“Aaplog kab jaoge,” an exasperated teenage boy holding a cricket bat asked us, a group of camera-wielding and curious tourists roaming in the Kabuli Bagh Mosque complex.
On a recent day trip to the historic city of Panipat in Haryana which witnessed three key battles signifying important milestones in the history of the subcontinent, we were in the masjid built by Babur in 1527, in the name of his wife Musammat Kabuli Begum, to commemorate his victory over Sultan Ibrahim Lodi. The first sample of Mughal architecture in India was constructed in the pattern of royal mosques in Samarkand. The brick and red sandstone structure in the middle of a colony was full of, no, not tourists, but a large number of enthusiastic young boys playing cricket. In place of swords or horses, in Panipat we saw bats, wickets, good length deliveries and cover drives. However, our prolonged photo sessions were hampering their peace and pace, hence the question from one of the possible future India players.
We left the “battleground” of the other kind and gathered near the “Chabutra-i-Fateh Mubarak" added by Humayun on one side of the site to listen from our walk leader, Yusuf of Sair-e-Delhi tour group, about the incidents of 1526, aptly aided by knowledgeable co-walkers. It is generally believed that Babur triumphed against the much larger army of Lodi because he had cannons, but we also discussed the view of some historians that the Mughal guy had a sharper strategy and better battle formations.
Later, we saw the grave of the defeated king in another locality of Panipat, situated inside a park, looking forlorn. It was shifted there by the British during the restoration of Grand Trunk road and an inscription was added to it.
The three battles and their histories have also been projected in a small state government museum in Panipat, which we visited for some time. Another stop was at the site of third battle of 1761, which was the subject of a recent Bollywood film, and where the Kala Amb memorial park has been built. The park attracts people from Maharashtra in large numbers, paying tributes before a red obelisk that marks the spot where Maratha commander Sadashiv Rao Bhau fell in the battle. As per local legend, a mango tree stood at the same spot, and black fruits started growing in it due to the bloodshed of the war, thus earning the name of “kala amb”.
By the time dusk was falling upon the dull grey alleys of the town, we had a glimpse of the famous Devi Mandir built by the Marathas and visited the 700-year-old dargah of Sufi saint Baba Bu Ali Shah Qalandar. Among the many stories and histories shared by our walk leader, what I found most interesting was the tale of Mughal General Mahabat Khan, who had constructed this dargah, and who, with a band of Rajput soldiers led a coup against Jahangir and Nur Jahan in 1626. He succeeded in taking the king hostage and declared himself as emperor, but his reign lasted for only 100 days before he was defeated near Lahore by the forces of Nur Jahan, who used a combination of clever tricks and strategy to outwit him.
The trip to Panipat was worth it, but not recommended without a guide well acquainted with the area, as the sites are spread here and there. If I would have gone by myself, maybe I would have just seen the Kala Amb memorial.
We returned to Delhi after a long journey through unending highway traffic and I thought, yeh distance log ghode pe jate the uss samay, woh bhi ladhai karne ke liye. Kya yaar!!
Source: Syed Yusuf Shahab of Sair-E-Dilli and Haryana Tourism website
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| Kabuli Bagh Mosque |
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| The cricket soldier |
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| Grave of Ibrahim Lodi |
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| Dargah of Sufi saint Baba Bu Ali Shah Qalandar |
