Gaur Ruins

Gaur, also called Lakhnauti, lies in Malda district of West Bengal on the border with Bangladesh, and was the capital of Bengal under several dynasties. It was an early medieval capital, and from the 15th century it was the principal city of the Bengal Sultanate, particularly under the Hussain Shahi dynasty until its decline in the 16th century. The city was abandoned after a plague and shifts in the course of the Ganges, and the Mughal capital moved away. The ruins are spread over a wide area with scattered monuments. The Chota Sona Masjid, built around 1510 under Alauddin Hussain Shah, is a small mosque with fine stone work and once had gilded domes. The Baraduari, or Bara Sona Masjid, begun by Sultan Nusrat Shah and finished in 1526, has a long arcaded prayer hall with many arched openings. The Firoz Minar is a five-storey tower about 26 metres high, built by Sultan Saifuddin Firoz Shah in the late 15th century and decorated with glazed tiles and a spiral staircase. The Dakhil Darwaza, a ceremonial gateway built in 1425, was the main entrance to the royal citadel. The Qadam Rasul mosque holds a footprint stone said to belong to the Prophet. The Lukochuri Gate and the Kotwali Gate are other surviving elements. The Archaeological Survey of India maintains the sites, clearing vegetation and strengthening the brickwork, but many structures are still weathered. Some monuments lie on the Bangladesh side of the border, so access is limited to the Indian side.