Panchakki

Panchakki is a water mill in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar city, dated to 1744. Water from an underground source about 6 km away, fed by a tributary of the Harsul River, was brought here in earthen pipes and dropped into a pool to turn a wheel that drove the millstones. The name refers to the five grinding mills that once worked here, making flour for pilgrims at the shrine of the Sufi saint Baba Shah Musafir and, in Mughal times, for soldiers stationed in the city.

The complex holds far more than the mill: a courtyard, a madrasa, a mosque, a sarai, quarters for women and a minister's house, built with arches and carved detail around a garden with fountains. The saint's tomb, decorated with calligraphy, stands in the grounds. Local stories credit him with miracles and say the stream beneath the mill has healing powers, a belief some residents still hold.