Sher Shah Suri who ruled Delhi (1540-1545) left an indelible mark on India. The son of an Afghan horse trader he succeeded in building a powerful empire. He is best remembered for building what is called the Grand Trunk Road which runs across India linking the Khyber Pass (Afghanistan) to Calcutta in the East. This artery from the East to the West of the country was built at his initiative and lined with trees, so travelers could rest in the shade. Surely if there was a prize for a futuristic Pathan ruler Sher Shah would win hands down. Sasaram, a small town on the Grand Trunk Road (Bhojpur district of Bihar) has a group of beautiful tombs built during Sher Shah's time. Sher Shah's own tomb was built in stone and is Hexagonal in shape. It is the second highest tomb in the country and has a very unusual setting. The entire structure is built on a platform in the center of a lake. Seen from a distance it looks as though it is floating on water. You walk down a narrow pathway in the middle of the lake, to reach the tomb. It is the grandest and one of a kind Pathan structure in India, It is 76 meters wide and rises in 5 pyramidal stages to a high of about 46 meters. Walk around and you can still see the remains of glazed and painted decorations on the exterior walls. A contemporary Historians wrote It is one of the most praiseworthy tombs among those in India. The interior of the tomb is well ventilated and also well lit as it has large windows on top fitted with stone jalli's (lattice work). The arches on the western wall were once adorned with verses from the Quran and glazed colored tiles in geometrical patterns and floral carvings in stone enclosed in enamel borders. Much of this has vanished with only a few glazed tiles running on the interior of the dome and the walls and cupolas outside. An inscription recording completion of the tomb can be seen in a small arched recess on the outside wall. The mausoleum of Salim Shah, son of Sher Shah, also lies nearby in the midst of the large artificial lake. Intended to be even larger than Sher Shah's tomb, it was never completed. Even so it has a kind of strange charm. Hasan Khan Suri father of Sher Shah is buried in the town of Sasaram and his tomb can also be visited. It is known as Sukha Roza.
Outside Sasaram is the tomb of Ali Wall Khan the architect of these wonderful monuments. It lies in ruin, an echo of the past. On a hill near Sasaram is an Ashokan inscription at Chantan-peer which is worth a visit. Sasaram, is off the beaten track for tourists, even though it lies on the Grand Truck road which goes on to Varanasi Even as tourists travel on the road built by the futuristic Sher Shah Suri, few spare the time to stop and visit his tomb and thank him for this historic highway.