A Sultanate period tomb now serves as a village centre

Nestled in the midst of modern constructions and mustard fields in Gumat Bihari village is a historical tomb that dates back to the 14th or 15th century AD

Nestled in the midst of modern constructions and mustard fields in Gumat Bihari village is a historical tomb that dates back to the 14th or 15th century AD. The structure, located nearly 90 kilometres from Gurugram in Nagina block of Nuh district, stands out from afar due to its towering presence but navigating through the mesh of modern constructions to reach the tomb can be a tough task for history lovers and heritage enthusiasts.

HT Image

The village, residents said, grew around the tomb and hence, derives its name Gumat (tomb) from the structure. A narrow pathway leads to the tomb that is spread over nearly three to four acres.

Little is known about the history of the tomb that stands out due to its unique three-tiered structure. The tomb demonstrates architecture from the Sultanate period, as per experts, and stands on an arched basement that serves as a platform for the upper structure of the tomb.

Banani Bhattacharyya, deputy director of the department of archaeology and museums, said that the tomb demonstrated the influence of Pathan infrastructure. “The architectural influence of the structure dates back to the Sultanate period (14th-15th century). This type of architecture is identified as Pathan architecture. The tomb is huge and unique, in terms of architecture,” said Bhattacharyya. She said that the structure was made of heavy stones, rubble and brick, and undergone renovations.

On the outside, the tomb is decorated with niches that are now stuffed with hay and cow dung cakes. Intricate carvings and squinch work adorn the interiors of the tombs both on the first and second floor. The tomb is home to two unmarked graves. While one of the graves is located on the first floor, the second is within the basement, said locals. The grave located on the first floor is inscribed with verses from the Quran on all sides in multiple colours, mainly red, green and blue. While inscriptions have faded over the years, parts of the Arabic font remain legible.

There are four sets of stairs, one at each corner. While three open into a closed balcony, one of them goes up to the first floor. The second floor of the tomb structure comprises a dome that is surrounded by turrets on all sides. Initially, six turrets stood around the dome. Due to damages sustained over the years, only two turrets remain at present. The interiors walls of the second floor have also been defaced with graffiti.

“From the architecture, one can see that the place was renovated from time to time in the past. We can’t be sure if the first layer is the basement or the ground floor since the road height has increased over the years. It’s possible that back then, the current basement was the ground floor and hence, had sufficient space for people and animals to cross across the town,” said Bhattacharyya. She added that the basement of the structure consisted of a path for facilitating the movement of horses.

Abdul Wahid, a 60-year-old resident, said that while the background of the tomb wasn’t known, it was crucial to the village’s origin. “Centuries ago, the gumat used to be very grand. Our forefathers used to tell us that horses and camels would pass through the tunnel in the basement. There is a tomb in the basement too. People from far off come to see it. We don’t know who got it made,” said Wahid.

He said that the place was surrounded by sprawling gardens on all four sides in its early days but that these had vanished with time. “This place was surrounded by gardens and wells on all four sides. Now, two wells remain but they are dry. Back then, women from surrounding villages would come to rest on the ground floor while men would occupy the first floor as this place stayed naturally cooler. People did not have cooling facilities or electricity then,” said Wahid.

At present too, locals often occupy the tomb complex during summer days. “During the summer, it’s relatively cooler here. It is used for holding panchayats and important gatherings,” said Ishfaq, another resident, who goes by his first name.

Parul Munjal, associate professor at the Sushant School of Art and Architecture, said that historical structures from that time period were designed in a manner to beat the heat during summer. “The use of construction material, the thickness of walls and the high ceilings of such structures are among the factors that ensure they stay cool when it’s hot outside. Similarly, during the winter months, such places are likely to be warmer, ” said Munjal.

Ibrahim Hussain Khan, 66, who owns a shop in the vicinity of the monument, said that locals used to offer namaz inside the tomb many decades ago. “When we were growing up, people used to offer namaz here. This was nearly 50 years ago. Even I have prayed here,” said Khan. He said that the portions of the tomb were used by local residents for storing hay or cow dung cakes.

Fifty-five-year-old Fareeda, who visits the tomb daily for tending to her cows, said that while the basement of the complex was being used by locals for sheltering cows, they would willingly clear the premises if the government was ready to take responsibility for the tomb’s upkeep and repairs. “The government should get the tombs repaired and restored so that people can visit our village for tourism. It is our historical legacy, and we want people to know about it,” said Fareeda, who goes by her first name.

The structure has sustained considerable damage over the years due to the vagaries of nature and human intervention. Portions of the dome and the basement and the peripheral walls are broken in parts. Over the years, locals have used brick and mortar to cover up two of the gateways that open into the inner enclosure of the tomb. A gate has also been installed to ensure that trespassers do not access the dome of the tomb.

According to the villagers, a government school used to be run on the structure and later, housed an anganwadi office until about five years ago. Since then, the place has remained unoccupied and is taken care of by the villagers, who use the premises for holding village council meetings.

Over the years, locals have reached out to authorities seeking protection of the monument but to no avail. “We have made many efforts to get this place cleaned and reached out to MLAs, but no steps have been taken. Around two months ago, a delegation of 20 people met the local MLA to request him to get this repaired but apart from mere assurances, no concrete step has been taken,” said Wahid.

Intezar Aalam, a resident, said that villagers had approached the district administration multiple times seeking urgent intervention for protecting the monument. He said that locals fear that the structure would get encroached if steps for its upkeep are not taken immediately. “Earlier this month, I filed a fresh plea at the CM window seeking support from the government for the upkeep of the tomb. The tomb complex is an important part of our local history but has received no attention. We want the government to develop this place as a tourist spot so that our present and future generations can appreciate its importance,” said Aalam.

Nuh’s deputy commissioner, Dhirendra Kharagata, said that he had learned about the presence of the heritage structure and the administration had made an initial inquiry about its present status. “Neither is the structure under the watch of ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) nor the state department of museum and archaeology. We need to check the historical value of the structure and reach out to appropriate agencies to see if the protection of the structure is their mandate. If neither the ASI nor the state departments are able to act, the district administration will try to work out a solution,” said Kharagata.

He said that there were a number of similar structures in Mewat and the administration was trying to gather information about them. “Local organisations are helping us in collecting information. We have tied up with some of them,” said Kharagata.

In response to an email query, Ashok Khemka, principal secretary of the Archeology and Museums Department, said that the department will get the heritage structure and its protection status re-examined. “This was examined and not cleared at the level of director earlier. I will get it re-examined,” said Khemka.