Mehrauli lies on the Aravallis; the terrain is uneven and Acacia is the most commonly found variety of tree. This time of the year is a special treat for the senses. The bougainvillea shrubs are in full bloom and the deep pink and white flowers look exquisite!

We started the walk at the gateway to Balban’s tomb and moved in the large open space created just beyond it after the archaeological excavation. One can find pottery shards lying about on the site. It’s amazing how archaeology transforms landscape. A few months back this area was completed covered in mud and vegetation. One of the chambers’ in Balban’s tomb has the grave of his son, Khan Shaheed although there is another building in the Park which was meant to be his burial place. We next walked through the ruins of a residential settlement towards Jamali-Kamali mosque. Continue Reading This Post

The area that is now known as Lodi Garden was part of the village of Khaipur in the early 20th century. The villagers were relocated by the British and the space was landscaped into a garden named Lady Willingdon Park. It got its present name after independence & the garden was redesigned with Japanese collaboration in 1968. We began our walk from gate no. 1& moved towards the octagonal tomb of Mohammed Shah. The tomb was built by Alam Shah in Mohammed Shah’s memory. From this building we moved in north-west direction towards Bara Gumbad. It is a tall imposing square building with a disproportionately high dome. It is probably a gateway to the grave of an important person. On the west to the grave is a beautifully carved mosque and on the east is a pavilion that might have housed learned men, holy persons or attendants. The entire structure was built during Sikander Lodi’s time. Right opposite to this complex, towards the north is the Sheesh Gumbad, another Lodi period building. Continue Reading This Post

The tank, hauz khas was a reservoir built during the reign of alaudin khilji,under his royal command,was probably intended to supply the needs of the gardens and fields around siri…capital city built by alaudin khilji….here we started our walk..the tank was restored by feroz shah tuglaq….infact when timur ,mongol ruler invaded, defeated mohammed shah tuglaq in1398…had camped here and misunderstood it to have been built by feroz shah tuglaq…feroz shah tuglaq’s tomb and the madarsa form an l-shaped building..as we entered the tomb we found it to be more elaborately carved than the other buildings…one unusal feature is the stone railings at the main entrance of the tomb.next to it is.the pillared hall, is connected .it.has the architectural style seen in hindu -jain temples…flat roof supported by pillars….there is also a hall with a dome…could be a cenotaph……after this we moved to south-west wing of the l-shaped stucture…here as we go down the steps we found ourselves among a row of small cell like rooms that would have been student’s accomodation..next building was an interesting one…it is Continue Reading This Post

The special walk for the month covered Tughuqabad fort and tomb of Ghiyasuddin Tughluq. The entrance to the fort is right on Mehrauli Badarpur Road. The fort and tomb were connected by a causeway which was breached to make the road. We began our heritage walk by first exploring the fortifications on the south side. The Continue Reading This Post

The members of Hindi Department, Indraprastha College for Women, Delhi University visited the Mehrauli Archeological Park for a heritage walk cum picnic. Being students of literature, many were familiar with the characters & events whose stories unfolded here: Prithvi Raj Chauhan, Qutb ud din Aibak, Balban, the Sufis, Lodi sultans, Thomas Metcalfe, 1857.

We started from Balban’s tomb, walked through the ruins of what might have been a residential settlement, and reached Jamali’s mosque. A faculty member remarked that 10 years ago the area was completely inaccessible and that it impossible to imagine that such a grand structure lay behind the boundary walls. Rajon ki baoli was the next stop. This baoli is always the highpoint of a heritage walk in the Park; it slowly reveals itself as one approaches it. Everybody had loads of fun, walking through the narrow stairs of the baoli. Continue Reading This Post