We reached a little early and did some exploring of our own. Luckily we found the bonsai garden open. It is a neat little place. There is some information about the bonsai on panels at the entrance. Still, would be helpful if the displayed bonsai too had labels on them. Conservation work on Mohammad Shah’s tomb is over and it looks almost cute now that it is pink all over! One is so used to the ruins looking grey (which gives the impression of age) that the pink is rather hard to accept. But I guess cleaning work will give the plaster and the mortar a light colour. Also, it regains its grey look in a few weeks’ time. Same is the case at the Bara Gumbad. The mosque looked as lovely as ever except, that 2 of its domes were pink in colour & the 3rd was as black as soot. Almost like BEFORE & AFTER…in our advertisements! J We next looked at the Sish Gumbad and walked towards Sikandar Lodi’s tomb. We just managed to get in, as the guards were closing the gates to the tomb. (All ASI protected monuments open from sunrise to sunset). The tile work on the interior of the tomb looked lovely even in dim light. Sikandar Lodi’s tomb is a really impressive building, but we could have done without the restoration work on the entrance arches. The white plaster stands out like a sore thumb. Next was Athpula, one of the surviving medieval bridges, and a couple of late-Mughal buildings: a garden pavilion and a little mosque. Walking tours at Lodi Garden are not very long, about 1 & ½ hours, so we finished our walk just as it was getting dark.

(posted by Rajesh Ranjan & Kanika Singh, team members, Delhi Heritage Walks)

Lodi Garden Heritage Walk