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The five storeyed tower at Gaur known as the Pir Asa Minar or Firoz Shah Minar, with a Palas tree, ‘Butea frondosa,’ in brilliant salmon-pink flower in the foreground.

Inscribed below: ‘Minar at Gour and the Pullass Tree or Butea frondosa.’

362 by 450 mm.

Watercolour of the Firuz Minar at Gaur from 'Views by Seeta Ram from Malda to Gunga Pursaad Vol. II' produced for Lord Moira, afterwards the Marquess of Hastings, by Sita Ram between 1817-21. Marquess of Hastings, the Governor-General of Bengal and the Commander-in-Chief (r.1813-23), was accompanied by artist Sita Ram (flourished c.1810-22) to illustrate his expedition to Bengal in 1817 and his convalescent tour in the Rajmahal Hills in the winter of 1820-21.

Idealised view of the five storeyed tower at Gaur known as the Pir Asa Minar or Firoz Shah Minar, with a Palas tree, 'Butea frondosa,' in brilliant salmon-pink flower in the foreground. The ruined city of Gaur is located on the India-Bangladesh border in the Malda district of Bengal. The five-storey high (about 84 ft) victory tower called the Firuz Minar was built in the late 15th century. It originally terminated in a domed pavilion. It rises from an embankment which on the west side has steps leading to the entrance. The tower has an internal spiral staircase from the base to the top and was once decorated with glazed tiles which have mostly disappeared.