Panipat - Places of Interest

Places of Interest

The main places of attraction are "Panipat Battles Museum", Hemu 'Samadhi-sthal' and camp site of Babur and Akbar at village Sodhapur, the grave of Ibrahim Lodhi, Kabuli Bagh, Devi Mandir, Kala Amb, Salar Gunj Gate, and the tomb of the thirteenth century sufi saint Bu Ali Shah Qalandar.

• Panipat Museum:

The Battle of Panipat Memorial society set-up by the Government of Haryana, highlights the major events that took place for over two hundred years which made Panipat a place of great historical importance.

Panipat Museum has been especially established for disseminating information about archaeology, history, art and crafts of Haryana with special emphasis on the Battles of Panipat which marked the turning point in Indian history, The display of antiquities, inscription, sculptures, arms and armours, Pottery, old and valuable documents, jewellery and art and craft objects, have been augumented by maps, writeups photographs and translides, etc. Through display an attempt has been made to provide an insight into the acts of bravery of some valiant and patriotic warrios who sacrificed their lives at Panipat. These include, Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya-a local hero who belonged to Haryana, Raja Surja Mal of Bharatpur, Vikramaditya (Vikramajit) of Gwalior, Maharaja of Patiala, Sher Shar SURI Sadashiv Rao Bhau, Vishwas Rao Peshwa, and Tukuj Shinde. Enlarged photographs of a large number of important miniatures, mostly from Babur-Nama and Akbar-Nama, relating to these battles and personalities connected therewith, have been obtained from the National Museum of New Delhi, The British Library, Victoria and Albert Museum of London. A Large number of contemporary weapons, armoury, guns, etc. have been acquired through loan from the Archaeological Survey of India, The Department of Archaeology and Museums, Haryana is also associated with this project, has donated a large number of items for display in this Museum. These include replicas of a large number of artifacts in the form of status, pottery, coins, etc. which were collected from the excavated sites in Haryana besides a number of blow-ups of building and sites of historical and archaeological importance. In addition, a large number of items of traditional art have been procured from various districts of haryana with the help of District Administration which exhibit a glimpse of haryana’s traditional art.

• Hemu's Samadhi Sthal:

After Hemu's beheading at the Camp of Akbar at Saundhapur on Jind Road at Panipat, his head was sent to Kabul to be hanged outside the 'Delhi Darwaza' and his torso was hanged on a gibbet outside Purana Quila in Delhi to terrorise locals. After few years Hemu's supporters, constructed a Samadhi over the place where he was beheaded. The place and its surroundings are slowly encroached upon by local people. This is the only memorial of Hemu in Panipat, but in bad condition.

• Grave of Ibrahim Lodhi :

The tomb is situated near a Tehsil Office at Panipat. Ibrahim Lodhi fought fiercely with his uncle Babur, in the battle known to us today as the "First Battle of Panipat" and was slain and buried at this place. It was one of Sher Shah Suri’s dying regret that he could never fulfill his intention of erecting a tomb to the fallem monarch. Much later, the British erected a plain plateform over the place, with a short Urdu Insscription on it.

Another memorial of some kind, however, appears to have existed which used to formm a place of pilgrimage for the people of Gwalior since Vikramaditya the last Raja of the old Towrebs dyansty of Gwalior, fell in the same battle. This memorial, according to general Cunningham, was destroyed when the Grand Trunk Road was made.

• Kabuli Bagh:

The garden of Kabuli Bagh along with a mosque and a tank was built by Babur after the First battle to commemorate his victory over Ibrahim Lodhi. Some years later when Humayun defeated Salem Shah near Panipat, he added a masonry Platform to it and called it ‘Chabutra" Fateh Mubarak, bearing the inspription 934 Hijri (A.D.1557). These buildings and the garden still exist under the name of Kabuli Bagh called so after Babur’s wife – Mussammat Kabuli begum.

• Devi Temple:

A temple dedicated to local deity exists on the bank of a large tank. A Shiva temple believed to have been built by a Maratha named Mangal Raghunath who had remained in Panipat after the battle, also exists besides it.

• Kala Amb:

According to the tradition, the site 8 Kilometers from Panipat and 42 Kilometers from Karnal, where Sadashiv Rao Bhau commanded his maratha forces during the third battle of Panipat was marked by a black Mango Tree (Kala Amb) which has since disappeared. The dark colour of its foliage was probably the origin of the name. The site has a brick Pillar with an iron rod and the structure is surrounded by an iron fence.The site is being developed and beautified by a society with Governor, Haryana as its President.

The countryside is no less famous than the city of Panipat remnants of various buildings and structure along with galical and archaeological interest.

• Salar Gunj Gate:

This gate is situated in the middle of Panipat city historical importance to Nawab Salar Juge, The gate still denoting its archaeological interest .

• Tomb of Bu-Ali Shah Kalandar:

Seven hundred years old this tomb is known as Dargah of Shah Kalandar Khizar Khan son of allau-din Khilji who got this tomb constructed. Bu-Ali-Shah kalander was born in 1190 A.D. His father’s name was Salar Fakirudin. There are tombs of Hakim Mukaram Khan and Khawaja Altaf Hussain Hali in the premises of this tomb. Hali was a great Urdu poet. A large number of people from all walks of life, Hindu, Muslims, Sikh and Christians visit the tomb of Shah Kalandar and offer prayers here on every Thursday.

• Shri Ram Sharnam:

Shri Ram Sharnam stands as an emblem of supreme devotion to Shri Ram and Selfless service of humanity in the war : ravaged historical city of Panipat. The grace and dignity of its congregation halls and its atmosphere suffused with piety and devotion attract devotees in large numbers. With ceutres spread all over India and abroad, Shri Ram Sharnam Panipat has the honour of being the only prayer hall inaugurated by Swami Satya Nandji himself in 1960, who described it as divinely inspired. swamiji's great disciple Maa Shakuntala Devi and Maa Darshi Devi, the present head of Shri Ram Sharnam have worked with great commitment and devotion to develop it into a singular place for the mental, moral and spiritual advancement of its innumerable devotees.