Sahasram
| Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R) |
Sahasram (सहसराम), present city Sasaram, is a city in Rohtas district of Bihar State in India. It is the birthplace of the Afghan king Sher Shah Suri.
Origin
Variants
- Sahasram सहसराम, शाहबाद, बिहार, (AS, p.945)
- Sasaram (सासाराम) = Sahasram सहसराम, शाहबाद, बिहार, (AS, p.945)
History
One of the ancient cities in India, Sasaram has witnessed the legacy of several great personalities along with Sahastrabahu, Shershah Suri, and Jagjivan Ram Babu. In ancient time it was a gateway of "Vihar" to visit Gaya, Rajgrih and Nalanda area and during prehistoric period Lord Buddha has passed through this way to be enlightened with verity & wisdom under Mahabodhi tree in Gaya.
It has many famous religious and historical spots to visit such as Shershah tomb, Rohtasgarh fort, Indrapuri Dam, Shergarh fort, Sacred Tarachandi Shaktipith, Gupta Dham, Tutla Bhawani temple and the many, the entire area is surrounded by the scenic mountain beauty of Kaimur range, and many exotic waterfalls and rivers like Sone.
During the Vedic age, Sasaram was a part of the ancient Kashi kingdom. Sasaram name is originated from the Sahastrarama, meaning a thousand groves. Sasaram was once also named Shah Serai (meaning "Place of King") as it is the birthplace of the Afghan king Sher Shah Suri, who ruled over Delhi, much of northern India, what is now Pakistan, and eastern Afghanistan for five years, after defeating the Mughal Emperor Humayun. Many of Sher Shah Suri's governmental practices were adopted by the Mughals and the British Raj including taxation, administration, and the building of a paved road from Kabul to Bengal, also called the Grand Trunk Road.
Sher Shah Suri's 122 feet (37 m) red sandstone tomb, built in the Indo-Afghan style stands in the middle of an artificial lake in Sasaram. It borrows heavily from the Lodhi style, and was once covered in blue and yellow glazed tiles indicating an Iranian influence. The massive free standing dome also has an aesthetic aspect of the Buddhist stupa style of the Mauryan period. The tomb of Sher Shah's father Hasan Khan Suri is also at Sasaram, and stands in the middle of a green field at Sherganj, which is known as Sukha Rauza. About a kilometer to the north west of Sher Shah's tomb lies the incomplete and dilapidated tomb of his son and successor, Islam Shah Suri.[4] Sasaram also has a Baulia, a pool used by the emperor's consorts for bathing.
The fort of Sher Shah Suri at Rohtasgarh is in Sasaram. This fort has a history dating back to the 7th century AD. It was built by Raja Harishchandra, known for his truthfulness in the name of his son Rohitashwa. It houses the Churasan temple, Ganesh temple, diwan-e khas, diwan-e-aam, and various other structures dating back to different centuries. The fort also served as the headquarters of Raja Man Singh during his reign as the governor of Bihar and Bengal under the regime of Akbar. The Rohtaas fort in Bihar should not be confused with another fort of the same name, near Jhelum, Punjab, in what is now Pakistan. The Rohtaas fort in Sasaram was also built by Sher Shah Suri, during the period when Humayun was exiled from Hindustan.
सहसराम
सहसराम (AS, p.945) : बिहार के शाहाबाद ज़िले में स्थित है। इसका आधुनिक नाम सासाराम है। सहसराम में दिल्ली के सुलतान शेरशाह सूरी (1540-1545 ई.) तथा उसके पिता का मक़बरा स्थित है। शेरशाह का जन्म स्थान सहसराम ही है। उसका मक़बरा एक विस्तीर्ण तड़ाग के अन्दर बना है। यह भवन अठकोण है। इसमें एक बाहरी बरामदा है। गुंबद भीतरी दीवारों पर आधृत है। मक़बरे के चारों ओर एक वर्गाकार चबूतरा है, जिसके कोनों पर छोटे-छोटे मंडप बने हुए हैं। गुंबद के शीर्ष के चतुर्दिक अठकोण स्तंभाकार रचनाएँ हैं, जिससे मक़बरे की बहीरेखा की सुंदरता द्विगणित हो जाती है। सहसराम के पूर्व की ओर चंदनपीर की पहाड़ी की एक गुफ़ा में अशोक का लघु शिलालेख संख्या-1 उत्कीर्ण है।[1]