Lat or a stone pillar

The Lat or a stone pillar in Fatehbad, Haryana is a monument of great historic importance. The Lat or a stone pillar has always been one of the popular tourist spots of the district for its historical and archaeological evidences. The monument is about 5 meters in Height and the base is about 1.90 in circumference. It stands pretty in the center of the Idgah where it was erected.

According to the historians, the Lat or a stone pillar was built by the Great Ashoka either at Hansi or in Agroha. Firoze Shah Tuglaq was widely known for taking away such columnar structures and re-erecting them in the complexes of his choice. Historians believe that the same thing happened in the case of the Lat in Fatehbad. Tughlaqi inscriptions had been engraved on the pillar, removing the Ashokan epigraphs.

However the monument in Fatehbad is only a part of the original structure, the other part of the originally single monolithic pillar can be seen at the mosque in Hissar. The original pillar has two inscriptions. On the left side of the screen wall of Idgah is the inscription with words of praise for Emperor Humayun. The other inscription is engraved on a rectangularly shaped sand stone. This stone is placed on the outer wall of enclosure of the mosque. A famous conjuration to Ali inscribed in Arabic is seen on this stone. Although it lies without use, the mosque in the complex is still in good condition.