal is a Mughal-period water tank located north of the Grand Trunk Road in Sikandra, Agra district of Uttar Pradesh, near the Gurudwara Guru-ka-Taal. It was probably constructed in 1610 CE by Itibar Khan. The tank was later associated with Sikh tradition and given its present name. Built of lakhori bricks, red sandstone, and lime mortar, it was once a large, well-planned reservoir with ghats and chhatris on all sides. The site is currently unprotected, and only fragments survive today, with most of the tank filled in or reused for agriculture and modern development.

Gurusaday Museum, Kolkata, West Bengal

Digitization of this collection has been possible with financial support from the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.