Tomb of Sher Shah Suri, 16th-century royal tomb in Sasaram, India
The Tomb of Sher Shah Suri is a three-storied octagonal mausoleum of red sandstone on a square plinth about 22 feet high, set in an artificial lake in Sasaram. Its 122-foot height culminates in a dome 80 feet across, once crowned by a chhatri and now by an amalaka. A veranda with three arched openings per side encircles the mortuary chamber, and chhatris stand at the corners of the second and third stories.
Sher Shah Suri commissioned the tomb himself, possibly in 1542, and died in a gunpowder explosion at Kalinjar Fort on 22 May 1545. Construction continued under his son Islam Shah Suri, and the tomb was completed on 16 August 1545, three months after his death. Local tradition names Mir Muhammad Aliwal Khan as the architect.
The walls display Quranic inscriptions and geometric patterns typical of 16th-century Islamic design. Visitors notice these decorations while moving through the different levels of the building.
The mausoleum is maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India and is open to visitors. A causeway built in 1914 connects the artificial island to the mainland, allowing foot access.
The artificial lake was laid out to represent the Pond of Abundance, and verses of Surah Al-Kawthar are carved inside the tomb. The original causeway was replaced in 1914–15 by the Archaeological Survey of India. The dome was once crowned by a chhatri, now replaced by an amalaka.
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