Famous as one of the largest tanneries in northern India, Jajmau was once home to one of the oldest Indian civilisations and is a region that dates back to 1300-1200 BC. In 2010, the excavations done in the town by the Uttar Pradesh State Archaeological Department unearthed 3,000-year-old house complexes, pottery items and other accessories buried under layers of mud. The structures, believed to be from the pre-Northern Black Polished period, left archaeologists wondering of the existence of an old human habitat near the Ganga Valley. Famous as Jajmau Mound, the excavations also included mud bricks used to make houses as well as burnt bricks that were probably employed to make streets, terracotta seals, pottery and other artefacts. These excavated products are now housed in Kanpur Sanghralaya. The excavated mound has thrown light on the existence of Pre-Northern Black Polished Ware (Mauryan period), Kushan, Gupta, Sunga and Medieval periods around this region.

 

Another attraction is the mausoleum of renowned Sufi saint, Makhdoom Shah Ala-ul-Haq, who preached secularism all his life. Firoz Shah Tughlaq, the Sultan of Delhi (1351-1388), constructed a tomb in his memory in 1358. If you happen to reach Jajmau from Lucknow on the new Ganga bridge, a not-to-be-missed site is Jinnaton Ki Masjid atop a hill. Its architecture and white colour resemble the iconic Taj Mahal.

Other Attractions in Kanpur