Tahkhana Complex Literally Tahkhana (Persian) means a cold
building or palace. A structure built on the west bank of a large tank
situated in the Firuzpur quarters of the city of Gaur-Lakhnauti is
traditionally known as the Tahkhana. Along with this to its northwest
are two other structures - the nearest one a three-domed mosque and the
other, slightly further to the north, a domical tomb surrounded by a
vaulted verandah. Since all these monuments, along with others now
vanished, were built at the same time for a specific purpose they are
all described as a singular unit or a complex.
Who built this complex is not definitely known. But because of
their stylistic character - all Mughal in contradistinction to the
surrounding Sultanate monument, and the contemporary and later
historical narration that Mughal Subahdar shah shuja
(1639-1660 AD) occasionally used to visit and stay in Gaur-Lakhnauti to
honour his patron saint Shah Niamatullah Wali point to this great
Mughal governor as the builder. Shah Shuja held his court at Rajmahal,
not very far from Gaur. But his occasional visit to Gaur, strengthened
by the existence of a Mughal ceremonial gate - the lukochuri
as it is called, brings one to this logical conclusion. It is very
likely that Shah Shuja built this small palace as a khanqah (resting,
meditating and preaching place) of the saint, and the mosque and the
tombs as its adjuncts. The tomb was probably built in advance as an
eternal resting place of the saint (d 1664 or 1669 AD).
The double-storied palace was built mainly of brick, but black
stone slabs for the doorsills and wooden beams for the flat roof were
also used. From the west front the building gives the appearance of a
single storied structure with a north-south rectangular hall room in the
middle flanked by other rooms on its back and sides. While from the
east, however, it is a two-storied structure with the lower rooms
extended to the east and arched openings rising directly from the water
tank. On the south side of the building there is a bathing complex with
water drawn from the tank through an octagonal reservoir. On the north
there is a small family mosque with open rooms at its back leading to an
octagonal tower-room meant probably for meditation. The octagonal
towers maintain symmetry of the whole plan.
The palace is plastered over, and is decorated by the engrailing
of the four-centered arches and the flanking panels with niches carved
within. The mihrab-niche of the mosque has plaster muqarnas
ornamentation. They are all typical of Mughal decorative devices.
The Tahkhana complex as a whole is important not only from the
point of view of its being Mughal in a Sultanate city, but the component
buildings by themselves have much significance because of their
architectural character, first introduced in Bengal. Once introduced
they became the prototype of subsequent erections - be that a palace, a
mosque or a tomb in the subsequent Mughal capitals in Dhaka or
Murshidabad.
Source: http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Tahkhana_Complex
