Bagerhat Khanjahan Ali Mazar and Dighi

Hazrat Khanjahan Ali (RA) and his shrine By reading the inscription inscribed on the tomb of Hazrat Khan Jahan (RA) some clues of his identity can be found. But the real name and extended identity of this saint is still not known. The inscription bears his name "Khane Azam Khanjahan" and "Ulugh Khanhajan". The inscription mentions the date of his death in Arabic and Persian as 63 AH 26 Jilhaj Wednesday (according to the opinion of 23 October 1459, 24 October). "Ulugh" is a Turkish word and it is a family title. This suggests that he is the equivalent of a Turkish family called the Ulughs. According to some writers, he came to this country from Arabia as a Dilsni in the opinion of Persia. Khane Azam was the honorary title of commander during the Turko-Afghan period. It appears that he was also an army hero and was awarded the title of "Khane Azam Khanjahan".

This great army hero and devotee did not write anything about his own identity. In folklore, he was known as Khanjahan Ali (RA). Not much is known about his personal and family life. As far as is known he lived a happy married life and had one or more wives. But he was disillusioned. Researchers speculate that he was a contemporary of Sultan Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah and was probably a close friend and general of Sultan Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah of Gaur. As a representative of the Sultan, he and his followers created a large settlement in the Bagerhat area and continued to rule the state. That is why he named the region "Khalifat-i-Abad". Khanjahan (RA) was a great man whose great virtues have benefited and blessed the entire Bhati region including Bagerhat. It is said that this great man was inspired by human love and started from Barobazar of Jessore and built 360 mosques and dug 360 dighis all over the lower Bhati region. Mosques for worship in this region, which was first planted by the Muslims, and these lakes of drinking water in the lower reaches of the salt water country, seemed to be a blessing from God to our people. It is said that he built 360 mosques and dug 360 dighis, probably in keeping with the number of 360 auliyas who came with him on his arrival in this country. Although he started his life as a ruler at first, later Dharma Chimatma and public service was the main motto of his life.

To the local people, he was a supremely powerful man. He continues to pay tribute to the hundreds of people who have traveled to this day, ignoring hundreds of celebrities, such as distributing food to the needy, digging innumerable lakes to alleviate water scarcity, constructing roadblocks, setting up hats and bazaars, and building innumerable mosques for religious worship. It is going on in every house irrespective of religion and caste of the vast villages of the southern part of Bengal. His mausoleum was built on a high ground on the north bank of Khanjeli Dighi. The mausoleum

Square, measuring 42 feet x 42 feet and with a wall height of 25 feet, it has a dome on the roof. The tomb of Hazrat Khanjahan (RA) is located on a stone altar inside the mausoleum. The co-architecture of the dargah or mausoleum is much like a sixty-domed one. The inscription contains the date of death, the name of Alsnahr in addition to the date of burial, a few surahs of the Qur'an and may Alsnahr's peace be upon him.

Every day thousands of devotees from different parts of the country and abroad, irrespective of caste or creed, come to visit the shrine in the hope of receiving his Ramnahani Doa. Besides, a huge fair is held every year on the occasion of the annual Orash Mubarak and the first full moon of the month of Chaitra in the premises of the shrine of this great saint on 25 Agrahayan. Thousands of devotees from far and wide gathered at his shrine to pay their respects at this fair.

Hazrat Khanjahan Ali died on October 25, 1459 (according to the inscription of Mazar-e-Sharif, 63 AH, 26th Jilhaj) at the age of 90, while performing Esha prayers in the court house of the sixty-domed mosque. Hazrat Khanjahan Ali Mazar Dighi in Bagerhat is the last open source of fresh water that has been inhabited for six hundred years. After digging this huge 200 acre lake, Hazrat Khanjahan Ali, a spiritual saint, preacher and war hero, a pair of fresh water crocodiles were released in the lake so that no one could waste the fresh water of the lake. This fresh water crocodile has been living in Khanjahan Ali Dargah Dighi since then. At present, there are 3 freshwater crocodiles brought from Madras, India on June 24, 2005, including an old male crocodile. The crocodile of Khanjahan Ali Dargah has a long history of legend. The main food of the crocodile was the chicken of the visitors who came to the Dargah for a long time. At present, a class of servants are selling most of the crocodile food in the market, which has resulted in severe shortage of crocodile food. Although crocodiles are naturally a ferocious species, the crocodiles of this Dargah have been the opposite for generations. The crocodile never showed violence, although visitors often put food in their mouths with their hands. The crocodile that bears witness to history

has died at the tomb of Khanjahan Ali in Bagerhat, Bangladesh. The local administration said arrangements have been made to preserve the crocodile's body at the museum after an autopsy. Bagerhat Deputy Commissioner Jahangir Alam said the crocodile was found floating dead in the pond near Khanjahan Ali's shrine in the morning. An autopsy was performed to determine the cause of death. Golam Ferdous, curator of the Bagerhat Museum, said Khanjahan Ali founded a town called Khalifatabad in Bagerhat in 1401. He renovated a dighi known as Thakurdighi and released a pair of crocodiles. The descendants of that crocodile were called Kalapahar and Dhalapahar for seven hundred years. Their last descendant Dhalapahar is now dead. A few years ago a crocodile named Kalapahar died. His body has been preserved in the Bager Hat Museum. Now the body of the last crocodile of that dynasty is also being preserved in the museum. The curator of the museum further said that the corpse of this crocodile is being preserved as it bears witness to history. However, in 2005, two crocodiles of the same species were released into the pond. They are alive How to go

Bagerhat cars are available from any part of Bengal and if you go from Khulna, you can get Bagerhat cars from Khulna Sonadanga bus stand. From the bus stand at Bagerhat any small vehicle rickshaw van can reach Bagerhat Mazar by adding CNG and if the driver is called he will drop you off in front of the shrine. There are hotels and catering facilities next to the shrine. There are bonus residential hotels where you can spend the night eating and drinking.