Hisar's dusty heritage

I have a natural inclination towards one-horse towns. This is not based on any random enthusiasm towards dust and chaos, but on the past experience - and repeated many times over at that - of discovering treasured nuggets of heritage in the close confines of such places.

The town of Hisar is one such place. Hisar was once an important town that was on the main route towards the North West Frontier and in historical times, on the military road to any conquest of the rich province of Gujarat. Among those who used Hisar as a jumping-off point en route to Gujarat was the Mughal Emperor Humayun. Once victorious, he also returned through Hisar, taking time out to bury some soldiers who has lost their lives during the campaign.

The tombs of these warriors now lie forgotten in the town, which like many other places in the Haryana-Punjab region, has done its very best in distancing itself from any Islamic heritage in the wake of the Partition. But however much the people might feel disconnected with their heritage, the heritage does not delink itself from the town. There are monuments where you least expect them to be - at street corners, along side main roads etc.

The most significant historical place in the town is not the tomb complex where Humayun's forgotten warriors now rest. It is the much older citadel built here by the Tughlak ruler Firoz Shah. The citadel dates back to the late 14th century. The citadel complex can be broadly divided into two parts - the first and more interesting being the 'Laat Ki Masjid' and the second the largely ruined palace complex where the royals would have stayed.

The 'Laat' - meaning stone pillar - in the Masjid is defined by the pillar that stands in the courtyard of the mosque. This pillar pre-dates the Tughak period by miles, possibly going back to the Ashokan era. Firoz Tughlak was known for an inclination towards pillars and he ended up dragging pillars from different parts of Haryana to Delhi, where they still stand. The one at Hisar escaped that fate. Instead it became the centre of the main mosque in Firoz Shah's city at Hisar. The mosque is otherwise unremarkable as are the other structures around.

Hisar is also home to other monuments like the Gujari Mahal, named after a queen and the Jahan Kothi, the name of a building shaped like a ship. Moreover, the road from Delhi to Hisar and a little beyond is littered with monuments. Like the Barsi Gate at Hansi or the Mughal era mosque at Fatehabad, beyond Hisar. Like the step well near the town of Meham, on the road to Bhiwani. Or the ruins of the 3000-year old city at Agroha which is today called a mere 'mound'. It was the place from which the clan called 'Agarwals' originated. Like I said, India's one-horse towns hide a lot of heritage in their dusty sleeves.

Getting there: Hisar is about 165 kms west of Delhi. Fatehabad is 45 kms beyond Hisar while Hansi, Agroha and Meham all fall en route from Delhi to Hisar.