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West Bengal
Gaur
Gaur
Twelve km south of Malda and right on the border with Bangladesh, Gaur was
first the capital of the Buddhist Pala dynasty, then it became the seat of the
Hindu Sena dynasty, and finally the capital of the Muslim nawabs. The ruins of
the extensive fortifications and several large mosques are all that remain. Most
impressive are the Bara Sona Mosque and the nearby brick Dakhil
Darwajah built in 1425. Qadam Rasul Mosque enshrines a footprint of
the Mohammed but it looks as if he was wearing thongs when he made it! Fath
Khan's tomb is nearby and a sign informs you that he 'vomited blood and died on
his spot'. There are still some colourful enameled tiles on the Gumti Gate and
Lattan Mosque but few left on the Firoz Minar, which you can climb
for a good view.
Travel
Information
The monuments are very spread out and not all easy to find. Determined
cycle-rickshaw wallahs offer half day trips from Malda.
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