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This bustling town 58km north-west of Varanasi
sees few travellers but is of interest to architectural historians
for its moques, which are built in a unique style that is part
Islamic and part Hindu and Jain.
 Founded
by Feroz Shah Tughlaq in 1360 on an ancient site, Jaunpur became the
capital of the independent Muslim Sharqui kingdom. The most
impressive mosques were constructed between 1394 and 1478. They were
built on ruins of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain temples and shrines, and
are notable for their odd mixture of
architectural styles, their two storey arcades and large gateways,
and their unusual minarets. Jaunpur was sacked by Sikandar Lodi, who
left only the mosques undamaged. The Mughals took over in 1530. The
sights are spread out over two or three sq km so a cycle-rickshaw
can be useful, and the wallahs can also act as guides. The modest
but well-maintained Jaunpur Fort, built by Feroz Shah in 1360,
overlooks the Gomti River. Continue 500m north of here and you come
to the Atala Masjid, built in 1408 on the site of a Hindu temple
dedicated to Atala Devi. Another 500m north-west
is the
largest and most impressive of the mosques, the Jama Masjid, built
between 1438 and 1478. Other places to see include the Jhanjhri
Masjid, the tombs of the Sharqul sultans, the Char Ungil Masjid and
the Lal Darwaza Masjid. |
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From
their vantage point a t
the northern extremity of the Kaimur hills, the impressive sandstone
battlements of Chunar command a meander in the Ganga before the
river curves north to Varanasi 22 km. away. Evidence of the earliest
occupation of the site dates it to Vikramaditya of Ujjain in 56 BC.
Chunar sandstone has been used for centuries, most famously in
Ashokan pillars - and is still quarried, leaving the surrounding
hills looking ravaged in places |