Historical

Chor gumbad

Location

The Chor gumbad is affectionately called the `signboard’ of the town. Standing majestically and isolated upon a rock in the north of the town, this gumbad is a well pplaned square building with a large chamber within and four minarets outside at each corner. Constructed by the Afghan Jamal Khan (as his tomb) during the reign of Feroze Shah Tughlaq, it became a hideout for robber and thieves, thus earning its name (chor means thief).

Topic

Chatta Rai Bal Mukund Das

Location

A large palace built by Rai Bal Mukund Das, the diwan of Narnaul during Emperor Shah Jahan’s reign. This five-storey building has a number of halls, rooms and pavillions, and the Diwan-e-Khas (inner chambers) flaunts marble floors and pillars. Fountains and springs (they don’t work anymore) were made to keep the building as well as the surrounding area cool in summer, the water being sucked in from a well in the southwest. The Persian wheel was used to lift water into reservoirs at various levels from this well so that water could flow down at great speed.

Topic

Sheikh Chehli Mausoleum

Location

Towards the north of Thanesar and over looking the sarai built by Sher Shah Suri is the marble tomb of Sheikh Chehli. This beautiful tomb and the attached madrasa are associated with the Sufi Saint Abdu'r Rahim alias Abd-ul-Karim alias Abd-ul-Razak, popularly known as Sheikh Chehli, also called Chilli believed to be the spiritual teacher to the Mughal prince, Dara Shikoh.

Sheikh Chehli was an Iranian Sufi Saint. He came to Thanesar to meet Hazrat Kutub Jalaluddin in the 16th century. He breathed his last here. He was laid to rest in this tomb which had originally been built for Hazrat Kutub, Jalaluddin under orders of Shahjahan, out of his great respect and regard for Hazrat Sahib.

Topic

Lat Ki Masjid

Location

Lat Ki Masjid was built by Feroze Shah Tughlaq is an outstanding example of the marriage of many different styles. The slightly slanting walls are characteristic of Suljuk style while the jalis (grids) are assimilated from the Hindus. A unique mosque, it is distinguished by its lithic pillar and square chamber, not to mention the shape of the mosque itself. The mosque is built in an L shape, never seen earlier.

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Jahaz Kothi

Location

Remember Jahaz Sahib from history, the Irish who ruled Haryana in 1798? Hissar was his land, and he lived here in a magnificent palace (although not that big compared to Mughal standards). He got the mughals to make it for him, and so it has the characteristic mughal touch to it.

Topic

Ancient Mounds

Location

Three mounds from the Harappan period can be found in Banawali, Kunal and Agroha. The mound in Banawali, 15kms from Fatehabad, reveals a fortified town (BC 2500 – 1700). Its inhabitants lived in brick houses and used clay pottery, beads of semi-precious stones and bangles, worshipping a mother goddess set in terracotta.

The Kunal excavations are pretty similar, although they bring to light that the Harappans went through three stages of development; from pit houses to regular rectangular and square dwellings above the surface.

Topic