Inside the expansive gardens of the Lukshmi Vilas Palace Compound there stands a tomb of Alam Sayed also known as the “Ghode ka Pir” (the saint of horses). Alam Syed, is said to have been a Sufi saint, who was an adviser to Sultan Muzaffar Shah II who ruled Gujarat in the 15th Century.
It is said that saint’s horse was buried nearby, beneath a tree laden with small horse figures.It is believed that the Hindus used to hang these horse figures as offerings for the fulfillment of their wishes.
Architecture :
The tomb is a square shaped structure with porches jutting out from the four sides on all the cardinal directions. Curiously enough the columns of the tomb follow the Hindu, Jain style of architecture in particular. The chamber of mausoleum where the shrine/grave is housed is partitioned off from the open areas with the use of stone carved “jalis” of geometric patterns. The central space of the tomb is topped with a huge dome, which is surrounded by four small domes on four corners, which are probably false domes/cupolas (i.e. domes that are made by corbelling stones on one another). Also, the top of the porches are covered using these apparent false domes/cupolas. All the domes/cupolas used to be topped with finials, most of which are now extinct.The parapet wall of the roof used to have a “Merlon” pattern, which has now vanished. The architrave of the tomb features a sloping “chajja”, which is also a very common element in Hindu style of architecture.
All round the mausoleum rise half broken columns, which are the ruins of a mosque once standing in the shade of huge trees. Thousands of parrots once dwelt these trees, as noted by the French traveler Louis Roosevelt. He also noted that, there used to be a “Fakirkhana” which used to serve food to the poor at the king’s expense.
Partial Source: Times of India & ‘India and Its Native Princes’ Book
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