| Eklakhi Mausoleum | |
|---|---|
| AnASIListed Monument | |
 | |
 Interactive map of Eklakhi Mausoleum | |
| Type | Mausoleum |
| Etymology | ₹100,000 used in its construction |
| Location | Pandua,West Bengal, India |
| Coordinates | 25°08′20″N88°09′15″E / 25.1388°N 88.1543°E /25.1388; 88.1543 |
| Built | c. 1425 |
| Governing body | Archaeological Survey of India (N-WB-100) |
Eklakhi Mausoleum is amausoleum located atPandua inMalda district,West Bengal, India. It was built around 1425. It houses three tombs, possibly belonging to SultanJalaluddin Muhammad Shah, his wife, and sonShamsuddin Ahmad Shah, but the identification is disputed. The structure represents a village hut with a sloping roof and serves as a prototype for the various other buildings constructed during theBengal Sultanate.
The mausoleum was built in the early 15th century (c. 1425).[1][2] It houses three tombs. One tomb is believed to be that of SultanJalaluddin Muhammad Shah, the other two of his wife and sonShamsuddin Ahmad Shah. The orientation and the identification of these tombs is disputed.[3] Jalaluddin was a son ofRaja Ganesha and had later converted to Islam. He was one of the firstnative Muslim king of Bengal. Although during his reignSonargaon was thede jure capital of thesultanate, Jalauddin Muhammad Shah frequently ruled from Pandua and eventually believed to have died there, making him the last Sultan of Bengal to rule fromPandua.[4]
According to tradition, the construction of the mausoleum cost one lakh rupees (₹100,000).[A] The mausoleum received its name "Eklakhi" (lit. 'of One Lakh') from this amount. The mausoleum is anASI listed monument.[3]
The mausoleum is the earliest surviving square-shaped building with a single dome in Bengal.[5] The brick structure has 4 m (13 ft) thick walls and an octagon-shaped interior, which together minimize the size ofsquinches required.[3][5] The mausoleum has a smoothly curvedcornice,terracotta ornamentation on the walls, and engaged towers at the corners.[4] The cornice supports the hemispherical dome on square squinches.[1]
The mausoleum is 75 feet (23 m) wide and 25 feet (7.6 m) in height. The diameter of the dome is 46 feet (14 m). A doorway is present at each of itsfacades. Each doorway has a pointed arch. The interior chamber measures 47 feet (14 m) and has no window.[2]
Historian Perween Hasan writes that the architecture may have been inspired by the brick temples in pre-Islamic Bengal. As Jalaluddin was the first native Muslim king of Bengal, he may have built the mausoleum in typical Bengali style, highlighting his roots.[4] The mausoleum's structure represents athatched hut with a sloping roof formingeaves.[6] It is the earliest example of the distinctive Bengali architecture which was popularised during the period of theBengal Sultanate and later.[4]
