Tucked away in the folds of Thanesar, a non-descript town 7 km from Kurukshetra which is synonymous with the Mahabharata, is a little-explored hidden jewel dating to the 16th century, replete with history. We chanced upon it as we motored along the highway from Kurukshetra to Amritsar. The mammoth structure, the marble tomb of Sheikh Chehli, overlooks the bridge and sarai built by Mughal ruler Sher Shah Suri. The mausoleum and the madrasa attached to it are associated with the Sufi saint Abdu'r Rahim, variously known as Abd-ul-Karim and Abd-ul-Razak and popularly referred to as Sheikh Chehli or Chilli. The Iranian saint, who came to Thanesar in the 16th century, is believed to have been the spiritual teacher of the Mughal prince Dara Shikoh, son of emperor Shahjahan.
The memorial, built as a tribute to the saint by Shahjahan, contains his mortal remains and is a unique symbol of Mughal architecture in Haryana with distinctly Persian flavour. With its large bulbous domes, huge halls, arched gateways and delicate embellishment, the ASI-protected monument is ranked second only to the Taj in architectural style and splendour.
Built of buff sandstone and crowned by a pear-shaped dome of white marble erected on a high circular drum, the tomb is built on a false terrace and is octagonal shaped. The mausoleum with entrance to its south is encircled by a white marble courtyard and surrounded by twelve cupolas.
The tomb structure has several marble arches and its windows are ornamented with tracery screens or jaalis in white marble. While the central chamber has the saint’s cenotaph, his grave is located in the lower chamber.
A narrow gallery leads from the chamber to the madrasa which is embellished with nine arched openings on each side of a central courtyard. A stepped, stone tank adorns the courtyard. The madrasa is home to a couple of small museums that contain antiquities recovered during excavations undertaken in the Thanesar region.
The red sandstone mosque adjacent to the tomb, close to the western entrance of the madrasa, is a striking specimen of Muslim architecture and marble carving. The fluted minarets attached to its back wall are noteworthy.
The ceiling of the mosque is held aloft by pillars that are bejewelled with floral motifs sculpted in low relief.
To the north of the tomb is a huge garden complex which we enter through an elaborate two-storeyed structure. This is the Harshavardhana Park with it lush and well-manicured lawns.
Patterned in characteristic charbagh style associated with Mughal architecture, its centre is adorned with a square water tank. The tank, in its heydays, was supplied with water by terracotta pipes concealed in the wall.
The Harsh-ka-Tila on the west side of the tomb is in ruins. From excavations carried out at the site, it is conjectured that the area was continuously inhabited from the first century to the late Mughal period.
The complex, which also houses a tomb for Sheikh Chehli’s wife, suffered damages from the vagaries of weather and was renovated in 1854. Paradoxically, the tomb set in tranquil environs in the middle of the town, it is evident, sees few visitors. However, the well-preserved, well-maintained tomb and its sprawling environs dotted with ruins, are a visual delight for those with an interest in history and architecture.
