Visitors to the Hauz Khas heritage walk are often surprised. They hardly expect such a grand monument complex lying just behind the designer shops & studios in Hauz Khas village. These are remains of a 13^th century tank and madrasa complex built in 14^th century. Parts of it were inaccessible because of some fresh digging. The tank was built by Alauddin Khalji for his capital city of Siri and madrasa was built by Firuz Shah Tughluq. Standing among the halls and rooms of the madrasa one gets a view of the tank and also the munda gumbad, a ruined pavilion just beyond. The complex also has the tomb of Firuz Shah himself, a large and impressive building. The ceiling hof the tomb has beautiful incised & painted plaster decoration. The first storey of the madrasa have very small rooms. There is a larger gateway (now closed) which could have been the original entrance to the complex. Close by is a residential unit which now houses the ASI office. There are number of pavilions which are tombs, probably for people associated with the madrasa. The deer park has a huge Lodi period tomb and a pretty attached mosque. Close by is another rather plain tomb known as Kali Gumti and an attached wall mosque. A little further is an impressive Tughluq period tomb, Tuhfewala gumbad.

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

Hauz Khas Heritage Walk