The monuments of Haryana would remind one about the state`s rich opulent culture and tradition. Haryana monuments include the forts, palaces and tombs of the ruling dynasties that have now altered into different government offices of the state. Monuments of Haryana consist of the tomb of Ibrahim Lodi in Panipat, the Star monument Bhiwani in the Bhiwani complex which is situated approximately 12kms away from Bhiwani, the fort of Kalsia Raja, the Jal Mahal, tombs of Shah Quli Khan, Shiekh Chehli, and Feroz Shah` S Palace to name a few.
The architectural structures of different monuments of Haryana vary from each other. Different rulers of each and every dynasty constructed their structures with the mixture of traditional and modern equipments and techniques. Some monuments are of rectangular block shape constructed by Lakhori bricks, some are hexagonal pyramidal shaped having star shaped sides; some are constructed with absolutely no pillars and other constructions have been decorated wonderfully with the famous mural paintings.
Popular historical monuments of Haryana
The history of Haryana is one of the oldest histories dating back to the Vedic Period and is steeped in glory. It was the land where the epic battle of Mahabharata at Kurukshetra took place. It is the same land where Lord Krishna recited the Bhagwad Gita to the reluctant Arjuna and three other battles were fought at Panipat. Different religions have evolved during the thousand years of history of this state. Different rulers constructed several religious monuments including temples, tombs, churches, mosques and gurdwaras.
Rai Bal Mukund Das Ka Chatta
Also known as Birbal Ka Chatta, the palace belonged to Rai Bal Mukund Das (superintendent of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan). Rai Bal Mukund Das Ka Chatta is known for its architectural excellence, displaying a five storied structure with hall, terraces and room around a central courtyard. The building originally had three underground floors but presently only one level is accessible.
Jal Mahal
Jal Mahal was constructed by Shah Quli Khan in 1591 AD. Shah Quli Khan was the then governor of Narnaul and it said to be favourite of Emperor Akbar. It is a fusion of Hindu and Islamic architectural styles. The layout of Jal Mahal shows a finely developed system of filling the huge water tank with rain water.
Tomb of Ibrahim Khan Suri
Tomb of Ibrahim Khan Suri was built in 1538-1545 AD by Sher Shah Suri in the memory of this grandfather Ibrahim Khan Suri. it was built 50 years after the death of Ibrahim Khan Suri.
Buddha Stupa
Buddha Stupa in Chaneti was built in the 3rd century BC by Mauryan emperor Ashoka. This stupa is built on similar lines to the Shahpur and Dharamrajika stupas of Taxila.
Lat Ki Masjid
Lat Ki Masjid, constructed in the 14th century is a mosque located to the east end of the Feroz Shah complex, opposite to the Talaqi Gate. The monument gets its name from the ancient column located within the courtyard.
Tomb of Shah Quli Khan
Shah Quli Khan built this tomb in 16th century in the memory of this father. Shah Quli Khan was the governor of Narnaul during the Mughal emperor Akbar.
Chamunda Devi Temple
Chamunda Devi temple is considered to be in built in 12th century by Raja Laun Karan who was then the ruler of Narnaul. He was an ardent devotee of Chamunda Devi.
Barsi Gate
Barsi Gate is one of the five gates and the only surviving gate that surrounded the walled city of Hansi. It is an example of Sultanate architecture built by Sultan Alaud-din Khilji in 1303 AD. It was repaired in 1522 AD during the rule of Ibrahim Lodhi.
Asigarh Fort
Asigarh Fort, also called Hansi Fort is located on the eastern bank of Amti lake in Hansi town of Haryana, India, about 135 km from Delhi on NH9. In its prime days this fort used to be in control of 80 forts in the area. The fort has been declared a centrally protected monument by ASI in 1937. It is believed that original fort was built by emperor Harshavardhana or his grandfather emperor Prabhakaravardhana of Pushyabhuti dynasty. The present fort was built with materials of earlier fort of 7th century C.E.
Firoz Shah Palace Complex
Firoz Shah Palace Complex is located in the city of Hisar in Haryana. It was built by Firuz Shah Tughlaq in 1354 AD. It represents a blend of Islamic and Indian architectures.
Thanesar Pathar Mosque
Pathar Masjid in Thanesar is a mosque build of red sandstone in Mughal architecture style. The fluted minarets are attached to the back walls. Believed to be built in 17th century, the mosque is located in Kurukshetra district and is protected by the Government of India.
Sheikh Chilli`s Tomb
Sheikh Chilli`s Tomb is complex of structures located in Kurukshetra district of Haryana. It includes two tombs, a madrasa, Mughal gardens and various subsequent features.
Kabuli Bagh Mosque
Kabuli Bagh Mosque, located in Panipat was built in 1527 by the emperor Babur to mark his victory over Sultan Ibrahim Lodhi at the first Battle of Panipat in 1526. The mosque is named after Kabuli Begum, Babur`s wife.
Choron ki Baoli
Shah Jahan ki baoli, commonly known as Choron ki baoli is a baoli in Maham. The structure was built during the reign of Emperor Shah Jahan to collect rainwater for use by the nearby town.
Nabha House
Nabha House is a palatial building which was used by the royal family of Nabha as residence. It was adopted by Archaeological Survey of India in 2005 and they worked 9 years to bring it back to its original form.
Most of the ancient monuments of Haryana were destroyed by the Mughals during their invasion and rebuilt several monuments in Islamic architectural styles. Hence, the amalgamations of monuments of ancient period, medieval period and British Empire that are still present there speak volumes about the architectural splendour and imagination of their creators and still continue to fascinate the people from all over the world.