Opposite the Bagh-i-Gul Afshan on the right side of
River Yamuna, Chhatri (Mausoleum) or Samadhi of Hada Rani was built in
her memory by her brother-in-law Raja Jaswant Singh sometime between
1644-58 AD. It is said that Hada Rani who was the wife of Rao Amar Singh
Rathor and the princess of Bundi committed Sati (burnt herself alive on
the funeral pyre of her husband) according to the local traditions. Raja
Jaswant Singh was the younger brother of the Rao. It is for this reason
that this place is also known as 'Sati ka Chabutra'. This act of
offering her body to fire with her husband was considered to be the
holiest and purest form of love for a married woman and thus, married
women offer traditional bridal articles such as bangles and vermilion
powder to the stone placed in the central pavilion to get her blessings
for happy and blissful marital life.
The surrounding wall is now in a dilapidated condition. However the
monumental screen on the eastern side facing the river has survived.
Originally this side has three entrances with staircases descending into
the water, a series of arched openings with 'jalis' and two octagonal
towers crowned by 'chhatris' that as projecting 'chhajjas' supported on
brackets. The inverted lotus crowned the main dome. The main chhatri or
burial site of the queen is set in the centre of a garden on a raised
platform. The pavilion is rectangular in shape like a baradari with
three openings on each side that are closed by delicately carved jalies
and entrance through an opening in the eastern side. Twelve jalie panels
are used on the longer sides of the rectangle while the shorter sides
have only seven panels sporting carved geometrical designs.
Know about the Chhatri or mausoleum of Rani
Hada at Agra.