Aurangzeb’s forgotten garden in Fatehpur district – Firstpost

In recent weeks, Mughal history aficionados have been thrilled to hear of the restoration of the Sheesh Mahal in Delhi’s Shalimar Bagh. The small palace, built in 1653 by Emperor Shah Jahan, was intended as a pleasure pavilion. In fact, the Shalimar Bagh itself was originally called Aizzabad Garden, named after Aizzun Nisha Begum, one of the emperor’s consorts. Some believe that the emperor himself renamed it ‘Shalimar’ meaning ‘abode of pleasure’.

However, it was only after Shah Jahan was deposed that the Bagh saw its most important historical moment. In July 1658, his son Aurangzeb was crowned emperor in the Bagh, skyrocketing its status from mere pleasure place to imperial coronation seat. Aurangzeb’s path to the throne was marred by intrigue, treachery and ruthlessness. To keep the crown, each of his brothers needed to be eliminated.

Dara Shukoh – the original heir apparent to Shah Jahan’s throne – was executed in August 1659. Murad was captured, imprisoned at Gwalior and then put to death in December 1661. But before these two were done away with came a more formidable challenge. In the form of Shah Shuja, Aurangzeb’s brother who oversaw the fertile and revenue rich province of Bengal – resources which were leveraged to raise a sizable force.

On January 5, 1659, Shuja’s forces faced off against Aurangzeb’s troops. The former had several fearsome war elephants under his command. In terms of artillery guns, the two forces were evenly matched, though Aurangzeb had an overall numerical superiority. The battlefield was a place called Khajuha. On that winter day in 1659, the pendulum swung one way and then the other. Aurangzeb was forced to bring his reserves into action and eventually carried the day, confirming his status as emperor. Shuja fled the battlefield with his brother’s forces in pursuit. He would eventually have to flee all the way to the Arakan where he later died.

Located between the Ganga and the Yamuna, Khajuha now falls in Fatehpur district of Uttar Pradesh. The sound and fury of the 17th century battle are long forgotten in this quiet town. But not entirely. One marker remains and a rather large one at that.

The story goes that Aurangzeb stayed at Khajuha for a week, renaming the place Aurangabad. On the site of the fateful battle, he had a magnificent walled garden laid out in the Mughal ‘Char Bagh’ style with twin pavilions within. This ‘Bagh Badshahi’ survives and in fact, the town of Khajuha is known for the Bagh. Given that Khajuha lay on the Mughal highway that led eastward, the Bagh also had a caravan sarai for travellers.

The Bagh is surrounded by a high wall, punctuated on its western side by a lofty gateway. Each corner has a small tower. At the eastern end are the structures built by Aurangzeb. Standing atop a two-tiered platform are twin pavilions that face each other. One has a curvilinear style roof while the other is flat on top. These pavilions may have once had painted interiors, but no sign of artwork remains today. With multiple arched entrances on both sides, one can imagine a Mughal royal taking a break in these pavilions while travelling east from Delhi. Between the two pavilions is a now-dry water tank. Stone channels for distribution of water run all around the complex with an elaborate fountain also present.

On the other side of the Bagh, facing the two pavilions, is the area that would have been used for the caravan sarai. Steps lead down from the pavilions towards this part. The trees that would have once graced this part of the Bagh are history now. The space they once stood in has been turned into an area for cultivation, lush with crops. In the middle is a shack where a farmer resides. Cattle are tied around, chewing the cud and looking utterly uninterested in their Mughal surroundings. Next to the shack is an old well, one that would have been part of the original sarai. There is evidence of various other structures having stood here once, but only their foundation levels remain.

Long after the last Mughal had vanished from Khajuha, the area came into the control of the British. And in their true style, they made the most of the walled enclosure by encouraging the cultivation of Indigo within. Perhaps that is when the first crops came to be grown within the sarai space and the tradition continues till today.

Beyond the Bagh Badshahi, there is more to explore in Khajuha. One enters the town through another gateway, also Mughal in appearance, and arrives in a large central chowk. A close look at the mosque on one side shows its true age, below the layers of white and green paint. On certain days of the week, the chowk area is filled with hawkers selling local produce.

To discover Khajuha’s best kept secret, a visitor needs to walk through its lanes and alleys. Within these are several small temples that date to the late 18th – 19th century period. Their exterior reveals fine carvings with small paintings in the gaps between the stonework. A commonly seen motif is that of twin fish – the Mahi Maratib which was the symbol of the kingdom of Awadh.

On entering the temples, a visitor is amazed. The ceilings and walls of these temples are embellished with fine paintings, many of which have survived. There are depictions of various gods and goddesses – from Ganesha to incarnations of Vishnu to the Krishna Leela. Sharing space with them are finely drawn paintings of animals and birds. Prominent are peacocks, elephants, snakes, cows, tigers and monkeys.

The town also has several newly built temples, easily identified by their garish exteriors, but these can be safely ignored by history buffs. In this place where the past jostles for space with the present, heritage will need an external hand to last longer. In the capital of the country, it took a visit by the Lieutenant Governor for the Shalimar Bagh’s Sheesh Mahal to be restored. What will it take for the Bagh Badshahi or the temples of Khajuha to be conserved?

The author is a heritage explorer with a penchant for seeking obscure sites. A brand consultant by profession, he tweets @HiddenHeritage. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views.