Sher Shah Suri's Tomb

The tomb of Sher Shah Suri is a mausoleum situated in a small town called Sasaram in the east Indian state of Bihar.

As the name suggests, the tomb was built to commemorate Sher Shah Suri, who was a Pathan emperor and founder of the Suri empire in India in the 16th century.

Sher Shah Suri was killed on 22 May 1545 during a blockade in Bundelkhand region against a dynasty of rulers called the Rajputs of Mahoba, when he was trying to protect a fort called Kalinjar fort. When he failed to protect it, he ordered the walls of the fort to be blown up with gunpowder, and he also died in the gunpowder blast.

Sher Shah Suri’s tomb was being planned since 1540 AD when he was still alive, but due to his sudden death, it was rushed up and completed by his son Islam Shah by August 1545 AD.

Sher Shah Suri’s tomb is a beautiful manifestation of Indo-Islamic architecture. It was designed by an architect called Mir Muhammad Aliwal Khan.

It is built in red sandstone and stands at a height of about 122 feet, in the midst of a scenic man-made lake. The tomb lies on an octagonal plain that is topped by a dome, and surrounded by attractive ornamental domed structures.

Sher Shah Shuri’s tomb is open to visitors between 10 AM and 5 PM every day, on all days of the week.

An entry fee of INR 5 per head is applicable for every Indian national (adult) visitor to this place, and for foreigners (adult), the entrance fee applicable is INR 100 per head. Entry is free for kids and children up to the age of 15 years.

Sasaram is close to many cities that are well connected to major locations across India as well as other parts of the world. The town can be reached by rail or road.

• By air – Nearest airports to Sher Shah Suri’s Tomb (Sasaram) are at  Gaya and Banaras (Varanasi). The nearest international airport is at Patna. Visitors can reach any of these airports, and can hire a cab or bus from here to reach Sasaram.
• By rail – The nearest railway station to Sasaram are Varanasi (Banaras) and Gaya railway stations. These can be reached from any city in India easily, and visitors can hire cab, or bus from these to reach Sasaram, and Sher Shah Suri’s tomb .
• By road - People can travel to Sasaram by road on bus, auto-rickshaw or cabs from nearby cities from neighbouring regions in Bihar or other neighbouring states.

Within the town, there are various modes of public transport that can help people travel to the tomb and other places easily, for reasonable hire prices.