Hidden Heritage Sites of Agra Need Preservation – Firstpost

During Diwali week, a newspaper report showed a firework display that amazed and shocked heritage lovers. The historical monument at Agra, although relatively minor, collapsed. It was a tower that stood on the banks of the Yamuna and dates from the heyday of Agra – when it was one of the most important cities of the Mughal Empire, including the period of its capital.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) list for Agra district includes 67 monuments. Number 32 on this list is now in ruins. This was the corner tower of Zahara Bagh, mentioned in the ASI list as “Zora Bagh and Riverside Kiosk”. The newspaper erroneously dated it to 1526, when Babur first arrived in Agra after defeating Lodi. According to detailed research by historian Ebba Koch, the Bagh in question was built almost a century later under the patronage of Mumtaz Mahal, wife of the Mughal prince Khurram and then empress when Khurram inherited the throne as Shah Jahan.

According to a 17th-century map found by Ebba Koch in the Jaipur Museum, Zahara Bagh was one of several walled gardens built next to the Yamuna in Agra throughout this century. Like Zahara Bagh, most of the others were also created under the patronage of either members of the Mughal imperial family or the high nobility. Not far from Bagh is Chini ka Rauza, the tomb of a high-ranking nobleman. A little further on is the magnificent tomb of Itmad-ud-Daula, the father of Empress Nur Jahan. Thus, Bagh was in a zone reserved for the elite of the empire.

Except his name wasn’t Zahara Bagh! After Mumtaz Mahal, the Bagh passed to her eldest daughter, Princess Jahanara, and was named after her. “Jahanara” eventually mutated into “Zahara”. Even worse, some call it “Zohra”. Names aside, the real tragedy of heritage-rich places like Agra is that many nuggets of their past tend to fall out of sight of those responsible for their upkeep. A serious reason is the lack of sufficient funds, as well as lack of initiative and enthusiasm.

Perhaps the biggest flaw in the Indian approach to heritage management is that it tends to be monument-centric, looking at structures individually rather than the wider ecosystem of which they are a part, indeed an ecosystem that may well have given rise to the monument itself . With this approach, outstanding monuments, both in terms of historical significance and size, receive all the attention and resources. It’s up to the smaller ones, like Bug “Zahara”, to prove that God really exists somewhere.

Agra was once a city full of such gardens and havelis – huge mansions where the nobility and rich citizens lived. Most of them remained intact even at the beginning of the 18th century. From then on, events such as the gradual decline of the Mughals until their eventual collapse and partition, combined with the decadent lifestyle of the nobles themselves, destroyed them, leading to the gradual abandonment of the gardens and the sale of the mansions to those who could pay, usually wealthy merchants. . Over time, the mansions were sold piecemeal to different buyers, and some were simply occupied by families in need of relocation. New walls replaced the old ones, elegant elements such as towers and domes were demolished to make way for functional spaces, and soon all structural integrity was lost. Exploring Agra today, one can see the remains of many such lost buildings.

Starting with the now lost corner tower ‘Zahara’ Bug myself. Two months ago it stood tall – three levels rising above the ground floor, topped by a dome (as shown in the main image). Now only the first floor remains under a pile of rubble.

A short drive from Bagh, the visitor finds himself in Chauburji. Usually the gates of the walled complex in which this structure is located are locked. But if a person looks inside, there will be a square tomb. This is believed to be the original grave of Babur himself, before his body was discovered and brought to Kabul.

On the same bank of the river there is a village called Kachhpurais considered a not-so-safe part of the city to visit due to some supposedly anti-social elements that reside there. In an earlier era, he witnessed the establishment of the mosque by Humayun. The design is still in use today.

Etmadpur: Outside Agra, on the road to Tundla, this was once a complex complex with a tomb on one side of a large body of water. In the middle of the reservoir there is an octagonal pavilion connected to the edge of the reservoir by a dam. The tomb contains a nobleman named Itimad Khan, who died around 1578. It appears that in the late 19th century British troops used this site to camp, carving their names and dates into the walls, making their graffiti part of our history.

Fatehabad: Situated east of the city of Agra, at a place named after Aurangzeb’s victory over Dara Shikoh, lies a small complex. Some of the buildings here had been converted into a government medical facility when the author last visited the site. Some of the complex’s elegant pavilions are overgrown with vegetation and falling apart.

Tal Firoz Khan: Originally a village near Agra on the road to Gwalior, it has now become part of the growing city. The village was created around the tomb of a Mughal nobleman named Firoz Khan, a eunuch who may have served Shah Jahan. His magnificent red sandstone tomb, built on two levels and richly decorated, still stands. The reservoir – “tal” – is now filled with garbage and has significantly decreased in size. It could soon disappear, taking away part of the monument’s ecosystem and leaving visitors wondering about the name of the village.

Suraj Bhan ka Bagh: Situated near Akbar’s tomb in Sikandra, this monument is, oddly enough, in private hands, in a closed area. Although there is no trace left of the bug, there is a large red sandstone gate with rich carvings on the outside.

Ladli Begum’s grave: This is a classic example of a monument that no longer exists and whose very existence is now just a legend. It is said that the tomb was located on the old road from Agra to Delhi. This is not visible now!

Some opinions dating back more than a century say that the tomb was sold to wealthy merchants from Mathura, who demolished it, using the land for various purposes. Given that the only known Ladli Begum – Nur Jahan’s daughter from his first marriage – was buried next to her mother in Lahore, there are also doubts whose grave it is.

These examples are just a few from a city that has hundreds of vulnerable monuments. And unlike them, many do not have signs next to them proclaiming the state’s protection of their existence. They are as much a part of the city’s past as the Taj, and to survive they need documentation and some conservation. Let’s hope that the loss of the Zakhar Bug will spur some people to action.

The author is a heritage explorer with a penchant and penchant for finding lesser-known places. He is a brand consultant by profession and tweets @HiddenHeritage. The views expressed in the article above are personal and belong solely to the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of Firstpost.