Khan Jahan Ali Shrine

The tomb of Khan Jahan Ali, founder of medieval Bagerhat, beside the large Thakur Dighi pond. A living pilgrimage site; allow about an hour.

About Khan Jahan Ali Shrine

Khan Jahan Ali was the 15th-century saint and ruler who cleared the mangrove fringes of southern Bengal and built the mosque city of Bagerhat. He died in 1459, and his tomb stands in Bagerhat, in Khulna Division, though it is filed under Barishal on this site. It is part of the UNESCO-listed Historic Mosque City of Bagerhat.

The tomb is a square, single-domed brick building, and the shrine around it is busy with pilgrims who come to pray, make offerings and tie threads for wishes. Beside it lies Thakur Dighi, a large old pond long associated with the saint, where mugger crocodiles have traditionally been kept and are treated with reverence by visitors.

This is an active religious site rather than a museum, which is a large part of its atmosphere. Across the pond stands the Nine Dome Mosque, and the Sixty Dome Mosque and Singair Mosque are a short drive away. Evergreen Bangladesh Tours visits on private Bagerhat tours with a local guide who can explain the customs.

Things to do

Visit the tomb

See the domed tomb of Khan Jahan Ali and the devotion of the pilgrims around it.
Thakur Dighi

Walk by the large pond beside the shrine, traditionally home to the shrine’s crocodiles.
Nine Dome Mosque

Cross to the west bank of the pond to see the Nine Dome Mosque.
Shrine atmosphere

Watch pilgrims, stalls and devotional life, especially busy on Thursdays and Fridays.