The Sher Mandal is located in the Purana Kila or the Old Fort and derives its name from Sher Shah Suri who was the only Muslim ruler in India who did not splurge his money for personal pleasure and indulgence in the form of lavish buildings and tombs like the Mughals did.
Sher Shah was known for his construction of structures that were meant for the consumption of the general public like the renovation of the grand trunk road that runs from Dhaka in Bangladesh to Lahore in Pakistan and extended it up to Kabul in Afganistan. The grand trunk road was originally created in the era of Ashok the Great who ruled around 600 BCE.
The other creations of Sher Shah include free lodges called Sarai or Dharamshala for travelers, irrigation canals, water reservoirs, embankments, and colleges. In contrast, the Mughals indulged in plunder or entertainment and wasted most of the time in family feuds for the succession of the throne.
I visited the Sher Mandal last month and the ticket for the Old Fort included the entry for this structure that was meant to be a library. Sher Shah twice defeated Humayun who was the son of Babar, the founder of the Mughal Empire. Humayun escaped to Persia and got help from the local ruler and returned to defeat Sher Shah to reestablish the Mughal Emperor. Being a Mughal he obviously had no interest in reading or learning so Humayun converted the library to a recreation center meant for carnal pleasures. One day he fell from the stairs of the Sher Mandal under an overdose of opium and died.
Besides Sher Shah Suri the only other ruler of Delhi who created structures that were not meant for pleasure or self-entertainment was Firoz Shah Kotla whose fort is also located only 4 kilometers away in the hustle and bustle of Old Delhi. Firoz Shah Kotla was a Tughlak and his fort too was looted by the greatest of the Mughals Shahjahan to build his own city called Shahjahanabad around the Red Fort of Delhi. Shahjahan also built the Taj Mahal, a tomb for himself and his wife.
The Sher Mandal is octagonal and built symmetrically hence looks the same from all sides. There is an amazing access ramp that leads to the high-ground over which it is built and notice that it looks similar from that side as well. The other interesting structures very close to the Sher Mandal are the Royal Hamam Bathhouse and the Baodi Stepwell.
Have you been to a place that was built originally for some purpose but was later converted for something else?
IтАЩd be interested in knowing your experiences.
Until thenтАж Happy Guiding
Accessibility Features
The Sher Mandal has an accessible pathway that can easily accommodate a wheelchair to be able to enjoy the views from the outside and also move around it.
Ramp Access. A wheelchair-accessible Entrance. A wheelchair-accessible Parking. A wheelchair-accessible Restroom/Toilet.
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Accessibility Features
Ramp Access.