(pics by Nirmal Dayani, heritage walk enthusiast)

This heritage walk was special…we had four very young kids joining us at the Mehrauli Archaeological Park: Priyansh, Abeer, Vivaan and Ishaan. And for once, their questions outnumbered the answers available with Kanika, who was leading the walk!!!

We started at the gateway to Balban’s tomb. The area behind it was cleared recently in an archaeological excavation. Now we can see remains of a courtyard and a new rooms & graves towards the north. If one looks carefully, one can pick up shards of pottery scattered around the clearing! Balban’s tomb stands prominently against the skyline. It is in a ruined state and without a roof now, but initially would have been covered by a dome. Continue Reading This Post

‘On the day of separation from you in helplessness and loneliness nothing consoles us but the sorrow we feel for you.

O Jamali, resort for protection to the door of the friend, for our refuge is the door of the beloved!’

There lie many a stories behind the picturesque ruins in Mehrauli. Delhi is well known as a historic city & within Delhi, Mehrauli is a minefield of historical & archaeological data. Our heritage walk in the Mehrauli Archaeological Park covers some stunning monuments which have incredible stories behind them! The above verse was penned by Maulana Jamali, a sufi & poet whose mosque & tomb gives the park its local name, Jamali-Kamali.

Our heritage walk starts at the gateway to Balban’s tomb. Continue Reading This Post

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

Today’s weather was perfect…bright, breezy and pleasantly cool. 18 heritage enthusiasts joined me along with Kanika Singh and Rajesh Ranjan for the heritage walk in Mehrauli Archaeological Park. Situated on the Aravallis, this is perhaps earliest inhabited area of Delhi. This heritage trail is vast and very interesting: it covers monuments and structures from 13th century to 19th century. We started our walk from an arched gate that leads to Balban’s tomb. It is here that ASI carried out some excavation work in summer of 2009 and found some rooms, graves which seems to be part of the larger residential complex..today again we saw labour working on the site…let us see what more may come out of it. Adjacent to Balban’s tomb is Khan Shaheed’s grave, son of Balban who died fighting the Mongols in 1285A.D. This chamber has some some remains of floral designs on plaster and little bit of blue tile on one of the walls. We can visualise how magnificent it would have been at the time of its construction. Continue Reading This Post

Today was indeed the foggiest day of the year and special as this was my first walk as Walk Leader .Seven bravehearts, truly heritage enthusiasts joined me along with kanika for the walk.

Mehrauli Archaeological Park is situated on the Aravalli’s and is also oldest inhabited area of delhi.This walk is quite interesting as it covers mouments and structures from 13th century A.D. to 19th century A.D.

ASI carried out some excavation work in summer of 2009 and found some rooms,graves which seems to be part of the larger residential complex…this is were we started todays walk( gives the impression that ASI is doing great job of restoration and excavation work).Next to it is Balban’s tomb,it’s importance lies in the fact that use of true arches in indian architecture begins from here,for the first time true arch was used to cover square plan with a circular roof,a dome. Continue Reading This Post