2016 Vacation: India / Bihar / Sasaram

Tomb of Sher Shah Suri

Location: Sasaram, Bihar, India.

An example of Indo-Islamic architecture.

Built between 1540 and 1545.

The tomb stands in the middle of an artificial lake.

Tomb of Sher Shah Suri

Sher Shah [reign 1540-45] of the Sur Dynasty, once expelled the second Mughal emperor, Humayun from Delhi. Sher Shah is regarded as one of the brilliant national heroes of India. Apart from a brave, intelligent and tactful military genius with shrewd political forsight, Sher Shah was a person of extraordinary skill and ability in civil administration. His original name was Farid Khan. Sher Shah was a great builder too. His most outstanding contribution to the field of architecture is the construction of his own tomb at Sasaram, which combines soberness and elegance.

It is said that Sher Shah Suri’s tomb “shows how the tomb of a king should be”. “It is one of the most praiseworthy tombs among those in India”. The tomb is regarded as one of the noblest specimen of Afghan architecture in India.

This tomb built in the mid 16th century. It is an imposing brick structure, and is partly veneered with stone. It stands in the middle of a nearly square artificial lake. It is connected to the mainland through a wide stone bridge. The square terrace forming the wide basement of this domed mausoleum has canopies at its four corners. In all four sides of the basement, stairs leading to the water edge are formed. The main body of the mausoleum, having an octagonal plan is situated at the centre of the basement. The mausoleum, set on a 9.15 mts high stone terrace, is enclosed by a parapet wall with octagonal domed pavilions at four corners. In the middle of the terrace stands the mausoleum proper on a low octagonal plinth. The building consists of a very large octagonal chamber surrounded by a 3.10 mts wide verandah. Each arm of the octagon measures about 17.00 mts externally. Surrounding the main dome are eight pillared cupolas on the corners of the octagon. The total height of the tomb above the terrace measures 37.57 mts.

The interior of the tomb is sufficiently well ventilated and lighted through large windows on the top portion of the walls. In a small arched recess above the mihrab on the western wall is an inscription in two lines recording the completion of the tomb by Salim Shah on the 7th day of Jumada, A.H. 952 (16th August 1545 AD), some three months after the death of Sher Shah Suri.

The tomb of his father Hassan Shah and that of his son Salim Shah are some other monuments of architectural as well as archaeological interest at Sasaram.

Entrance – Tomb of Sher Shah Suri

The mausoleum is in the center of a large square water tank / Tomb of Sher Shah Suri

The mausoluem – an imposing brick structure, and is partly veneered with stone, in the middle of a nearly square artificial lake, is connected to the mainland through a wide stone bridge / Tomb of Sher Shah Suri

Tomb of Sher Shah Suri

Stairs leading to the water edge / Tomb of Sher Shah Suri

View of entrance from the mausoleum / Tomb of Sher Shah Suri

Tomb of Sher Shah Suri

As mentioned earlier, the tomb of his father Hassan Shah and that of his son Salim Shah are some other monuments of architectural as well as archaeological interest at Sasaram. Below is image of tomb of his father Hasan Khan Sur.

Tomb of Hasan Khan Sur – father of Sher Shah Suri

Public Art in Chicago. Where public places are art galleries.

Chicago Art Blogger

2016 Vacation: India / Bihar / Sasaram – Tomb of Sher Shah Suri

Written by Jyoti Srivastava

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