Decaying splendour

Heritage is the last thing you think of when you think of Haryana. Yes, the state’s been remarkably coy about its built charms but to the tenacious traveller it will reveal all. From Shah Chokha’s dargah in Pinangawan to the Jama Masjid at Ferozepur Jhirka, from Chuhimal ka talab at Nuh to the baolis at Badhshahpur and Narnaul’s Jal Mahal, Haryana’s architectural splendour (if crumbling) will leave even the most diehard heritage cynic quivering with excitement. A remarkable concentration of monuments can be found in the provincial town of Farrukhnagar, six kilometres from the Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary. Most significant of these is Sheesh Mahal, built in 1711 around the reign of one of the later Mughals, Farrukhsiyar, after whom the town is named. The Sethani ki Chhatri, an elaborate memorial cenotaph at the town’s entrance, and an octagonal stepwell called the Ali Gosh Khan Baoli are not to be missed. The town itself is littered with old havelis.

The information

Location Farrukhnagar is in Haryana’s Gurgaon district, just 32km south of Delhi and can be done as a day trip.