On way from Amritsar to Chandigarh we stopped by a serai (resting place), Serai Amant Khan, built during the Mughal rule. It's being restored by the Archeological Department, Govt. of India. The beautiful Serai Amanat Khan houses the tomb of Amanat Khan, majestically guarded by the minarets on the four sides of the tomb. The mosque in the vicinity is adorned with beautiful verses in Persian. This serai like the others served as a resting place for the people passing the royal road from Atari to Govindwal. All of them, including the Amanat Khan Serai, has water tanks to serve the inmates staying in the serais.
There I chanced upon this proud, smiling old man who was all too willing to be photograhed. We hardly spoke but the few moments we spent together were as if we were old friends. That's the charm of rural India - dignified informality.
