->JJMC89 bot III: Moving :Category:Buildings and Structures in Jalandhar to :Category:Buildings and structures in Jalandhar per Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Speedy

2020-08-25T05:54:53Z

Moving Category:Buildings and Structures in Jalandhar to Category:Buildings and structures in Jalandhar per Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Speedy

New page

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2018}}
{{Infobox historic site
| name = Serai Nurmahal
| native_name =
| native_language =
| image = Nurmahal Sarai Mughal Heritage Punjab India.JPG
| caption = The Nurmahal Sarai
| type = [[caravanserai]]
| locmapin =
| coordinates = 
| location = [[Nurmahal]], [[Punjab]]
| area =
| built =1618
| architect =
| architecture =[[Mughal architecture]]
| governing_body =
| owner =
| designation1 =
| designation1_offname =
| designation1_date =
| designation1_number =
| designation2 =
| designation2_offname =
| designation2_date =
| designation2_number =
| designation3 =
| designation3_offname =
| designation3_date =
| designation3_number =
| designation4 =
| designation4_offname =
| designation4_date =
| designation4_number =
| designation5 =
| designation5_offname =
| designation5_date =
| designation5_number =
}}

'''Serai Nurmahal''' or ''Mughal Serai'' is an inn of historical importance located at [[Nurmahal]], near [[Jalandhar]].

==History==
The Mughal age was an age of development in almost every field including economy. The growing importance of trade and commerce and politics, led to the construction of a network of roads that connected places of commercial and political interests. Along the sides of these roads shady trees were planted, wells dug out and resting places for travellers called ''serais'' were constructed.<ref>Mukherjee,Soma ''Royal Mughal Ladies and their Contributions''</ref>

The serai was constructed on the orders of [[Nur Jahan|Noor Jahan]], wife of the Mughal Emperor [[Jahangir]] under the supervision of Zakariya Khan in 1618AD, then Governor of the [[Jullundur Doab|Doab]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://punjabrevenue.nic.in/gaz_jdr17.htm#ch19h |title=Archived copy |access-date=19 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090410025927/http://punjabrevenue.nic.in/gaz_jdr17.htm#ch19h |archive-date=10 April 2009 |url-status=dead|df=dmy-all }}</ref> [[Nurmahal]] got its name from [[Nur Jahan|Noor Jahan]], who is said to have been brought up here.<ref>http://jalandhar.nic.in/html/cities_towns_nurmahal.htm{{dead link|date=May 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

==Location And Design==
[[Nurmahal]] is situated 16 miles south of [[Jalandhar]], 25 miles east south-east of [[Sultanpur, Haryana|Sultanpur]] and 13 miles west of Pahlor.<ref>''Ibid'', p. 229</ref>

The serai was built on a site measuring 551 square feet. It had octagonal towers at the corners. The western gateway, called Lahore gate is double-storied and built in red sandstone. Its front is divided into panels ornamented in sculptured relief. There were figures of angels, lotuses, nymphs, lions, elephants, birds, peacocks, men on horseback, etc. The scenes represented by many of these had scenes of elephant fight or four horsemen playing Chaugan.<ref>''Ibid'', p. 229</ref> Over the entrance to the gateway is an inscription, flanked by scenes of fighting animals and sculpted lotus mounds. The inscription written in four rhyming verses, reads as follows :
# During the just rule of [[Jahangir]] Shah, son of [[Akbar]] Shah, whose neither heaven nor earth remembers.
# The Nur Saray was founded in the district of Phalor by command of that angel, [[Nur Jahan]] Begam.
# The poet happily discovered this date of its foundation: this Saray was founded by [[Nur Jahan]] Begam in 1028.
# Knowledge of the date of its completion was found in the words: "This Saray was erected by Nur Jahan Begam" 1030.<ref>Findly, ''Noorjahan'', p.229</ref>

There were plenty of rooms, Emperor's quarters, a well and a mosque inside the serai area. [[Jahangir]] mentions this serai in his memoirs when he says:

''...I took up my quarters in Nur-Saray. At this spot the Vakils of Nur Jahan Begam had built a lofty house, and made a royal garden. It was now completed. On this account the Begam, having begged for an entertainment, prepared a grand feast, and by the way of offering, with great pains produced all kinds of delicate and rare things. In order to please her I took what I approved. I halted two days at this place.''<ref>''Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri''Vol.II, p.229</ref>

In his memoirs, [[Jahangir]] mentions this place at another time also.<ref>''Ibid.,''p. 338</ref> Nur Jahan's Serai was quite famous during those times and ''"Serai Noor Mahal"'' in local usage came to mean some spacious and important edifice.<ref>Findly, ''Noorjahan'', p.229</ref>

==Protected monument==
The sarai is remarkable specimen of oriental architecture. Nurmahal Sarai is perhaps the only known monument in [[Jalandhar]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=245515 |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2010-03-19 |url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090113202208/http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=245515 |archivedate=13 January 2009 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> This historical monument is now looked after by the [[Archaeological Survey of India]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_alphalist_punjab.asp |title=Archived copy |access-date=19 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171002001018/http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_alphalist_punjab.asp |archive-date=2 October 2017 |url-status=dead|df=dmy-all }}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Tourism in Punjab, India]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{coord missing|Punjab (India)}}

[[Category:Mughal architecture]]
[[Category:Monuments and memorials in Punjab, India]]
[[Category:Tourism in Punjab, India]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Jalandhar]]
[[Category:Ruins in India]]
[[Category:Caravanserais in India]]

Serai Nurmahal - Revision history

->JJMC89 bot III: Moving :Category:Buildings and Structures in Jalandhar to :Category:Buildings and structures in Jalandhar per Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Speedy