Who was Khan Jahan Ali?

Khan Jahan Ali was a sufi saint who ruled over parts of Jashore and Khulna. He was a Tughlaq noble who came to Bengal after Delhi was invaded by Timur in 1398.

Sultan Mahmud Shah of Bengal had given some forest areas of the Sundarbans to Khan Jahan as 'jagir'. He, along with his associates, cleared them and made them appropriate for human settlement. 

Known as a famous builder, he built roads, highways, bridges and many mosques such as the Shat Gambuj Mosque, the Singar Mosque, the Bibi Begeni Mosque, the Chunakhola Mosque, and the Ronobijoypur Mosque. He also dug many ponds or 'dighis' such as the Khanjali dighi, and the Ghora dighi to store water.

It is also said that he built a highway all the way from Bagerhat to Chittagong, which stretched 32 kilometres.

The Shat Gambuj Mosque (60 dome mosque) was one of the largest mosques built at that time. Each of the buildings he built were architectural wonders, as he brought in designs from the Delhi Sultanate to Bengal. 

A preacher of Islam, Khan Jahan Ali died in 1459 (27 Zilhajj 863 AH) and he was buried in a tomb which was built by himself, according to history. 

The shrine or 'mazar' is regularly visited by local worshippers but not so much by tourists. Its adjacent pond or dighi and the shrine itself are now maintained by its khadems. 

There are crocodiles in the pond's water which are seen every now and then. The first two crocodiles which were released into the water were two huge marsh crocodiles called Kala Pahar and Dhola Pahar. These creatures were objects of utter fascination by visitors and were believed to possess magical powers. After they died, other crocodiles were brought in which were gifted by India. These animals are often fed chickens and other offerings from locals.

The shrine is a beautiful space and although frequented by visitors often, its peace and quiet is well maintained.