Hauz Khas Village

 Delhi Heritage Trail : 42

      Hauz Khas

    

      This heritage precinct near Green Park in South Delhi is a repository of more than 700 years old Tughlaq Era buildings. It was here in the year around 1300 that Alauddin Khilji  excavated a tank to provide water to the inhabitants Siri the city founded by him. It was originally called Hauz-I-Alai. Firoz Tughalak who ruled after 50 years from 1351-1388 desilted the tank and built a Madrasa on the periphery of the tank on the west which was the biggest Islamic learning centre at that point of time.  The complex was also renamed Hauz Khas by him.

       Firoz Shah  who was the son of a Hindu Princess also built a tomb for him in the complex during his lifetime  and during his rule the Tughlaq era architecture was honed and refined. He choose to be buried so far away from his capital city of Feroz Shah Kotla. His tomb standing on a square plinth with sloping walls and lofty domes looks majestic in the complex. The entrance gate to the Tomb on the south is a mix of Islamic and Hindu architecture with an Islamic arch and Hindu stone railings below. Here he lies buried along with his two sons and a grandson. The tomb was repaired in 1507 during Sikandar Lodi’s reign. 

        Scattered in the premises are pillared Chatris and miniature tombs supposed to be tombs of nobles, principal and teachers of the Madrasa. The Hauz Khas complex is reached by a narrow road inside the Hauz Khaz village which abounds in high end shops and restaurants and is a hangout spot of the rich and the  heritage complex seaming with youngsters.

Khan Market

 Delhi Heritage Trail  : 41

         Khan Market 

     This seventy year old market is a stone’s throwaway from Lodhi Garden in the heart of Lutyens Delhi. It was started in 1951 as a middle class retail market and was given to the immigrants from North West Frontier Province mostly from Peshawar. It was named in honour of Frontier Gandhi Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan. It is a double storeyed U shaped market wherein the shopkeepers  had their houses in the first floor and shops in the ground floor. 

       Over a period of time it had turned into a high class  retail destination catering to the upmarket areas of Golf Links , Sundar Nagar and Diplomatic enclave of Chanakyapuri . It is now the most expensive retail location in India and 21st most expensive retail street of the world.  Due to real estate boom in last decades of twentieth century all the first floor residences have been sold out for shops. 

       Happened to meet the owner of a book shop called “ Fakir Chand  & Sons “started in 1951 and met Abhinav a fourth generation descendant of the owner Fakir Chand who was a refugee from Peshawar. He said that their ancestors had to run for their life from NWFP due to communal riot of Partition and the shops were given as seed land to the refugees to start their life afresh. From then on it is no stopping for the immigrants it being the most expensive place in Delhi worth crores of rupees.

Haveli Dharampura

 Delhi Heritage Trail 40

       Haveli Dharampura

      As you walk down the small by lanes near Jama Masjid in old Shahjahanabad you can come across this grand old Haveli in Gali Guliyan sandwiched between Jain temples.  This is more than 150 year old Haveli restored to its original style. The area is called Dharampura since many Temples are situated. The story of the Haveli is one of how to keep our Heritage in tact if concerted attempts are made to do so.  From the roof top of the Haveli a grand view of Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Sisganj Gurdwara can be seen.

    Till ten years ago it was in shambles until it was purchased by the local Member of Parliament Vijay Goel for restoration. The restoration was done aesthetically keeping the original in mind by acquiring materials like yellow stones from Jaisalmer, iron railings from Jaipur, wooden doors from Shekhawati glasses  from Firozabad. The beautifully laid out Jharokas( windows) Chattris( umbrella) Baithak( sitting place) Chabutras( platform)  in grand old style add to the beauty of the Haveli. Some of the old world furniture are kept to add to the grandeur. 

       The Haveli has been turned in to a Heritage restaurant serving to people interested in old world classic charms.  Had the opportunity to visit the restaurant  with family yesterday and was blind folded by its beauty and class. The restaurant serves typical Mughal dishes both vegetarian and Non vegetarian  ranging from Traditional Kanji, Broken wheat Kachori, Mushroom Makana and Awadhi Subz ki Biryani. It is a gourmets delight.  A Kathak performance by a local artist was part of the dinner. 

       A visit to Haveli Dharampur is recommended for connoisseur of Art, Heritage and good Food.

Athapulla Bridge

 Delhi Heritage Trail : 39

       Athpulla Bridge or Eight pier Bridge

       This  arched stone bridge inside the Lodi Gardens is perhaps one of the oldest stone bridges in India. It was built in 16th century during the reign of Akbar. It was built at a time when Agra was the Capital of Moghuls on one of the tributaries of Yamuna river flowing inside. Still a trace of the tributary with water is flowing underneath the bridge . In those days granite  stone was mainly used for building the bridges .

    The place where the Lodi Gardens are situated  now was once a village called Khairpur having the Sayyid and Lodi era tombs. The villagers were evicted in 1936 during the Viceroyship of Lord Willingdon and Lodi Gardens was developed.

Tomb of Alauddin Khilji

 

 Delhi Heritage Trail :38

       Tomb of Alauddin Khilji

     Delhi has many beautiful Tombs for lesser known Kings, Sultans and Nobles  but this stone built Tomb inside the complex of Qutub Minar is the  tomb of the great Sultan Allauddin Khilji  the great king of Khilji dynasty in the 14 th century.  The emperor who thought himself of second  Alexander  after more than 1600 years is interred in a nondescript Tomb without any architectural beauty inlaid Marbles and carvings. 

     Alauddin ruled the greater part of the subcontinent  from Bengal in the East to Bamiyan in the West in Afghanistan and from Deccan in the South to Hindukush in the North. He was the most powerful ruler and was a harsh administrator. He even built the Chor Minar to hang the heads of those who were killed as punishment .  He was so ambitious that he wanted to  overshadow the Qutub Minar by building the Alai Minar in  the complex.  But he could build only one storey in his lifetime and his successors never bothered to continue it and  it lies ruined a little away from his tomb.  He also built the Siri Fort city nearby and Hauz Khas complex and the water tank which are a great testimony to his administration. 

        The Tomb of Alauddin  is very simple black stone structure not in keeping with his name, fame  and statute. It is said his body was brought from Siri nearby and buried here in the complex. The tomb lies unnoticed inside to any visitor to the  Qutub complex . 

        When I visited last I spent a little time  sitting near the Tomb wondering whatever may be your might and fame death is a great leveller.

 Delhi Heritage Trail. : 37

       Old Magazine Gate, Lothian Road

      This is the surviving gate of Delhi Magazine used for storing arms and ammunition which in the early days of Indian Mutiny of 1857 was defended  by Lieutenant George Willoughby of the Bengal Artillery and his band of eight British soldiers and civilians. On 11th May 1857 when hundreds of Mutineers from Meerut crossed the Yamuna river and demanded the surrender of the Magazine along with its arms and ammunition Lieutenant George and his assistants barricaded the outer gate of the magazine and resisted the demands of mutineers.

        The mutineers used scaling ladders to assault the gate of the magazine the Lieutenant used grapeshot from his cannons effectively and defended it for almost four hours.  However faced with inevitable defeat because of the large no of mutineers attacking Lt. Willoughby gave orders to his assistant Scully to blow the Magazine depot.  Instantly the Magazine was blown up and the sound which shook Delhi City and heard up to Meerut Town killed hundreds of mutineers who were buried under the ruins or blown in to air.

         Scully was killed in the blast but some of the Britishers survived with their uniforms almost blown off their bodies and found their way to British lines. The tablet at the top commemorates the British deeds. The gate is a mute testimony to the happenings of Indian mutiny  163 years ago.

India Gate

 Delhi Heritage Trail  : 36

         India Gate

     This iconic arch in the Rajpath formerly called Kingsway is a picnic spot for many of the Delhiites. It was a master piece structure designed by Edwin Lutyens the maker of modern Delhi and its iconic buildings in early 20th century. Construction of such arched gateways was the trend in many European cities during that period of time.  

        The foundation for the gate was made by Duke of Connaught on 10th Feb 1921. It was constructed as a memorial to the soldiers of British  Indian Army who lost their life in first world war (1914-1919). It was part of the project of Imperial War Graves Commission. Remembering the dead soldiers by building grand structure was the order of that period.  After 10 years construction it was declared open by Lord Irwin  on 12th Feb 1931. Around 13218 soldiers  names who lost their life in the war are inscribed on its walls. The gate is 42metre(138 feet) in height and is at the eastern end of Rajpath. 

        Around 150 metre east of the gateway is a 73 feet high Cupola constructed in 1936 which housed a statue of King George V. The statue remained there even after independence inspite of opposition to it and demands for its removal. Ultimately it was removed in the year 1968 and placed in Delhi’s Coronation Park where many British Raj era statues are kept.

Ashokan Pillar at Firoz Shah Kotla

 Delhi Heritage Trail  :  35

          Ashokan Pillar at Firoz Shah Kotla

       In the third century  BC Ashoka the great raised seven  stunningly  carved and polished  monolithic stone pillars to promulgate  his new found Buddhist  faith.  This pillar in Firoz Shah Kotla was brought  from Topra in Ambala district  in 1356 AD. The pillars were carefully  lowered  into a pile of silk cotton and transported on a 42 wheel carriage because Firoz Shah did not  want to damage  the inscriptions  in Brahmi script  although he could  not  decipher  them. Each wheel was tied with a rope and  pulled over by 200 persons   to transport  it.

       After reaching  Delhi a bridge of boats was formed by the king to cross the Yamuna river and brought to Firozabad.  The three storeyed building  on which it stands was constructed  purely to support  the pillar. Each level was constructed  around the  pillar which was raised to the next level  as each was completed.  At every level  the small rooms are linked and are part of Sultans route to the roof. The rooms on each floor form an arcade around  a solid core and some of them are now used for  Pujas. 

         The Ashokan Pillar  is 13 metres high with over a metre sunk below the platform.  Originally  when it was built  it should  have  had a Sarnath Iron Capital which  was not there when Firoz Shah brought it. He is said to have decorated the top with  friezes in Black and white stone surrounded  by a guilded copper cupola. But now  nothing is left at the top but the pillar is enormously smooth  surface with  the inscriptions visible as if carved yesterday.  

          The Brahmi inscriptions of Ashoka were deciphered by James Princep in the year 1837. Many more inscriptions  were added to this  pillar over a period of time.  It was also believed by the local folklore  in those  days that it was the  walking  stick of Bhim  one of the Pandav brothers  of Mahabharata.

Tomb of Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq

 Delhi Heritage Trail : 34

        Tomb of Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq 

                  This is one of the beautiful Tomb of the Sultanate Era and a architectural marvel.  A student of architecture should definitely visit this 650 year old monument.  Despite the deep rooted disapproval of monumental tombs in Islam Delhi is dotted with more than 150 tombs of  various shape,size and grandiose nature. The tomb is situated  two kms from Tughlakabad Fort near Mehrauli-Badarpur road. It has a Fortress like appearance with liberal use of Red sandstone and white marble and was once in the midst of a water body. 

    Ghiyasuddin  was Governor of Samana  near Panipat. When Allauddin Khalji expired in 1316 confusion prevailed in Delhi when usurper Khusrau Khan seized the throne. Ghiyasuddin marched to Delhi killed Khusrau Khan and declared himself Sultan in 1321 starting the Thuglaq Era. He was an able ruler an ambitious builder and kept the Mongols at bay.  The Tughlaq era monuments were known for their slopping walls of massive strength, rough stones and without much ornamentation.  Tughlakabad the fourth city of Delhi was built by them. 

      The tomb is an imposing edifice befitting a warrior king. A stone causeway led to the tomb which is now breached. The fortified outer walls of the tomb now stand in good shape and intact.  Called Darul Aman (Abode of peace) there is a sense of eerie silence and tranquility here. It is said that the sultan was enchanted by this place that he started constructing the tomb during his life time. The Sultan had a tiff with the contemporary Saint Nizamuddin Auliya and was envious of his popularity.  

     His death is also shrouded in mystery. After a victorious campaign in Bengal he was returning to Delhi and was resting in Afghanpur a days distance from Delhi. His son Mohammed (later to be crowned Mohd. Bin Tughlaq) arranged a lavish reception to him. As the Sultan sat reviewing the troops the roof of the pavilion crashed on him and he died. While some call it accident others attribute it to Mohammed’s greed and ambition to sit on the throne of Delhi earlier.

Feroz Shah Kotla( Firozabad)

 Delhi Heritage Trail  : 33

         Feroz Shah Kotla (akka) Firozabad

           Sandwitched between the Ring Road on the east and Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg on the west is the fifth  city of Delhi  Firozabad after Siri, Jahanpanah, Tughlaqabad and Lal Kot. It was built  by Firoz Shah Tughlaq in 1354. You may ask why so many Delhi?  It is the old traditions of rulers indulging in extensive building programmes partly to provide large scale employment and partly to demonstrate their might and glory.  Then there is a belief in Islam that building a city is seen as an act of piety. Firoz Shah ascended the throne in 1351 AD and after a few years set his sights on repairing existing monuments,  building new one, constructing  sarais, baolis, hospitals,  bridges and canals.

      He was called  "Patron saint of Irrigation system " because of the sheer number of canals constructed for irrigation the most prominent being Western  Yamuna Canal. Firozabad had only  a fortified inner citadel and the rest of the city was without  any protection.  This made Shajahan to use the remains of Firozabad to build  Shajahanabad between 1638 AD to 1648 AD.  The Palace  inside Fero Shah Kotla is now in ruins and there is a baoli on the north which provided water to the City.   There is Jama Masjid a biggest  of the time which is constructed  atop a series of fortified  cells on the ground  floor. 

       There is a 14 metre tall third century  BC   Ashokan pillar which was planted atop a pyramidal  three tier structure. The Pali inscriptions on the pillar mentions about the  good deeds of Ashoka which was repeated by Firoz Shah 16 centuries later.  The main western  gate with bastion on each side with sliding rectangle holes gives an insight about the enemy attacking the Fort.

    In his memoir Malfuzat  Timur the Mangol conqueror who attacked and looted Delhi in 1398 AD mentions 

       "  I started from Delhi and marched three kos to the Fort of Firozabad which stands upon the bank of the Jamuna and is one of the edifices erected by Sultan Firoz Shah. There, I halted and went in to examine the place. I proceeded to the  Masjid e Jami and offered up my praises and thanksgiving for the mercies of the almighty"

         Timur was so impressed by what he saw that he took some of the artisans to erect a similar  mosque in Samarkand.

Alai Minar

 Delhi Heritage Trail  : 32

       Alai Minar

     The Alai Minar inside the Qutub Complex is an incomplete monument built by Allauddin Khalji ( 1296-1316) the most important Sultan of Khalji dynasty. Allauddin was of Turkic origin  and one of the most ambitious Sultan who sent his forces upto Madurai in the south for conquering and for plunder.  After one of his Deccan campaigns the Sultan dreamt of constructing a grand victory Minar excelling the Qutub Minar nearby. He wanted to build a structure which will be double the height of Qutyb Minar in order to be remembered as a Sultan who dared to build such a grand monumental edifice. 

       He increased the size of nearby Qunwat ul Islam mosque by four  times and also built  ceremonial gateways on both  sides. He wanted Alai Minar to match up to the size of the Mosque. The construction was completed  up to the first  storey to a height of 24.5 metres but unfortunately the construction stopped further because of his untimely  death at age of 50 in 1316 AD. Amir Khusro a Sufi mystic who is a contemporary of Allauddin mentions about the construction of Alai Minar in his " Tareek-i-Alai". Had he lived a long life and  completed  it during  his life time it would have been a grand  monument taller than Qutub Minar.

Smith Cupola

 Delhi Heritage Trail : 31

           Smith Cupola

        The Qutub Minar a 13th century Delhi  sultanate monument was struck by lightening in 1368 AD and the top two stories of the tower were destroyed. Firoz Thuglak the Sultan at that time  replaced the fallen storey with two floors and placed a Cupola at the top. It remained like that for more than 400 years when in 1803 a major Earthquake struck Delhi and the Qutub was damaged extensively and Firoz Shah Cupola was also  damaged heavily. In 1828 Major Robert Smith  a Military  Engineer of East India Company  was asked by the Governor  General to renovate the Minar. He in addition to doing tbe repairs placed a Cupola (a Bengali Hindu type Chatthri ) as in the  picture on tbe top of the Minar.  This was not in consonance with the Indo Islamic architecture of the Qutub Minar and remained out of place.  Finally in the year  1848 the then Governor  General Hardinge ordered to remove the Cupola and it was kept  in the northern  side of the complex. This episode in the history of the Minar is often referred as " Smiths Folly ".

Tomb of Iltumish

 Delhi Heritage Trail : 30

       

              Tomb of Iltutmish

         The Tomb of Iltutmish the second Sultan of Delhi (1210-1235) was constructed in the year 1235. It is outside the Qunwat-ul-Islam Mosque in Qutub Complex. He was the second Sultan of the  Slave dynasty founded by his father in law Qutbdin Aibak. He was originally from Turkey  sold as a slave and bought by Aibak. He stabilized the Sultanate rule by his administrative improvements. 

       The Tomb is a compact square of 42 feet each side opening on three sides and closed on western side. The exterior of the Tomb  is simple but the interior is fully decorated with rich patterns and Quranic verses inscribed interpersed on  the walls. The Tomb has no roof perhaps originally also there should not be one in keeping with the belief that Tombsshould be open to Rain and dew to be blessed.  Iltutmish completed the Qutub Minar started by his father in law  Qutbudin Aibak. The 800 year old tomb is a mute witness to the growth of Islamic Sultanate and Moghul empires in India

Mutiny Memorial

 Delhi Heritage Trail  : 29

           Mutiny Memorial 

         This four storeyed Victorian Gothic architecture tower was built in the year 1863 in memory of those officers and soldiers both British and Native who were killed  in action during the period  10th May 1857 to 20th September 1857 during the first Sepoy Mutiny(First War of Independence ). It was constructed at Government cost by Public Works Department in Kamala Nehru  Ridge. The names of the Martyrs are etched on the walls of Mutiny Memorial. The tower is octogonal shape on the exterior and circular shape from the interior with red sandstone base.

     It was renamed Ajitgarh in the year 1972 on the 25th anniversary of Independence in memory of all freedom fighters. The memorial  can be accessed from Pulbangsh metro station and is a km away from it.

Connaught Place

 

Delhi Heritage  Trail  : 28

         Connaught Place

      When Lutyens Delhi was developed in 1920s Connaught Place was planned as a Central  Business  District for the new elite of Delhi. It was originally a ridge infested with Jackals and wild Pigs. People from Kashmere Gate and Civil lines area used to come here for hunting.  They used to go back before sunset because the place was dangerous.  The people of 3 villages  namely Madhoganj, Jaisinghpura and Raja Ka Bazaar were evicted  to construct Connaught Place.

          They were all  shifted to the present area where Karol Bagh is situated which was also a semi forest area then. The only old  buildings which were not destroyed  was the Hanuman Temple and Jantar Mantar. The construction started in 1929 and was completed in 1933. The Georgian  Architecture  arcade was named after Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught third son of Queen Victoria who visted India in 1921 and laid the foundation for Parliament House. The architect was Roger Tussel who was Chief architect of PWD then.

          Intially traders from Kashmere Gate started the shops here. Mostly  the shops were in the ground  gloor and they resided in the first floor. Over a period  of time the shops changed hands and it became the fashion statement area of Delhi.  The underground  Pallika Bazaar  was constructed in late 1970s. The arcade consists of three circles inner, middle and outer with seven  radial roads branching off.   Regal the oldest cinema of Delhi was opened here in 1932.

        A visit to Connaught Place is a must for an outsider visiting Delhi.

Tomb of Bijri Khan

 Delhi Heritage  Trail : 27

    Tomb of Bijri Khan

     This Tomb situated in R.K.Puram Sector 3 is at a stone throwaway distance from Venkateswara Temple. It is an isolated tomb situated in a Residential area of south Delhi. It is a mausoleum enclosing the burial chamber of the dead.  It is built on a raised platform and is square in shape.  It has three arched entrances with doorways and the architecture of the Tomb  places it to Lodhi era. Nothing is much known about Bijri Khan who a noble of the Lodhi kings buried here  500 years back.   The dome of the Tomb is massive and impressive and the colour  is a mix of light cream and brown.

Havelis of Shajahanabad

 Delhi Heritage Trail :  26

        The Havelis of Shajahanabad

      Shajahanabad was constructed by Shajahan in 17th century when the capital shifted  from  Agra.   Over a period of 200 years by mid 19th century the city was full of beautiful Havelis  in small alleys extending from  one end of the road to another.  The status of a man was determined by the  Haveli in which he lived and owned.  The 200 year old  Haveli  of Mirza Ghalib in Ballimaran is one such . The city was also  home  to many Masjid of which Jama Masjid had a prime  place.  

        After the  recapture of Delhi in 1857 the British soldiers  plundered whatever they could find in the  Red Fort ; Jewels, weapons, Clothes of the royal family,  Marble slabs and inlay work. All the  loot found there way to Victoria and Albert  Museum in London. Jama Masjid was closed down  for public worship and Fatehpuri Mosque at the end of Chandni Chowk was confiscated.  It's shops and quadrangle  were sold in public  auction to Chunna Mal one of the richest bankers of the  city then. The rooms opening into its quadrangle was converted in to shops by him which still exists. The Masjids were returned for worship only after a decade. 

      Many of the  Havelis still exists in the  older part of the city which  are a treasure.

Pic:  Felice Beato,  Samuel  Bourne

Ugrasen ki Baoli

 Delhi Heritage  Trail  : 25

        Ugrasen ki  Baoli

      This stepwell in the heart of Delhi near Connaught Place on Hailey Road is an example of water conservation in the good olden days. This Baoli or stepwell was supposed to be constructed by the legendary  Agarwal  communitiny king Agrasen. It was renovated by the rich Agarwal community people during Tughlak period  in 14th century.

        The stepwell is 60 meter long and 15 meter wide. One has to climb down 108 steps made of rock stones to reach down below were a circular well filled with water is there.  It is a three storeyed structure with arched  cubicles on either side. The place is a refuge for Bats and as you go down an eerie silence occupies the place and it is cool down there too.  It is said that it is a haunted place  after sunset and people don't dare to venture. Mostly youngsters can be seen hanging around this place.

         It is a  heritage site under Archaelogical Survey of India.