Have you ever heard of any grave where people worship and pray by beating the grave with shoes and slippers? Such type of unique grave can be seen in Uttar Pradesh, Etawah, this grave is called is known as “Chugalkhor ki Mazhar”. There are several short stories behind the name “Chugalkhor”. There was a king from “Etawah” and the other one from the place called ‘Atteri”. The king of Etawah found on person responsible for the war between him and the other king. This person was caught and punished in a very unique way. The king announced that he should be beaten with shoes and slippers till he was died. Since then this custom of beating the grave prevails. It is believed that those who follow this custom will enjoy a safe and successful journey. Another story says during the reign of Mughals, there was a king named Sumer Singh. The palace of the king was destroyed by Mohammad Gauri. It is believed thaty one person was a “Munsif” under Raja Sumer Singh and played a very important role by disclosing all the secrets of the king to Mohammad Gauri. The Munsif’s grave is known as “Chugalkhor ki Mazhar”. This mausoleum was very beautiful, but with the passage of time all the beauty and attraction has been lost.

Chugalkhor ki Mazhar
By - Siran Imlani
Suditi Global Academy
Etawah, UP

It is said that when the Chauhan leader, Sumer Singh came to bathe in the River Yamuna, he noticed a goat and a wolf drinking water together, amazed by this sight he consulted the astrologers who advised him to built a fort at the place. In the course of excavations they came upon a brick made of silver and gold and called out Int aya! Int aya! (Brick has been found). So the city took the name Intaya, which finally becomes Etawah. Now, the fort of Sumer Singh has been the pride of Etawah. Raja Sumer Singh was a famous king known for his bravery. The pride of Etawah i.e. the fort at present is in the form of shattered remains. On this fort there was a Baradai, which had twelve doors, whose architecture was in such way that people get confused when they used to count because they get eleven or thirteen. On that place, there is a temple of Lord Hanuman and just adjacent to that there is a special guest house. Raja Sumer Singh built the fort in the design of Medieval Mahidarg which had a tunnel for security purposes and had underground rooms. Tunnel went into River Yamuna where the queens used to go for bath. One tunnel was linked up with Agra. Some restoration works were taken by the government. During daytime, the fort looks very beautiful whereas in the night, the fort gets lit up by the moonlight, it looks like a wonder

Fort of Sumer Singh
By - Priyanshi Verma
Viii, Suditi Global Academy
Etawah, UP