Gujari Mahal, at
Hissar in
Haryana, was built by
Feroze Shah Tughluq for his beloved Gujari Rani. Massive tapering walls thickly plastered in lime, with narrow gateways, represent the Tughlaq architectural style.
According to legends, the Sultan fell in love with a Gujjar girl during a hunting expedition. He married the girl but she refused to go with the Sultan to Delhi. As she was determined to stay back, the Sultan constructed a palace for her at Hissar.
Royal residence of the sultan Feroz Shah, Shahi Darwaza, Diwan-e-Aam, and Baradari with three tehkhanas, Hamam, Mosque and a pillar constitute the palace complex. It also has underground chambers. Steps are constructed to reach the 'baradari' (pavilion). Three developed arches on each side of the square structure form the baradari. Stone doorframes are used in all entrances except one. The roof is crowned with nine bays which are supported by a hemispherical dome. Paneling work in lime plaster is used for decorating the roof. Red sandstone brackets carved in the exterior walls above the arched openings increased the beauty of the palace. Such architectural splendor that offers a journey into the Tughlaq past attracts many visitors to this palace every year.
