06th April 2018
A dilapidated tomb, which looks to be of historical importance, stands in a graveyard outside an unnamed village four kilometers from Shergarh. The village is designated with the number 24-D. This village is located on the dry bed of the old River Beas.
The history of this site is totally unknown and a sort of mystery as well.
Unfortunately, only a little investigation has been ever done by historians in this regard. Moreover, you hardly find any photographs or documents written about this tomb. The edifice looks like a mausoleum constructed in the sixteenth Century.
My introduction to this edifice came from one of my friends Adnan Tariq, who is a resident of Depalpur and has a keen interest in history. A few years back he send me pictures of this tomb to know my opinion on the history and architecture of this site.
I was amazed to see this Structure at first sight. Adnan and I had long conversations for months, and we wanted to dig some clues, so we might able to understand the history of this place. Adnan's grandmother was from the 24-D village, he used to come to this village from childhood. Adnan's grandmother told him many times that some, 40 years back there was another mausoleum of similar dimension situated in front of This place has historical importance the nearby union council of Sher Garh is one of the most historic towns of the district. The 16th-century governor of Multan, Fateh Jang Khan, named the town after the Afghan ruler of India, Sher Shah Suri, who built a mud fort and had an encampment around the town. The tomb might belong to Fateh Jang Khan.
LOCATION
The halting place known as Madrasa by the locals has situated about Four Km north of the village of Sher Garb and 18 Km South-West of Depalpur in District Okara. A metalled road approaches it from the Sher fiarh and Mustafabad villages. The tomb place lies in the center of a modem graveyard and on the southern side of the present village Chak 24 D.
HISTORY
The history of Punjab in the medieval period is replete with the rise and fall of dynasties, with invasions and wars. But in contemporary accounts which are mostly embellished with details of kings r.d ministers, little light is thrown on cultural changes affecting the life of the inhabitants in a specific area during a particular period of history to understand the impact of diverse cultural elements in different areas
Numerous architectural remains scattered throughout Punjab reflect styles, characteristics of the dynasty, or a period of history like the Tughlak, Lodhi, Suri, and Mughals. The monument standing in Chak No. 24 belongs, most probably, to the Suri Period ( 1540 - 1556 AD).
PRESENT CONDITION
The edifice exists despite the passage of considerable time over the centuries. However, the symptoms of deteriorating masonry on the plinth level up to a dangerous extent are prominently evident both in interiors and especially in exteriors.
Architectural decorative features at laces are missing due to the disintegration of country brick masonry. The fissures in the upper-level masonry both internally and externally are visible and are an eyesore of the edifice.
In many places cracks due to settlement and missing various portions give a shabby look. Erosion of poor mud mortar from the joints of the masonry is also an eyesore of the edifice and a cause of rapid deterioration of the masonry.
ARCHITECTURE
The tomb-like edifice named Sarai/Halting place is commonly known as Mudrasa. It is octagon in shape, which is further crowned with a low-height dome resting on a circular high drum. The walls of the edifice, according to the plan are 8' -9'' ft wide and are 25ft high from the ground level to the base of the drum of the dome. The four direction walls are longer (25ft) as compared to the remaining four flanking walls (I 3ft) but are higher than the longer walls. All the long walls on four sides consist of a main pointed arch recessed decorative panel with a rectangular panel all around.
In the center of each main recessed arched panel, four-pointed arched opening panels with rectangular panels all around have been created on ground level to serve as main entrances. Over the main entrance openings, four recessed rectangular decorative panels have also been created two of them are further created into pointed arch openings in an alternate order. The four flanking walls are 8' -9'' in thickness as compared to the four direction walls which are 6 ' - 7" in width. In the center of each flanking wall, two pointed arched niches within recessed rectangular panels, one above the other, have been created. In the center of the above-arched niches, a smaller pointed arched opening within a rectangular recessed panel has been created, serving as a ventilator.
On either side of each flanking wall, three more decorative panels (two of them one above the other from the ground level are recessed pointed-arched panels, while the third one on the top rectangular one) have been created. These decorative panels have been created half on each corner in a way connecting the four direction walls with flanking walls diverting each wall at a 45° angle to form the octagonal shape of the edifice.
It has raised panels or chamfered comers like the tomb of Daud Bandgi Kirmani at Sher Garh and Mir Chakar's tomb at Satghara in Okara district.
Two recessed pointed arched niches, one above the other, have been created internally in the rectangular recess panels on each corner of the edifice.
At four directions on the ground level, four arched openings have been created, while in the above eight, recessed arched niches further smaller recessed arched openings panels in all eight arched niches have been created.
On the lower portion in every eight flanking corners, two recessed decorative panels have been created while on the upper level in all eight flanking corners, recessed quenches have been created.
To differentiate the upper and lower portions, two rows of extended tiles run all around the internal surface, creating a strip/band.
The drum of the dome is 33'-3" in diameter, externally having a circumference of 104'-6". In order to differentiate the lower dome and the comparatively high drum, a decorative band in the shape of an extended tile has been created to enhance the beauty of the edifice. All the masonry work has been laid in a Mughal pattern.
