Page 35 - Lohgarh

Lohgarh : The Largest Fort of the World w 35

Darya Ganj and other areas. At that time this area was known as
Shahjahanabad (now old Delhi). The sandstone for the Red Fort and
the new town was supplied by Lakhi Rai Vanjara.
It is believed that Lakhi Rai Vanjara was the owner of a large estate
around Delhi. The whole of Raisina village and the present Malcha Mahal
and the land around it belonged to him. The present Dhaula Kuan, 10
Bara Khambha, Pusa Hill, Connaught Place, Rashtarpati Bhawan (earlier
Viceregal House), Parliament House, Gurdwara Rakab Ganj… the land
once belonged to Lakhi Rai Vanjara. District Lakhi sarai, in Bihar and
Lakhi Vanjara Lake at Sagar district, M.P. are also associated with Bhai
Lakhi Rai Vanjara. He is still remembered in the folksongs sung throught
out the Indian Sub continent.
Lakhi Rai was also the owner of all the land of Dabar, i.e. between
Sadhuara and Kala Amb. Lakhi Rai Vanjara had another Fort on the
eastern side of Yamuna river, a few kilometres away from Mukhlisgarh;
it is near Khawaspur and Haidarpur Ali Hinduwala villages (between
Tanda and Rampur towns). Its ruins speak of its grandeur. This Fort too
has stones like those of Lohgarh Fort. Around this Fort too, several wells
built by Lakhi Rai Vanjara. It proves that he was the owner of this land
as well (i.e. Thaska or may be from Raipur Rani, in Haryana to Dehradun
in Uttrakhand). In the Punjab too, Lakhi Rai Vanjara had a sarai near
Rajpura; it is still known as Sarai Vanjara.

Role of Pir Budhu Shah

In the history of Sadhaura and Lohgarh, the role of Pir Budhu Shah has
great importance. His real name was Sayyad Badar-ud-Din. Being Sayyad
(a descendant of the daughter of Hazrat Mohammed, the founder of
Islam), he was also known as ‘Shah’ Ji and ‘Pir’ Ji. He was born on 13
June, 1647 and had his abode at Sadhaura. The Mughal Emperor
(perhaps Akbar) had granted an estate to this family. He was a very
polite person. When people bowed before him and touched his feet in
reverence, he would stop them from doing so; rather he would ask
them to call him Budhu Shah instead of Sayyad Badar-ud-Din Shah. He
was such a down to earth personality.