Sheesh Mahal — Attraction in Gurugram District

Good historical place but no efforts are put into maintaining or preserving the architecture. It has become a cheap dating spot due to ₹20 entry fee and almost nil presence of tourists. It is situated in the middle and older part of the town which is perfect for peaceful outing but works as negative for this spot because people avoid the route due to narrow streets and traffic congestion, no parking available, no eatery nearby. Also no proper advertisement is done, so you just walk or drive by this place without noticing it. It doesn’t give you any idea that you missed anything from the outside. Once I was waiting for the doctor in the clinic besides main entrance of Sheesh Mahal, when I saw a small hoarding of this place so thought of giving a try. The first and major negative point from the management is that the main entrance is always closed and chained. So first impression in anyone’s mind will be ohh it’s closed. A few places are there in the town worth visiting but either they are closed or not managed properly. There are not many tourist spots in Haryana but Sultanpur National Park & Bird Sanctuary (only reputed tourist attraction which is lush with trees and wildlife) is located just 10 km away from Sheesh Mahal, Farukh Nagar; which can be used to increase...

The tiny entrance to this medieval governor's house was difficult to find in the narrow bylanes of Farrukhnagar but after entering it opened up in a huge sprawling open space that hosted a garden on both sides of what was an erstwhile water channel housing fountains.

The pathway in between led to the main building called Sheesh Mahal or crystal palace. Unfortunately, all the glasswork is now gone and what remains are the walls and ceilings that once adorned patterns of multi-colored glass and semi-precious stones.

The ceilings too were once ornately decorated with glass hence the name sheesh mahal but what still remains is the ruins of a majestic building.

The arches of the Diwan-e-Khas are attractive and there are several tunnels in the thick walls for ventilation. Within the premises of the fortified palace are also the ruins of the servant quarters and out of nowhere appears this modern plaque that commemorates the sacrifice of the martyrs of the First War of Independence in 1957.

Time stood still in this medieval palace and I parted from this place with a heavy heart pondering about the glory that this grand home must have witnessed in...

The crumbling ruins of Sheesh Mahal tell the forgotten tales of past glory. Built by Dalel Khan ( a.k.a. Faujdar Khan) who ruled between 1714- 1747. He's known to have saved the family of an official of the Mughal emperor from dacoits infesting this area. The emperor, Farrukhsiyar, impressed by his service, gave him recognition and allowance to collect tax and revenue from here. Thus came this beautiful palace into existence. You may find parallels in Sheesh Mahal's architecture from mahals inside the Red fort (Delhi) complex. A fort existed in earlier times around it. Now only the Delhi gate and Jhajjar gate still remain. While Delhi gate still has its imposing doorway, Jhajjar gate has been widened to accomodate heavy vehicular traffic. The place is in ruins so be careful as the roof has given way in certain places. Do explore the cells in the basement. They have a unique bolt system. The baoli of Ghaus khan is another gem which is nearby it makes a...