Mahabat Maqbara Junagadh: History, Architecture and a Visitor Guide

In the heart of old Junagadh, at the foot of the sacred mountain of Girnar, rises one of India's most extraordinary and underrated monuments, a mausoleum that looks like something from a fairytale. This guide, from the team behind Somnath Dwarka Tour Package, a unit of Experience My India, covers the history of Mahabat Maqbara, its remarkable architecture, the timings and entry and how to fit it into a Junagadh visit.

About Mahabat Maqbara

Mahabat Maqbara is a magnificent royal mausoleum complex in the Mullawada locality in the heart of Junagadh city, Gujarat, built in the late 19th century for the Nawabs of the Babi dynasty who ruled the princely state of Junagadh. It is celebrated for its rare and ornate fusion of architectural styles, blending Indo-Islamic, Gothic and European influences into something quite unlike any other monument in India. With its onion domes, its intricately carved facades, its gleaming silver doors and, above all, its astonishing minarets wrapped in winding spiral staircases, it is often called one of India's best-kept secrets, a hidden gem of royal architecture that leaves every visitor amazed. Despite its beauty, it remains far less known than it deserves, so a visit feels like a genuine discovery.

Mahabat Maqbara at a glance

The history of Mahabat Maqbara

Mahabat Maqbara tells the story of the Babi dynasty, the Muslim Nawabs who ruled the princely state of Junagadh from the 18th century until it joined India in 1948. The main mausoleum was commissioned by Nawab Mahabat Khan II and its construction began in 1878, continuing after his death and being completed in 1892 during the reign of his successor, Nawab Bahadur Khan III. It houses the grave of Mahabat Khan II. Beside it stands a second, even more flamboyant mausoleum, the Bahauddin Maqbara, also known as the Wazir's Maqbara, built between 1891 and 1896 by the royal vizier or minister, Sheikh Bahauddin Hussain Bhar, using his own personal funds. Together the two tombs, with the nearby Jama Masjid in a similar style, form the Mahabat Maqbara complex, a lasting monument to the wealth, taste and architectural ambition of Junagadh's royal court in its final century. Today it is a State Protected Monument under the Gujarat Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act of 1965.

The architecture of Mahabat Maqbara

The glory of Mahabat Maqbara is its architecture, a striking and unusual fusion of styles that blends the Islamic, the Gothic and the European into one harmonious whole. The highlights include:

The spiral minarets. The most famous feature and the one that makes the monument unforgettable, is the set of four tall minarets flanking the mausoleum, each wrapped in a unique exterior winding spiral staircase ascending to the top. Remarkably, the staircases are said to wind in opposite directions to achieve a perfect symmetry, a dazzling and unusual piece of design found almost nowhere else.

The silver doors. The main entrance is graced by gleaming, highly ornate silver-decorated doors, their intricate workmanship one of the great treasures of the complex, welcoming visitors into the richly decorated interior.

The fusion of styles. The monument blends Islamic onion domes and marble tracery or jalis, with French-style windows and vertical European Gothic columns, a bold mingling of East and West that is the hallmark of the late 19th-century royal monuments of Junagadh.

The carvings. Elaborate floral and geometric stone carvings adorn both the inner and outer facades, along with fine arches and marble columns, so that every surface of the yellow-walled complex is richly detailed and rewarding to study up close.

The two mausoleums of the complex

It is worth knowing that the Mahabat Maqbara complex has two main mausoleums, which visitors sometimes confuse. The larger, main tomb is the Mahabat Maqbara itself, the mausoleum of Nawab Mahabat Khan II. The second, standing beside it, is the Bahauddin Maqbara or Wazir's Maqbara, the tomb of the minister Sheikh Bahauddin Hussain Bhar. Interestingly, it is this second, Bahauddin Maqbara that carries the famous spiral-staircase minarets and is the one most often photographed, so the image most people associate with Mahabat Maqbara is in fact the adjacent Wazir's tomb. Both are masterpieces and both are best seen together, along with the Jama Masjid nearby, to appreciate the full splendour of the complex. The Bahauddin Maqbara is sometimes said to be loosely inspired by the Taj Mahal in its layout, with a central domed tomb framed by four corner minarets, though its exuberant fusion of styles and its spiralling staircases make it quite unlike anything else.

Mahabat Maqbara timings and entry fee

Mahabat Maqbara is open daily, generally from about 10:00 AM to 6:30 PM. Entry to the courtyard and the exterior grounds is free, so you can admire the mausoleums, the minarets and the facades at no charge. Access to the interior of the mausoleum is restricted and not always open, though the keys can sometimes be requested through the caretaker of the adjacent mosque, so it is worth asking if you wish to see inside. The monument is best appreciated from the outside in any case, where the spiral minarets, the domes and the silver doors are at their most striking. Timings can change, so it is wise to confirm the current details before your visit.

Best time to visit Mahabat Maqbara

The best time to visit Mahabat Maqbara is the cooler winter season, November to February, when the weather is pleasant for sightseeing and photography, in line with the best time to visit Gujarat. The summer, April to June, is hot, making outdoor sightseeing tiring, while the winter months are comfortable and the light is lovely on the yellow stone and the intricate carvings. Within the day, the softer light of the morning or the late afternoon is the most beautiful for appreciating and photographing the monument, when the spiral minarets and domes glow against the sky. It is a photographer's delight at any time, but especially in the golden hours.

How to reach Mahabat Maqbara

Mahabat Maqbara is in the Mullawada area in the heart of Junagadh city, only about 1 km or a few minutes, from Junagadh Junction railway station, so it is very easy to reach by auto rickshaw or taxi from anywhere in town. Junagadh itself is well connected by rail and road from across Saurashtra, including from Somnath, about 100 km away and Gir, about 60 km away. Our Junagadh to Girnar and Somnath to Girnar distance guides cover the routes and a Somnath Dwarka taxi service can bring you to Junagadh and its monuments as part of a wider tour.

Combine Mahabat Maqbara with the rest of Junagadh

Mahabat Maqbara is one of several wonderful sights in Junagadh, so it is best combined with the others into a full day or two in the city. The ancient Uparkot Fort, with its stepwells, Buddhist caves and cannons, is a short distance away; the great Girnar mountain, with its Jain and Hindu temples and ropeway, rises at the edge of town; and there are the Ashokan rock edicts and the Narsinh Mehta sites as well. Junagadh pairs naturally with a Gir lion safari nearby and the Somnath temple on the coast, so Mahabat Maqbara fits beautifully into a wider Saurashtra journey of history, pilgrimage and wildlife, where royal monuments, sacred mountains, great temples and the Asiatic lion all lie within easy reach of one another.

Tips for visiting Mahabat Maqbara

A few pointers make your visit better:

• Visit November to February, in the cooler winter months, for the most pleasant sightseeing.

• See it in the softer morning or late afternoon light, which is best for photography.

• Look closely at the spiral-staircase minarets, the great highlight of the monument.

• Ask the mosque caretaker about the keys if you wish to see the restricted interior.

• See both mausoleums, the Mahabat and the Bahauddin and the nearby Jama Masjid together.

• Combine the monument with Uparkot Fort, Girnar and a Gir safari for a full Saurashtra trip.

Plan your Junagadh trip

Experience My India can plan a Saurashtra trip that includes Mahabat Maqbara and Junagadh along with the temples and the safari. Combine the monument with Uparkot Fort and the Girnar climb, add a Gir lion safari and the Somnath temple, book Somnath Dwarka hotels and let the Experience My India Somnath Dwarka tour packages or the wider Gujarat tour packages include Junagadh and the region in your itinerary. You can also extend the trip up the coast to Dwarka for a fuller journey.

Related guides

To plan the rest of your Saurashtra trip, these related guides help:

Plan your visit

Experience My India can arrange your Junagadh and Mahabat Maqbara trip. Browse more travel guides, message us on WhatsApp or call +91 73006 20809.