Nimasarai Minar of Malda, tower of a medieval inn

Nimasarai Minar, Malda

Tower of a medieval inn

Also see: Gour Pandua Tour

Today Malda town the district headquarters of Malda district serves a base for tourist visiting the two medieval citadels of Gour and Pandua. Today Pandua lies about 32 km north of Malda, while Gour is 15 km south of Malda.

Nimasarai Minar, Malda

Today Malda town with its share of hotels and restaurants serve as a night stay option for tourist heading for the two medieval citadels of Gour-Pandua. Today good roads connect both the ancient towns to Malda and vehicles are readily available for tours covering the monuments of the twin citadels.

Nimasarai Minar, Malda

But during the golden days of Gaur-Pandua the 50 km journey connecting the two citadels was not easy.

Roads were bad and were infested with dacoits. The waterway were not safe either and were infested with pirates.

Inns were far and wide and all that remains of this historic road connecting the two citadels is the Nimasarai Minar.

Nima in Persian means half way and sarai translates to inn. The inn also had a tower, which guided travellers travelling between Gour-Pandua. Probably during the night lighted lanterns were placed on the top to guide travellers.

Nimasarai Minar, Malda

• 

• 

• 

According to legend the entire outer surface of the tower was studded with elephant tusks. This is could have been purely for an ornamental basis but according to some historians, the tusks were used for hanging the heads of executed criminals as a sign of warning to the pirates and dacoits.

Nimasarai Minar, Malda

Incidentally there are only two other such elephant tusk studded towers in the world and they are both named Hiran Minar.

One of them is located in Sheikhupura, Pakistan while the other is located in Fathepur Sikri, Agra

The one in Sheikhupura was built by Jahangir while the one in Agra was built by Akbar.

The one at Nimasarai is also believed to have been built by Akbar. The top section of the tower have long collapsed and the elephant tusks have long been replaced with wooden spikes. Only two lower storeys of the brick built stands to this day rising to a height of 18 m.

The storeys are marked by a projecting cornice and tower has a slightly tapering shape. The minar stands on an octagonal base. A spiral staircase inside the minar leads up to the top. There are shafts allowing the wind and light to come in.

Nimasarai Minar, Malda

Unlike its two famed counterparts in Agra and Sheikhupura, Pakistan this tower lies in utter neglect and is hardly visited by tourist. Today the tower stands at the northern end of Malda town in a locality also known as Nimasarai. It stands at the junction of Kali River with Mahananda River and lies to the south of Kali River. (Google map location)

Note:

• The Nimasarai Mainar was part of a Gour and Pandua tour which also included a visit to the Nadadirghi Vihar, Jagjibanpur