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    Mausoleum of Shad-e (or Shadi) Mulk Aga in Shah e Zinda, Samarqand

    Mausoleum of Mahmud Pahlavon in Khiva, Uzbekistan

    The tomb of Baba Rukn al-Din Shirazi, Takht-i Fulad, Isfahan, Iran

    The Summer Mosque of the Arc in Khiva, Uzbekistan

    Shrine of Sheikh Zainuddin Bobo in Tashkent, Uzbekistan

    The Madrasas ( educational institutions) of Ulugh Beg

    The Madrasas ( educational institutions) of Ulugh Beg

    Dargah of Sheikh Raju Qattal in Khuldabad, Maharashtra

    Dargah of Sheikh Raju Qattal in Khuldabad, Maharashtra

    AkshayVat in Allahabad/ Prayagraj

    AkshayVat in Allahabad/ Prayagraj

    Helical stepwell in Pavagadh area of Gujarat

    Islam Khoja ensemble in Khiva,Uzbekistan

    Mysore Silk and Tipu Sultan

    Mysore Silk and Tipu Sultan

    Lord Buddha statue in Chandigarh Museum

    Akbar’s Inscription in The Ranakpur Jain Temple

    Neelkanth Temple in Kumbhalgarh

    Neelkanth Temple in Kumbhalgarh

    Vijai Stambh in Chittorgarh Fort

    The importance of River Yamuna in Vrindavan

    The importance of River Yamuna in Vrindavan

    Tajuddin Baba of Nagpur or Shahenshah-e Haft-e Aqleem Hazrat Baba Tajuddin

    Tajuddin Baba of Nagpur or Shahenshah-e Haft-e Aqleem Hazrat Baba Tajuddin

    Shri Niwas or the House of Mirrors in Jaipur’s City Palace

    Shri Niwas or the House of Mirrors in Jaipur’s City Palace

    Kanishka statue in Mathura museum

    Kanishka statue in Mathura museum

    Shahji ka Mandir, Vrindavan

    Shahji ka Mandir, Vrindavan

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      Mausoleum of Shad-e (or Shadi) Mulk Aga in Shah e Zinda, Samarqand

      Mausoleum of Mahmud Pahlavon in Khiva, Uzbekistan

      The tomb of Baba Rukn al-Din Shirazi, Takht-i Fulad, Isfahan, Iran

      The Summer Mosque of the Arc in Khiva, Uzbekistan

      Shrine of Sheikh Zainuddin Bobo in Tashkent, Uzbekistan

      The Madrasas ( educational institutions) of Ulugh Beg

      The Madrasas ( educational institutions) of Ulugh Beg

      Dargah of Sheikh Raju Qattal in Khuldabad, Maharashtra

      Dargah of Sheikh Raju Qattal in Khuldabad, Maharashtra

      AkshayVat in Allahabad/ Prayagraj

      AkshayVat in Allahabad/ Prayagraj

      Helical stepwell in Pavagadh area of Gujarat

      Islam Khoja ensemble in Khiva,Uzbekistan

      Mysore Silk and Tipu Sultan

      Mysore Silk and Tipu Sultan

      Lord Buddha statue in Chandigarh Museum

      Akbar’s Inscription in The Ranakpur Jain Temple

      Neelkanth Temple in Kumbhalgarh

      Neelkanth Temple in Kumbhalgarh

      Vijai Stambh in Chittorgarh Fort

      The importance of River Yamuna in Vrindavan

      The importance of River Yamuna in Vrindavan

      Tajuddin Baba of Nagpur or Shahenshah-e Haft-e Aqleem Hazrat Baba Tajuddin

      Tajuddin Baba of Nagpur or Shahenshah-e Haft-e Aqleem Hazrat Baba Tajuddin

      Shri Niwas or the House of Mirrors in Jaipur’s City Palace

      Shri Niwas or the House of Mirrors in Jaipur’s City Palace

      Kanishka statue in Mathura museum

      Kanishka statue in Mathura museum

      Shahji ka Mandir, Vrindavan

      Shahji ka Mandir, Vrindavan

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      Sarkhej Roza, Ahmedabad

      inMy Travels
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      When Ahmed Shah (1410-43) was establishing the Gujarat Sultanate his chief spiritual advisor was Shaikh Ahmed Khattu Ganj Baksh a Sufi saint. The saint was born in Delhi in 1338 and named Malik Nasiruddin. As a child he was separated from his family and adopted by a saint Baba Ishaq Maghrebi of Khattu ( Rajasthan). Baba named him Ahmed. He supervised the child’s education and under him Ahmed received and attained educational and spiritual excellence.

      He came to Delhi but later left for the Deccan in the aftermath of Timur’s invasion. He settled in the village of Sarkhej and established his khanqah there. He became the spiritual advisor of Ahmed Shah.

      In 1411 Ahmed Shah ascended the throne of Gujarat and laid the foundation of the Gujarat Sultanate. It was on the advise of the saint that the city of Ahmedabad was founded on the banks of the Sabarmati river.

      The saint became very famous in his lifetime and ran an open house. His generosity got him the sobriquet of Gnj Baksh ( treasure house).

      The saint died at the age of 111 in 1445. Mohammed Shah the reigning monarch got a dargah built for the saint.

      It is a beautiful example of Indo-Saracenic architecture, with Hindu craftsmanship married to Islamic sense of scale and geometry.

      The word is derived from the Persian word zarkhez which means fertile. It was inhabited by indigo weavers and dyers.

      And they honored the shrine of the saint who had chosen to live amongst them by dying the ceiling of his dargah with indigo. The colors and design still live on through the ages.

      Famous City designer Asif Shaikh told me about it and showed me his tribute to the Roza with his Indigo design series inspired by it.

      This blog was inspired by that submission of self to the spiritual.

      The shrine is extremely beautiful and a Centre of spiritual solace for the populace of Ahmedabad and nearby areas.

      It’s intricate stone jaalis or lattice screens are a trademark of the Gujarati artisans and to be found in all the religious and secular buildings of the Sultanate Era.

      Their light as it filters in provides the mystic environment necessary for meditation. It also provides shade and shelter from prying eyes.

      The shrine is surrounded by a broad pillar Ed verandah on all four sides.

      A drum used during festivals and urs.

      As is normal with shrines of important saints a Mosque was also built alongside. Both the monuments were completed in 1451 CE by his successor Qutb’ud-din Ahmed Shah. 

      The Mosque is quite large with the Sultanate design of a huge courtyard and aisles running around it.

      The entrance of the mosque

      Since many of the royal family including ladies were the saints devotees a separate floor was built for them. It is ironical that today ladies are not allowed to enter it.

      Sultan Mahmud Begada expanded the shrine and excavated a central tank around it adding a 17-acre large lake with stone steps

      He added many pavilions and buildings on the opposite side of the lake. It became a royal retreat.

      Looking out onto the tank.

      The Sultan also added a Baradari ( 12 arched pavilion) in front and that becomes a popular spoof for locals to come and picnic and pray.

      This is how shrines used to be in olden days : an integral part not just of spiritual life but social life as well.

      Sultan Mahmud Begada himself is buried in a pavilion on the opposite side of the shrine overlooking the tank he built.

      His son Muzzaffar II and his queen, Rajabai are also buried alongside him.

      Once again jaalis and columns decorate the tomb of the Sultan.

      When Akbar defeated Muzaffar III the Sultan of Gujarat in 1584 he added a mansion and garden.

      Gallery:

      A tomb outside the complex.

      Further reading

      https://www.sarkhejroza.org/live.pdf

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      Rana Safvi

      Come, explore and fall in love the Beauties of Delhi (Dilli ki Ranaiya’n) and the World with me, Rana Safvi

      I have a masters in medieval history from the prestigious Centre for Advanced Studies, Dept. of History, AMU. A firm believer in our Ganga Jamuni Tehzeeb, I am passionate about gaining and sharing knowledge and these days I am doing it via the social media platform.

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