# Mehram Serai

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Monument in Mehram nagar, Delhi, India

Mehram ki Sarai Interactive map of Mehram ki Sarai Location Mehram nagar, Delhi, India Coordinates 28°33′53″N 77°7′8″E / 28.56472°N 77.11889°E / 28.56472; 77.11889 Type Caravanserai Completion date 1639 CE

Ruins of pavilion at [Mehram nagar](/source/Mehram_nagar) near [IGI Terminal-1](/source/Indira_Gandhi_International_Airport).

**Mehram ki Serai** is a 17th-century [caravanserai](/source/Caravanserai) listed as a protected monument by the [ASI](/source/Archaeological_Survey_of_India), located on the land owned by the [Ministry of Defence](/source/Ministry_of_Defence_(India)) in the north-east corner of [IGI airport](/source/Indira_Gandhi_International_Airport).[1] It was built by Mehram Khan,[1] a eunuch and keeper of [Jahangir](/source/Jahangir)'s harem.[2]

## Etymology

The name can be translated as *"Inn of Mehram"*. The term [Mahram](/source/Mahram) itself means unmarriageable kin with whom marriage or sexual intercourse would be considered haram (illegal in Islam) or people from whom purdah is not obligatory or legal escorts of a woman during journey longer than a day and night (24 hours). In this context Mehram meant the eunuch named "Mehram Khan", a close escort and confidant who can freely talk and meet with women in king's harem.[1]

## History

According to the convener of [INTACH](/source/INTACH) Delhi, [Swapna Liddle](/source/Madhulika_Liddle#Background_and_Personal_Life), the Mehram Ki Serai caravanserai for the comfort of travelers and [eponymous](/source/Eponymous) Mehram Bazaar were built by a eunuch, Mehram Khan, who was an incharge of mughal harem during the reign of [Jahangir](/source/Jahangir).[1][2] It was built at a distance of 7 [kos](/source/Kos_(unit)) (22.4 km) from the [mughal city](/source/Red_Fort).[1] [Mehram nagar](/source/Mehram_nagar) village, that later came up near it, has a double-storey pointed-arch vaulted gateway with large wooden door.[1]

In 1622 CE [Shah Jahan](/source/Shah_Jahan) (known as prince Khurram at that time) raised an army with the support of [Mahabat Khan](/source/Mahabat_Khan) and marched against his own father emperor Jahangir and mother [Nur Jahan](/source/Nur_Jahan). Mehram Khan, [Fidai Khan](/source/Fidai_Khan), Motamid Khan (official court chronicler)[3][4] and Kheleel Beg, were apprehended based on the evidence of Mirza Rustam and one more witness, after being accused of holding a secret correspondence with rebellious Shah Jehan.[2] Those two witnesses were executed by [Fidai Khan](/source/Fidai_Khan), and Mehram Khan was absolve of any wrongdoing by Fidai Khan.[2] Later in 1639 CE, Mehram Khan built the serai and bazaar, both named after himself.

## Architecture

The caravanserai, with [chhatris](/source/Chhatri) above and octagonal [vaulted](/source/Vault_(architecture)) cambers below on four corners, is built of rubble masonry and mughal [lakhori bricks](/source/Lakhori_bricks). The complex also has a [baradari](/source/Baradari_(building)) (open doors pavilion with 12 doors, 3 in each direction), 2 wells, an enclosure wall with 3 gateways, garden in the enclosure and a water channel coursing through the middle of the enclosure.[1]

## Conservation

By 2016, the dilapidated monument had been severely vandalised, two out of original four chattris and only one out of 3 original gates of enclosure survived, enclosure wall was broken at several places, both the wells had dried up, water channels was mostly buried under rubble, garden was overgrown with shrubs.[1]

In 2016 [Government of Delhi](/source/Government_of_Delhi)'s Department of Archaeology in collaboration with [INTACH](/source/INTACH) commenced the conservation, one of the 2 missing gateway was rebuilt, both wells and parts of the water channel were restored. With 40% work completed, it came to a halt in May 2017 after Defence Ministry stopped the work as no permission was taken from the Defence Ministry for conserving the monument standing on the land owned by Defence Ministry.[1] Subsequently, efforts were being made by the Delhi state archeology department and local MLA to obtain the permission from Defence Ministry to complete the remaining work of this still dilapidated and abandoned monument.[1]

## See also

- [Tourism in Delhi](/source/Tourism_in_Delhi)

- [Delhi Sultanate](/source/Delhi_Sultanate)

- [History of Delhi](/source/History_of_Delhi)

- [Timeline of Delhi](/source/Timeline_of_Delhi)

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-mehr1_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-mehr1_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-mehr1_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-mehr1_1-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-mehr1_1-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-mehr1_1-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-mehr1_1-6) [***h***](#cite_ref-mehr1_1-7) [***i***](#cite_ref-mehr1_1-8) [***j***](#cite_ref-mehr1_1-9) ["17th century inn lies in ruin as Delhi govt, defence ministry squabble."](http://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/17th-century-caravanserai-falls-into-ruin-as-delhi-govt-defence-ministry-squabble/story-3qFH6tUbwzQdoCuSHs8vfP.html), [Hindustan Times](/source/Hindustan_Times), 23 Nov 2017.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-mehr3_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-mehr3_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-mehr3_2-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-mehr3_2-3) Francis Gladwin, 1788, ["The History of Hindostan, during the reigns of Jehángir, Sháhjehán, and Aurungzebe."](https://books.google.com/books?id=GINfAAAAcAAJ&dq=mehram+serai&pg=PA62).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Qazwini. fol. 233a translated by Begley and Desai (1984), page 14.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-K18_4-0)** * Koch, Ebba. [*The Complete Taj Mahal: And the Riverfront Gardens of Agra*](https://archive.org/details/completetajmahal0000koch/page/288) (Hardback) (First ed.). Thames & Hudson Ltd. pp. [288 pages](https://archive.org/details/completetajmahal0000koch/page/288). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-500-34209-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-500-34209-1)., page 18.

## External links

- [A November 2017 report on Mehram Ki Serai](http://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/17th-century-caravanserai-falls-into-ruin-as-delhi-govt-defence-ministry-squabble/story-3qFH6tUbwzQdoCuSHs8vfP.html)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Mehram Serai](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mehram_Serai) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mehram_Serai?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.