Bhopal rubaats | Inheriting a legacy of trouble

As the last century groaned forward, those with a rosy view of the past have sought to hold on to a kind of sepia-tinted idea of princely generosity. Look no further than the Bhopal rubaats, or guesthouses for Haj pilgrims in Mecca and Medina, constructed during the reign of Bhopal’s begums Shah Jahan and her daughter Sultan Jehan, together dating from 1838-1930. At least since 1920, these structures have offered refuge to the city’s devout who made what’s a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the holy lands—no doubt, for these travellers, they also stood as a comforting emotional bridge to what’s seen as the ‘Golden Era’ of the Bhopal nawabs.