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