THREE miles north-west of Lahore, is Shahdara. Not much of a place to visit, except for the fact that it is the final resting place of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir. Recently, I along with a few friends headed towards this historical metropolis for a day out of Lahore’s congestion.
At Jahangir’s mausoleum, one finds various architectural decorations, prominent and conspicuous, fresco paintings, floral designs, stone carvings, stucco tracery, pietra dura, stone inlay work melange of geometric and floral designs; all harmoniously executed in the panels presenting a true picture of the Mughal architects methods, beauty of proportion.
Historian J.P.Thompson writes: “Emperor Jahangir in his will directed that he should be buried in an open place, where the clouds of God’s mercy might visit his tomb without let or hindrance. For many years, prior to the British annexation, there was an oblong hole in the domed roof of the octagonal tomb-chamber which has been closed since the beginning of the present century.”
The structure stands in a vast walled garden (about sixty acres) and took ten years to build at cost estimated to be ten lakh rupees. To approach the superb building, one has to enter through two massive gateways of stone and masonry, to north and south. It leads to a square enclosure in front with a full view of the 600 sq yards garden. Here we saw the facade of Jahangir’s tomb, in red sandstone standing on plinth. The exterior offers rich decorative motifs combination of red sandstone and white marble, borrowed from Persian miniature paintings, that include rose water sprinklers, fruit dishes etc.
The whole structure is surrounded by corridors and open a number of cells for those intending to recite the Holy Quran. The place is richly adorned with a profusion of marble ornaments, arranged in elegant mosaic, representing flowers and verses from the Holy Quran. Exemplary examples of chaste workmanship.
The vagaries of time did not show any mercy on the building unsurpassed in the majestic architecture and exquisite embellishment. The alteration in the original design, soil condition, vehicular traffic and encroachment near and around monument have taken their toll. And then there are the land grabbers who have erected multi-storied buildings adjacent to the monument. This has definitely marred its beauty. At least, the rules dictate that there should be a 200-ft buffer zone between the buildings erected and the mausoleum.
The Federal Department of Archaeology has for the past couple of years working for its conservation. So much so that for restoration purposes, the stone cutting is not done with modern techniques; rather it is the original Mughal period technique that has been adopted towards that end.
During the past two years a lot of work has been done in an effort to restore the place to its former magnificence. The eastern side has been restored, indeed a major achievement for the department. Presently the department is engaged in four projects of preservation i.e. red sandstone work, Sang-e-Badil flooring and southern walkways.
The southern facade is almost done; the eastern main gate entrance is complete as well. The northwest corner is bulging out due to atmospheric reaction and a plan has been earmarked to complete the task of restoration of this corner before the end of this year.
The great charm of the Mughal buildings lies in the beauty of their proportions and the principles that highlight them. The deteriorating state of the structure has been demanding attention. The Federal Department of Archaeology has been utilizing their services and considering problems of restoration and proper maintenance seriously.
THREE miles north-west of Lahore, is Shahdara. Not much of a place to visit, except for the fact that it is the final resting place of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir. Recently, I along with a few friends headed towards this historical metropolis for a day out of Lahore’s congestion.
