Khawaja Mehmud's Shrine

 25 12 2014
 01 05 2013

The high dome of the shrine of Khawaja Mehmud alias Hazrat Eshan is located to the west of Begampura and north of the University of Engineering the Technology. Khawaja Mehmud was a native of Bukhara. At age 20, he ventured out of his town after receiving his education in the royal college and becoming a renowned scholar at such a young age. On the way, he made thousands of disciples in Herat, Kabul, and Kandahar. He came to Kashmir in Akbar's time from where Jahangir took him to Agra. In Shah Jahan's time, he made Lahore his residence. He laid out his mausoleum in his own life time and upon his death in 1642 was buried here. Wazir Khan, governor of Lahore under Shah Jahan, held him in high esteem and would spend from his own wealth for the upkeep of the saint's shrine. During the viceroyalty of Nawab Zakariya Khan, who lived at Begampura, the mausoleum was at the height of its popularity.

The octagonal building of the tomb is surmounted by a high dome. The entrance is from the west and stairs provide access to the top of the building. Inside the tomb, in the center, there is a large platform upon which is the grave of Khawaja Mehmud. Another grave in the northeast belongs to Baha-ud-Din, son of Khawaja Mehmud.

West of the mausoleum is a beautiful mosque topped by three domes. The central dome being larger. The mosque is of the same vintage as the tomb, however, it has been much renovated of late. During the reign of Ranjit Singh, General Gulab Singh established his cantonment near the mausoleum and knocked down the surrounding walls of the tomb enclosure. He filled the mausoleum with magazine and removed its marble. Brick-sellers stole the bricks from the courtyard of the mosque and even the graves themselves.

At the advent of British rule, the mausoleum was cleared and buildings of the tomb and the adjoining mosque repaired. Currently, the tomb is white washed from the outside and so is the mosque. However, on the inside of the tomb, one can still see the beautiful fresco paintings of floral and geometric designs.