'Srinagar to Aizawl' - Amritsar - Sarai Amanat Khan

Описание: Sarai Amanat Khan is a 17th-century Mughal caravanserai (roadside inn) located near Amritsar. Commissioned in 1640–41 CE by Amanat Khan Shirazi—a famed Iranian born calligrapher of the Mughal court—it served as lodging for travellers on the historic Grand Trunk Road between Agra and Lahore. Born to Abd al Haq in Shiraz (Iran), he took the title Amanat Khan, meaning “heirloom,” after excelling in calligraphy at the Mughal court. He worked on the Taj Mahal inscriptions and Akbar’s tomb, earning Shah Jahan’s favour and a jagir that included rights to this sarai. Grief-stricken by the 1639 death of his brother Afzal Khan, Amanat Khan retired here and built the sarai—his burial place upon dying in 1644–45.

Total area is nearly square (168 × 165 m), enclosed by fortified walls with octagonal bastions. There are two grand entrances—Delhi and Lahori gates. Each gates are flanked by bastions, with vaulted chambers, staircases, glazed tile mosaics, floral motifs, jali openings, and Arabic-Persian inscriptions penned by Amanat Khan himself. There is a mosque positioned in the southern courtyard; a three-domed prayer hall with stucco mihrabs and traces of glazed calligraphic tiles. A horseshoe-shaped burial site, marked by four corner minarets, likely Amanat Khan’s mausoleum was built by his son. It is one of the four remaining Mughal sarai’s in the region, it reflects the empire’s organized network of inns supporting trade, pilgrimage, and military mobility.

Over centuries, local families—some since Partition—have settled inside, converting cells into residences, leading to structural damage and obscured layouts. The Archaeological Survey of India has been stabilizing gateways, mosque, and recently uncovered buried cells, though illegal occupancy hampers full restoration. Sarai Amanat Khan endures as a poignant cultural landmark—a testament to Mughal artistry, itinerant life, and one man’s tribute to family. Though weathered and overlooked, its calligraphy and architecture continue to resonate with history and human emotion.