Burhanpur, the original resting place of Mumtaz Begum, is in a state of utter neglect today. Surely, we can treat our heritage better.
Lying to rot, in sheer dilapidation, the monuments in Burhanpur beg for attention, visibility, acknowledgement and facelift.
The inscription at the Ahu Khana — or royal pavilion — in a sleepy town in Madhya Pradesh reads: “Constructed during the reign of Shahjahan, Mumtaz Begum was buried here before her remains were transported to Agra”.
Historical significance
It was only later that the Taj Mahal was built in her loving memory. In fact, it was here the Prince Khurram was given the title of a Shah by Jehangir and came to be known as Shahjahan. Ironic, then, that this town is quite oblivious to the worldwide campaign to have the Taj Mahal recognised as one of the world’s “seven modern wonders’. The place is Burhanpur. Four hours away from Bhopal and one hour from Khandwa.
Connected by the South Central Railway, the Karnataka Express hisses to a halt at this railway station for exactly two minutes. As you get off the train, you see a green coloured, diamond shaped board which says, “Alight here for the Dargah-E-Hakimi”, the important pilgrim site for Bohra Muslims. And this is only the beginning of many things to see, admire and feel sad about.
Burhanpur could easily pass off for a place like the one where Bunty or Babli came from. Unfortunately, most people treat it like that as well. Few know its history, let alone take pride in it. And even fewer know that this was the “Badshaon Ka Shahar” (the City of Emperors). Humayun, Akbar, Shahjahan were amongst the great emperors who ruled from here. It was at its helm both architecturally and in its strategic positioning as the door to the Deccan and an important trade route during the Mughal rule.
The Mughals gave the town a stunning Quilla which spans the entire border of the town along the banks of the beautiful Tapti River, protecting the town from floods. Even now, as it lies in ruins, we can see traces of a long tunnel which was the beautifully conceived escape route, we see remains of beautiful tile work and the stunning Hamam (which is restored from the outside to look like an MCD building) In fact even before the Mughals arrived on the scene, the Farouqui rulers also made their rich contributions to the place including the Jama Masjid.
A story in every nook
Stories abound in the place — stories of love, hatred and passion and greed. The Mehal-Gule-Ara is testimony to this. It still holds its idyllic beauty with gardens and a Mahal on either side of a lake, a place where Mumtaz Begum would rest peacefully in her times of illness or pregnancy. It is believed that Aurangzeb, when he visited Burhanpur, fell in love with a courtesan, Hirabai, alias Jeina Begum, while taking a stroll in these very gardens, but alas love did not triumph as she died very young, and legend has it that this left the Emperor a very bitter man for the rest of his life.
Lying to rot, in sheer dilapidation, the monuments in Burhanpur beg for attention, visibility, acknowledgement and facelift. And talking of facelifts, what is going on in the name of restoration is actually ghastly. The beautiful Quilla is being restored with concrete! Buying tickets to see this monument is quite a contrast I must say from my experience of seeing the Castle in Edinburgh, Scotland a few years ago. What I remember the most of that experience was the large amounts of money that I had to spend to get in and see it! Not to berate the beauty of what one saw, but really to claim that what we have in India is as much and I am actually willing to bet for better.
Sad state
I barely managed to see Adil Shah and Nadir Shah’s Tombs because of some encroachment by the landless poor in the area. The amazing Ahu Khana is nothing short of an unpleasant arduous trek in the absence of a road. The Teen Darwaza at the Satiyaara Ghat is almost reduced to a rubble — you only recognise it because of the leftover, yet beautiful, arches. The Khooni Bhandara, the water management system of the Mughals, looks like the Municipal Corporation property with each of the tanks being numbered in yellow and black squares.
My point is that if we are trying to put India on the map of the world, why can’t we map these beautiful historical pieces of architecture, history, and to use the "hippest" phrase coined in the 21st century, innovately package it for the world within and outside? Surely our historical heritage contributes to a large degree to make India the place that it is. Burhanpur is but a case in point, for, there are thousands of such beautiful places all over the country.
I discovered this town in Madhya Pradesh in every sense of the word and believe that it definitely contributes to make India an incredible place of many wonders, not just the one.
Lying to rot, in sheer dilapidation, the monuments in Burhanpur beg for attention, visibility, acknowledgement and facelift.
The inscription at the Ahu Khana — or royal pavilion — in a sleepy town in Madhya Pradesh reads: “Constructed during the reign of Shahjahan, Mumtaz Begum was buried here before her remains were transported to Agra”.
Historical significance
It was only later that the Taj Mahal was built in her loving memory. In fact, it was here the Prince Khurram was given the title of a Shah by Jehangir and came to be known as Shahjahan. Ironic, then, that this town is quite oblivious to the worldwide campaign to have the Taj Mahal recognised as one of the world’s “seven modern wonders’. The place is Burhanpur. Four hours away from Bhopal and one hour from Khandwa.
Connected by the South Central Railway, the Karnataka Express hisses to a halt at this railway station for exactly two minutes. As you get off the train, you see a green coloured, diamond shaped board which says, “Alight here for the Dargah-E-Hakimi”, the important pilgrim site for Bohra Muslims. And this is only the beginning of many things to see, admire and feel sad about.
Burhanpur could easily pass off for a place like the one where Bunty or Babli came from. Unfortunately, most people treat it like that as well. Few know its history, let alone take pride in it. And even fewer know that this was the “Badshaon Ka Shahar” (the City of Emperors). Humayun, Akbar, Shahjahan were amongst the great emperors who ruled from here. It was at its helm both architecturally and in its strategic positioning as the door to the Deccan and an important trade route during the Mughal rule.
The Mughals gave the town a stunning Quilla which spans the entire border of the town along the banks of the beautiful Tapti River, protecting the town from floods. Even now, as it lies in ruins, we can see traces of a long tunnel which was the beautifully conceived escape route, we see remains of beautiful tile work and the stunning Hamam (which is restored from the outside to look like an MCD building) In fact even before the Mughals arrived on the scene, the Farouqui rulers also made their rich contributions to the place including the Jama Masjid.
A story in every nook
Stories abound in the place — stories of love, hatred and passion and greed. The Mehal-Gule-Ara is testimony to this. It still holds its idyllic beauty with gardens and a Mahal on either side of a lake, a place where Mumtaz Begum would rest peacefully in her times of illness or pregnancy. It is believed that Aurangzeb, when he visited Burhanpur, fell in love with a courtesan, Hirabai, alias Jeina Begum, while taking a stroll in these very gardens, but alas love did not triumph as she died very young, and legend has it that this left the Emperor a very bitter man for the rest of his life.
Lying to rot, in sheer dilapidation, the monuments in Burhanpur beg for attention, visibility, acknowledgement and facelift. And talking of facelifts, what is going on in the name of restoration is actually ghastly. The beautiful Quilla is being restored with concrete! Buying tickets to see this monument is quite a contrast I must say from my experience of seeing the Castle in Edinburgh, Scotland a few years ago. What I remember the most of that experience was the large amounts of money that I had to spend to get in and see it! Not to berate the beauty of what one saw, but really to claim that what we have in India is as much and I am actually willing to bet for better.
Sad state
I barely managed to see Adil Shah and Nadir Shah’s Tombs because of some encroachment by the landless poor in the area. The amazing Ahu Khana is nothing short of an unpleasant arduous trek in the absence of a road. The Teen Darwaza at the Satiyaara Ghat is almost reduced to a rubble — you only recognise it because of the leftover, yet beautiful, arches. The Khooni Bhandara, the water management system of the Mughals, looks like the Municipal Corporation property with each of the tanks being numbered in yellow and black squares.
My point is that if we are trying to put India on the map of the world, why can’t we map these beautiful historical pieces of architecture, history, and to use the "hippest" phrase coined in the 21st century, innovately package it for the world within and outside? Surely our historical heritage contributes to a large degree to make India the place that it is. Burhanpur is but a case in point, for, there are thousands of such beautiful places all over the country.
I discovered this town in Madhya Pradesh in every sense of the word and believe that it definitely contributes to make India an incredible place of many wonders, not just the one.
1 comment:
Ditto your thoughts! Glad you have put this on the net.Really sad to see the colossal neglect!
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