Ustad's Tomb Nakodar is located outside the town of Nakodar and a well known tourist spot in Punjab. During our stay in Amritsar we went to visit the tomb, which was quite far from Amritsar, in the district of Jalandhar. As we reached the place, we were very impressed by its massive structure and beauty. It is tomb built on the mortal remains of Ustad Muhammed Momin, who a tambura player was serving under Khan-IKhanan, one of the Navratnas in the court of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. The tomb was built in 1612 during the reign of Jahangir.
The tomb had a hemispherical dome and a pinnacle, and a series of steps on two sides, which we climbed to reach an octagonal platform. The tomb stands on this platform. The structure looked octagonal from outside but when we stepped inside, it looked square. There are two entrances to the tomb, one on the northern side and the other on the southern side. Other entrances are blocked by screens and therefore not in use. The tomb is decorated with beautiful designs and tile works that were glazed and painted.
After visiting the tomb of Muhammed Momin, we went to visit the other tomb nearby, which is the Tomb of Haji Jamal, a disciple of Muhammed Momin. It was built in 1657, during the time when Shah Jahan was the emperor. It is built in the middle of a square platform, with a flight of steps on each side. The burial chamber is reached from the southern entrance. The inner chamber of the tomb is octagonal while it looks square from outside. It is also decorated with beautiful designs and the larger panels were filled with flower pots.
We saw that on the west of the tombs there was a gateway, which was built in 1667 AD, as we were told by the local people. There was another gateway which is now in ruins, on the eastern side of the tombs. There was also a tank on the northern part of the tombs. The visit to the Ustad's Tomb Nakodar taught a lot about the history of Punjab and we returned back, getting a lot more informed by the visit.
After visiting the tomb of Muhammed Momin, we went to visit the other tomb nearby, which is the Tomb of Haji Jamal, a disciple of Muhammed Momin. It was built in 1657, during the time when Shah Jahan was the emperor. It is built in the middle of a square platform, with a flight of steps on each side. The burial chamber is reached from the southern entrance. The inner chamber of the tomb is octagonal while it looks square from outside. It is also decorated with beautiful designs and the larger panels were filled with flower pots.
We saw that on the west of the tombs there was a gateway, which was built in 1667 AD, as we were told by the local people. There was another gateway which is now in ruins, on the eastern side of the tombs. There was also a tank on the northern part of the tombs. The visit to the Ustad's Tomb Nakodar taught a lot about the history of Punjab and we returned back, getting a lot more informed by the visit.