Diamond In The Dust

Mosques with inscriptions in Farsi and Sanskrit, Mumtaz Mahal’s hamam, the Black ‘Taj Mahal’ and other astonishing monuments in the cultural capital of the Mughals makes Burhanpur one of the richest heritage hotspots in India.

- Anurag Mallick & Priya Ganapathy

Atad weary from our journeys across Central India, we disembarked for a brief stopover at Burhanpur. Hoshang Havaldar, the portly 60-something owner of Hotel Ambar, greeted us with roses and scented cotton yarn. “This ordinary sut ka haar commemorates Burhanpur’s glorious past as a trading centre of cotton,” he said. “The fragrance of khus, kewda and gulab represent the three ponds of itr (perfumes) in which Mumtaz Begum took a daily dip in Burhanpur’s Shahi Hamam. She gifted a rose to Shah Jahan every day and we greet our guests with a rose as well.”

Thus, a routine hotel welcome transformed into a history lesson laden with meaning. Local INTACH convener Havaldar takes immense pride in his illustrious city. “Without Burhanpur, India’s chronicles are incomplete. Between 1600 and 1720, it served as a secondary Mughal capital and learning centre for princes and princesses, who imbibed tehzeeb (etiquette)-tameez (manners)-taakat (power)-tareeka-e-ilmaat (life lessons). Akbar spent 40 years in Burhanpur, Shah Jahan 44, Aurangzeb 30, while Abdul Rahim Khan-i-khana governed for 37 years. Whoever was appointed a sipahsalar (governor) here was destined for greatness.”

But what was a Parsi such as him doing in southern Madhya Pradesh? Havaldar’s great-grandfather came from Navsari in 1904 to work at the Burhanpur Tapti Cotton Mill. The hotel has been around since 1985 and its foyer is lined with info panels and antiquities. At Heena Garden restaurant, Havaldar explained how Burhanpur’s architecture inspired the hotel’s décor—haveli-styled rooms with jalis, arches and lotus patterns. The food was Mughlai but completely vegetarian, with items such as Jalal-e-Akbari and Paneer Mumtaz!