Mosque and shrine, Sherpur
Ghagra Khan Bari Mosqueঘাঘড়া খান বাড়ি জামে মসজিদ
- Time needed
- Half an hour.
A small single-domed Mughal-era mosque in the village of Ghagra Laskar, Jhenaigati, protected by the Department of Archaeology since 1999; by local account two defeated generals built it in the forest some 600 years ago.
At a glance
- Period
- Mughal; about 600 years by local tradition
- Form
- One dome, four corner turrets
- Status
- Protected by the Department of Archaeology since 1999
About
On the road from Sherpur to Jhenaigati, in the village of Ghagra Laskar, a weathered brick mosque stands among the houses of the Khan family: one dome on a square chamber, a small octagonal turret at each corner, a single doorway with traces of plaster ornament on the front and a grassy Eidgah in front. It is the best-preserved old building in the district, and the Department of Archaeology took it under protection in 1999 as a Mughal-period monument.
The village tells an older story. Two brothers, Palano Khan and Jabbar Khan, were generals of some kingdom, lost a battle, fled into what was then forest here and settled; the mosque, they say, is theirs, about six hundred years old. The family still lives around it and still prays in it, which is why the name is Khan Bari, the Khans' house, and why the place feels lived in rather than preserved.
It is a quick stop between Sherpur town and Gajni, best in the low light of late afternoon when the brick glows.
Getting there: On the Sherpur–Jhenaigati road, about 20 km from Sherpur town; any Jhenaigati-bound bus or CNG will drop you at Ghagra, and it is a short walk into the village.
Things to do
- Look at the plaster ornament around the doorway and the corner turrets.
- Ask the family for the story of the two brothers.
Good to know
- It is inside a family compound and in daily use: greet the household, remove shoes, and avoid prayer times.
