AMAR GROVER/GETTYIMAGES; COURTESY OF MADHYA PRADESH TOURISM (4)PROMOTION
A
town where Hazrat Shah
Nizamuddin’s memory is still alive
in his dargah; a town where Faruqi
kings and Mughal emperors once ruled; a
town that still whispers the love story of
Shah Jahan—Burhanpur is a hidden gem
that beckons with its historic grandeur.A LIGHT ON ITS HISTORY
Burhanpur was founded in 1400 AD
by the Faruqi king, Nasir Khan, on the
banks of River Tapti. The kingdom reigned
over this town for the next two centuries,
but in the 1600s, the Mughals captured it.
It became the capital of their empire
and until Aurangzeb’s death in 1707,
Burhanpur remained critically important
to them. It is fascinating to know that
a fort on its outskirts, Asigarh Fort, was
crucial to their Deccan ambition. So much
so that it was called the Gateway to
Southern India.Burhanpur, a small town
in Madhya Pradesh,
has seen bloody battles
as well as pious moments
of love. Discover the
capital of the Mughal
kingdom that is
still significant to Bohra
Muslims and Sikhs.
TRANSCENDING
TIME
UNMISSABLE SIGHTS
You must start your exploration of the city
with the two oldest Faruqi monuments—the
Kali Masjid and the Bibi ki Masjid. Built by
a Faruqi queen between 1520 and 1540, the
Bibi ki Masjid is set amidst the labyrinth
alleys of Itwara mohalla. Jama Masjid,
another signifi cant landmark for Muslims,
was commissioned by Faruqi ruler Adil
Shah, but Mughal Emperor Akbar
completed the structure. The tombs of
several Faruqi ruler and queens are walled
in an enclosure, some three kilometres
away from here. You must see the crafted
jaalis that decorate the tombs of Nadir
Shah and Adil Shah.
In the Mughal reign, Burhanpur was
gloried with beautiful structures. Of these,
Badshahi Qila is the most famous.
Maintained by the Archaeological Survey
of India, the fort features the Diwan-e-Khas
and Diwan-e-Aam. You must see theRiver Tapti in Burhanpur.The tomb of
Begum Shah Shuja.