Hauz Khas village is both, one of the most well known, happening place and a neglected on at the same time. HKV as the popular jargon goes has become famous for its cafés & designer shops. But not many would know of the history of the area. It is true that the ruins here have become increasingly popular with photographers, musicians & people simple hanging around, still, there is much that is not quite well known. Our heritage walk in Hauz Khas focuses on lesser know aspects of this area’s history.  (more…)

Hauz Khas is one of the urban village in the city of Delhi & Delhi Heritage Walks organizes walks to this area regularly. Our walking tour here covers the monument complex which lies behind the Hauz Khas village market. This is a 14^th century madrasa built by Sultan Firuz Shah Tughluq. It overlooks a water tank which was originally created by the most well known of Khalji Sultans, Alauddin Khalji. He called is Hauz I Alai. Later Firuz Shah Tughluq renamed it Hauz I Khas. The madrasa complex has remains of classrooms, tombs of teachers associated with the school, colonnaded halls probably classrooms and the tomb of Firuz Shah himself. This heritage walk also covers monuments in Deer Park which include the Bagh I Alam ka Gumbad, Kali Gumti & Tuhfewala Gumbad. This blog entry has photographs of our heritage walk to Hauz Khas & Deer Park on 23 Dec 2012, led by Moby Zachariah. Photographs are by Kavita Singh, team member, Delhi Heritage Walks.

Hauz Khas Heritage Walk

The ruins in Hauz Khas village are among the most fascinating in Delhi. The neighbourhood gets its name from the reservoir, ‘Hauz i Alai’ built by Sultan Alauddin Khalji in early 14^th century, for his capital city of Siri. About 50 year after Khalji, Sultan Firuz Shah Tughluq restored the silted up tank, built a madrasa along its edge and called it the ‘Hauz Khas’. The massive madrasa complex along the lake was among the most important in the Islamic world in the 14^th century. A contemporary poet wrote in its praise: (more…)

The neighbourhood of Hauz Khas gets its name from a 13th century reservoir: ‘hauz’ is a tank & ‘khas’ is important or special. Now part of a DDA park, the tank was originally called Hauz i Alai, built by Sultan Alauddin Khalji. He also built his capital city of Siri, today the area around Asiad village & Khel Gaon marg. The tank served the needs of this capital city. After 50 years after Alauddin, another Delhi sultan, Firuz Shah Tughluq found the tank silted up & people growing crops on it. He removed the ‘encroachments’, re-dug the tank & built a madrasa & his own tomb along its edge.  Continue Reading This Post

The ruins in Hauz Khas are one of the most amazing sites in Delhi. Tucked away behind the numerous shops in Hauz Khas village, this magnificent monument reveals itself slowly to us as we approach it. The ruins around of are that of the madrasa founded by Sultan Firuz Shah Tughluq in the 14^th century. It is built on the edge of the tank, which supplied water to the capital city of Siri. It was built by Alauddin Khalji, the ruler of Siri, who called it Hauz i Alai. Later, Firuz Shah repaired it and called it the Hauz Khas. The madrasa is a double storeyed structure, the colonnaded halls probably being lecture halls. At the junction of the two wings of the madrasa is Firuz Shah’s tomb. It has been recently repaired; however, one of the graves in the chamber was badly damaged yet again. Continue Reading This Post