In Photos: 16th Century J&K Fort Housing Jehangir's Grave Lies in Disrepair

Chingus (Rajouri, J&K): Nestled under the imposing canopies of birch trees, Chingus Fort, a 16th century protected monument in Rajouri district of Jammu that houses one of the two graves of Mughal emperor Jehangir, has fallen into complete neglect.

The 400-year-old fort or ‘Chingus Sarai’ was built in the foothills of Pir Panjal mountains by an Iranian engineer, Ali Mardan Khan on the orders of Jehangir between 1605 to 1621 in Chingus village that overlooks Sukhtaw river crisscrossing Rajouri, some 140 km from Jammu city.

A tricolour flies atop the large, arched entrance of the fort, which is connected to the main road by an unpaved, narrow path that can’t fit more than one vehicle. The entrance to the fort is protected by a grilled, iron gate which is showing signs of rust.

A signboard reads:

“Chingus derives its name from the Persian word ‘Chingus’ which means intestines. Mughal Sarai of Chingus is historically renowned for containing mortal remains of Mughal Emperor Jehangir who died enroute from Kashmir to Delhi in Oct-1927 AD.”

According to historical accounts, Jehangir’s wife, Noor Jahan, ordered the embalming procedure to prevent her deceased husband’s body from decaying before they reached Lahore in Pakistan. It is also believed that she took this step to avoid a “war of succession.”

The signboard at the fort’s entrance states that the empress Noor Jahan made her husband’s dead body “sit on an elephant as if he was alive” as their caravan moved towards Lahore via Delhi.

The Chingus fort, which served as one of the transit camps for the Mughals in their annual migration to Kashmir, has 44 small residential complexes (hujras) and three dalaans (halls) with multiple entrances and towers watching over a large garden in the centre where the entrails of Jehangir are buried.

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The grave is situated at the centre of the garden walled in by the hujras and dalaans, in a tiled enclosure adjoining a small mosque. White marble sheets raised in a rectangular cenotaph over the grave, which is not more than five feet long and two feet wide, are showing signs of decay.

Under open sky and harsh Jammu weather, the white surface of the marble has paled with tiny plants and sludge protruding from the gaps between marble sheets of the cenotaph. One of the marble sheet has developed a large crack.

Adjacent to the grave, there is a small mosque which is under the supervision of locals. The mosque, which can’t accommodate more than 50 worshippers at a time, is locked, “Locals sometimes come and offer prayers here but it is mostly closed. Not many people visit this fort,” said Mohammad Aftab, who works at a local hotel in Chingus.

In Pakistan, the second grave of emperor Jehangir, who ruled the Mughal empire from 1605 to 1627, is located at Dilkusha Garden in Shahdara Bagh near Lahore along the banks of Ravi river. A mausoleum of red sandstones and marble motifs was built by his son and successor emperor, Shah Jehan, around the grave which was completed in 1637.

The Lahore mausoleum, which embodies the architectural brilliance of Persian artists, was put on the tentative list of World Heritage Sites by the UNESCO in 1993.

However, the fort in Rajouri seems to be on the verge of decay. The Wire spoke with several officials of the Jammu and Kashmir administration who feigned ignorance about the deterioration of the 16th century monument which is located barely 35 kilometres from Rajouri town.

The monument, which was declared as a protected site by Jammu and Kashmir in 1984, seems taken over by vegetation, which protrudes in the form of tiny plants from its expansive floors, walls and even its arched ceilings. The lime plaster covering the walls of the fort is peeling off. At many places, the foundation has withered away, putting the historical monument at the risk of extinction.

Some of the dalaans and hujras, which sheltered Mughals and their entourage, have been turned into storerooms. Male and female names are carved or scribbled with charcoal on the fort’s lime-plastered walls, ruining their beautiful looks.

The rusted gate of the fort was locked when The Wire visited the site last month. Barely 30 feet away from the main gate, an Army truck was parked on the road but no guards or officials working at the fort were present. Grasping an AK-47 rifle, a soldier atop the truck asked the visitors not to click pictures or videos outside the fort for “security reasons”.

Inside the fort, which was largely barren, a group of youngsters were surreptitiously enjoying drinks and snacks under the shade of birch trees. “Most of the times, it is either young couples who come here or people who want to drink alcohol. It is turning into a den of illicit activities,” said a local, who didn’t want to be named.

The Wire shared pictures showing the state of decay and defacement of the monument with the senior officials of archeology and tourism department who promised to undertake repairs “at the earliest”.

Dr Sangeeta Sharma, Assistant Director at J&K’s archeology department, which maintains the monument, said that the repairs were carried out at the fort some years ago. She said that due to the paucity of staff, the department is able to post only one ‘monument caretaker’ at Chingus.

“There are two monuments under his care – one is in Poonch and the other is in Rajouri, which makes his work a bit difficult. But now that you have brought these issue into my notice, we will get the monument reviewed and prepare a project report for its restoration,” Dr Sangeeta told The Wire.

Vivek Puri, Chief Executive Officer of Rajouri Development Authority said that three huts and two cafeterias have been built by the administration near Chingus fort for the convenience of visitors.

“The developmental process at Chingus fort is underway. However, it needs more focus. As an administrator, I am doing my best to promote the fort as a tourism site but it doesn’t attract many tourists due to lack of proper connectivity,” he said.

The J&K administration is in the midst of expanding the Rajouri-Poonch-Srinagar highway. “Once completed, the highway will change the way of life in Pir Panjal region and provide a much-needed boost to its tourist sector,” Puri added.

Admitting that the monument was in need of immediate repairs, Joint Director Tourism, Jammu, Sunaina Sharma, said that the government has been organising various activities at the fort to attract tourists, “Chingus fort is one of the most important historical monuments in Jammu from the tourism point of view. Although it is under the charge of the archeology department, I will ensure that the repairs are taken up at the earliest so that the natural beauty of the monument is restored,” she said.