It was here that MK Gandhi, who was going to Punjab to protest against the draconian Rowlatt Act, was arrested at the railway station.
Gandhi’s call for a nationwide strike marked his entry into the freedom movement, a turning point when an irresistible force met an immovable object. To mark the moment, a museum, the Gandhi Seva Ashram, was built, the foundation stone of which was laid by Subhash Chandra Bose.
It is located in Gandhi Ashram Colony on the old Delhi-Agra Highway, not far from the station. Beyond that, and the fact that the district of the same name is the center of the cotton trade in these parts, there is little to recommend about urban Palwal, which today falls under the National Capital Region. But this is India, a land where history coincides (often disturbingly) with the present.
Indeed, some Muslim-era buildings are also part of the city’s notable architectural heritage. But it takes effort to find them. We tried looking for one in red sandstone, but we found another, which according to the ASI was a protected monument of the 17th century.
And like many such structures, this one too has seen better days, with the burnt mud bricks in its lower half – known as Lakhori, and widely used during the Mughal period – lying exposed, the plaster work chipping away, the dome looking its age.
Yet, it stands alone, proud and sometimes majestic, the geometric designs on the walls and ceilings – both intricate and stunningly ornate – are still visible, and even the calligraphy is still discernible despite three centuries of dust, rain and pollution. Meanwhile, for a more elevated view, a series of steep stairs (not for the dizzying) take you to the top.
Some accounts say that it is the tomb of Sheikh Shah Baz, which seems to have been lost over time. But whatever the circumstances of its construction, at least this octagonal building, with a mihrab all around, is away from any industrial activity, as it stands in a municipal park in Palwal’s Housing Board Colony, overlooking a children’s playground and surrounded by houses.
In fact, it is a relaxing place, with sentries standing in the trees and the sounds of birds breaking the calm of the afternoon. And it has a caretaker, though one with only the most basic understanding of its origins. As for the second mausoleum where a saint named Roshan Chirag was buried, the mere mention of it brought sadness to the faces of most people when asked about its location.
Some had the slightest idea that such a building existed in Palwal, but were confused as to where it could be set up. This proved to be a futile search, although after an hour and a half of hard work another relic of the past was unearthed. Not surprisingly, it was one of the city elders who guided us in the right direction. It is exactly the same wherever you are in India.
Serendipity wins the day because there is little desire or determination to document the thousands of buildings that are overlooked and forgotten around us, sometimes out of sight and hidden in our neighborhoods. The inhabitants here know that it persists, just as they know that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Although its back story has disappeared, this Palwal Gumbad has become a part of the household landscape, an idea to reassure them that all is well in their lives.