RAS question
Sher Shah Suri's tomb at Sasaram is considered a masterpiece of medieval Indian architecture. Which of the following correctly describes its architectural features?
Correct answer: (B) An octagonal structure in red sandstone, rising from a platform in the middle of an artificial lake.
Sher Shah Suri's tomb at Sasaram is an octagonal red-sandstone mausoleum rising from a platform in the middle of an artificial lake.
Explanation
Sher Shah Suri's tomb at Sasaram is identified by the National Monuments Authority as a red-sandstone mausoleum, about 122 ft high, standing in the middle of an artificial lake. The source further states that the main tomb is built on an octagonal plan and topped by a dome, with the tomb placed at the centre of the lake on a stone plinth connected to the mainland by a bridge. That combination of plan, material and setting is why option B fits: the defining feature is not just the dome, but the octagonal mausoleum rising from a platform within the water setting.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) A square plan with four minarets on dry ground misses the monument's octagonal main tomb and its placement in the middle of an artificial lake.
- (C) A circular white-marble tomb in a char-bagh garden does not match the red-sandstone, octagonal mausoleum set within a lake.
- (D) A five-storied Rajput-style tower with jharokhas describes a tower form, whereas Sher Shah Suri's tomb is a large domed mausoleum on an octagonal plan.
Concept
This tests medieval Indian architecture through plan, material and site setting, a common RAS pattern because tombs are often distinguished by these visible architectural markers. Sher Shah Suri's Sasaram tomb recurs because it sits at the Indo-Afghan phase of medieval architecture and is easy to confuse with later Mughal tomb layouts.