Pixelated Memories: Blue tiles

Showing posts with label Blue tiles. Show all posts

September 23, 2015

Madhi Masjid, Mehrauli, Delhi

“Delhi: delirious city, city of the tense present, future imperfect. Yes, it’s easy to criticize. It is sprawling, aggressive, authoritarian, water-starved, paranoid, and has had so many facelifts that you can get lost on your own street.. It’s frequently tasteless, materialistic, immensely inegalitarian, environmentally destructive, and full of faintly lecherous men. Its weather is diabolical, it can be ludicrously expensive, and often it smells. Oh, and its monkeys occasionally carry out savage and unprovoked attacks, just to liven things up.”

– Elizabeth Chatterjee, “Delhi: Mostly Harmless” (2013)

Out of sight, out of mind, so the saying goes. Located in the very shadow of the immensely renowned World Heritage Site of Qutb complex (refer Pixelated Memories - Qutb Complex) and then too immediately opposite the perennially crowded Qutb Minar metro station adjacent the arterial, heavily traffic-clogged Mehrauli-Gurgaon highway, one of Delhi’s most ornately ornamented and enigmatic medieval edifices is miserably relegated to a forgotten existence in the forlorn realm of dejectedly stunted wilderness, governmental hypocrisy and cultural indifference.

Madhi Masjid - Delhi's forgotten monument

Gracefully seated upon its immensely high plinth in far-flung urban village of Mehrauli and chronologically dated to the architecturally outstanding short-lived reign of the Lodi Dynasty (ruled AD 1451-1526), little is known about the commissioning and construction of the beautiful Madhi Masjid which seamlessly and singularly fuses the characteristics of both a wall mosque (“qibla”) and a covered mosque (“mihrab”) through the employment of a short span of beautifully decorated wall mosque flanked symmetrically on either side by two identical stretches of low rectangular buildings functioning in the capacity of miniature covered mosques. The entire bewitching facade is profusely adorned with tiny ornamental alcoves, a strip of vivid blue glazed tiles that till date retain their spellbinding brilliance, small serrated star-shaped depressions, slender elegant minarets, exquisite plasterwork medallions inscribed with Quranic calligraphy and geometric patterns, finely-described “kangura” patterns (battlement-like leaf motif ornamentation) and a line of slightly slanting eaves (“chajja”) supported upon seemingly heavy stone brackets. Each rectangular chamber is pierced by three arched entrances and their roofs, though externally perfectly flat, are marked corresponding each squat entrance by three concave domes along their interiors which are supported on rudimentarily simplistic honeycomb brackets. Towards the rear, the corners are fortified with immensely thick conical towers.

Simplicity!

The entire structure and the enormous open-to-sky congregation space adjoining it (peppered by two immense rectangular protrusions, possibly grave markers) stand on a massive platform accessible via an impressive perfectly-proportioned cubical gateway adorned with an identical smattering of detailed embellishments – traces of vivid blue glazed tile patterns, exquisite plasterwork medallions inscribed with calligraphy, finely-described “kangura” patterns and overhanging windows (“jharokha”) surmounted by melon-like fluted domes. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has done a remarkably commendable job in conserving the monument, restoring its numerous ornamental features and maintaining the tiny grass-covered space abutting its gateway, though sadly, in the absence of any visitors, the entire plot wears an appearance of heartbreaking desolation and deafening seclusion interrupted only by the occasional sojourns of the devout locals who sprinkle the courtyard with large lumps of sugar and jaggery for the resident swarms of insects and terrifyingly large hornets to consume – possible owing to some belief originating from superstitions regarding the mosque’s benevolence in return for offerings for its thousands of tiny inhabitants.

Sophistication!

Sadly though, nobody ever leaves fruits and sweets for the menacing local monkey who has in vengeful reciprocation begun to resort to ferociously mauling the visitors. Thankfully, the ASI guard with his (seemingly useless!) bamboo stick does look over the occasional visitor enthusiastic about climbing the mosque’s roof and observing the panorama of the vast green forest extending all around this tiny oasis of permanent rubble, forgotten religious consecration and new found superstitions.

Eeeks!

Open: All days, sunrise to sunset
Location: In the narrow lane immediately opposite Qutb Minar metro station across Anuvrat Marg (Mehrauli-Gurgaon highway) (Coordinates: 28°30'53.8"N 77°11'06.7"E)
Nearest Metro station: Qutb Minar
Nearest bus stop: Qutb Minar metro station
How to reach: The mosque is located immediately across Qutb Minar metro station. One can also walk from Lado Serai crossing if coming by bus from Badarpur side.
Entrance fees: Nil
Photography/Video charges: Nil
Time required for sightseeing: 30 min
Relevant Links -
Other monuments/landmarks located in the immediate vicinity -

May 23, 2015

Lodi-era Tomb, Lado Serai, Delhi

“We will be remembered only if we give to our younger generation a prosperous and safe India, resulting out of economic prosperity coupled with civilizational heritage.”

– APJ Abdul Kalam, former President

The gorgeously ornamented, perfectly proportioned and painstakingly restored Lodi-era (AD 1451-1517) mausoleum conspicuously located at Lado Serai where intersect the arterial Mehrauli-Badarpur and Mehrauli-Gurgaon highways had long evaded me, that is until I discovered it – or rather fellow writer Rangan Datta (blogs at rangandatta.wordpress.com), who accompanied me in this particular explorative sojourn to the ancient settlement at Mehrauli village, intuitively discovered it. In retrospection, it undoubtedly perplexes me that I had earlier embarrassingly failed to locate this tiny monument so prominently situated, and I can only ashamedly cite the overshadowing presence of massive ancient trees with huge gnarled branches and immeasurably dense foliage that shields the strikingly elegant edifice from the prickly prying eyes of the ceaseless riverine flow of heavy traffic and pedestrians along these immense multilane avenues.

Delhi's secret

Although exceedingly unremarkable in terms of architectural features and artistic adornments, especially vis-à-vis the grander, extravagantly adorned monuments that gracefully litter every single section of Delhi’s vast undulating landscape, the heartwarming little mausoleum does proudly display the telltale Lodi-era architectural accomplishments – dexterously conceived and executed plasterwork medallions, precisely delineated “Kangura” patterns (battlement-like leitmotif ornamentation), splendidly tapering slender decorative minarets, a remarkable emphasis on flawless symmetry and proportionality of spatial dimensions and, the most visually alluring of all, the employment of vibrant violet-blue glazed tiles handsomely contrasting against the overall weathered red-brown hue and the resilient coarseness of texture. Inside, the mihrab (western wall of a religious/funerary structure indicating the direction of Mecca, faced by the faithful while offering namaz prayers) is envisaged as a thoroughly-detailed kaleidoscopic pattern culminating into an alluring extravaganza of geometric and floral patterns, exquisite calligraphy and meticulously intricate circular medallions. The life history and administrative/regal station of the miniature mausoleum’s original occupant are not recorded in contemporary historical epitaphs and literary documents, however till very recently, the lovely edifice was horrifically utilized by avaricious, land-starved locals as a storehouse and a motor garage!

Kaleidoscopic!

Nearby, progressively collapsing to wretched obliteration is a derelict wall fragment adorned with ornamental kangura patterns and pointed-arch openings – perhaps a supplementary freestanding qibla (same as a mihrab) – it is worth pondering over that the Indian National Trust for Cultural Heritage (INTACH) and the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) who undertook the conservation-restoration of the diminutive mausoleum and horticulturally developed the grass-shrouded stretch of land around it into “Gumbad Park” to beautify it on the occasion of Commonwealth Games (CWG XIX 2010) skipped this crumbling wall fragment. Some aesthetic-minded inhabitants of this ancient city still romantically prefer derelict ruins over painstakingly restored monuments that would withstand the relentless ravages of the elements for several successive generations. A pity, ironically so considering that it lies in the immediate vicinity of the majestically soaring Qutb Minar, Delhi’s most well preserved and regularly monitored monument!

Colors and patterns

Location: Approximately 250 meters from Lado Serai intersection towards Badarpur (Coordinates: 28°31'24.2"N 77°11'31.8"E)
Nearest Metro station: Saket (approximately 1 kilometer away)
Nearest Bus stop: Lado Serai crossing
Nearest Railway station: Tughlaqabad
How to reach: All buses plying on Mehrauli-Badarpur and Mahipalpur-Gurgaon roads stop at Lado Serai crossing. Walk/avail a bus/auto from Saket or Qutb Minar metro stations.
Entrance fees: Nil
Photography/Video charges: Nil
Time required for sightseeing: 20 min
Other monuments/landmarks located in the immediate vicinity -

October 19, 2014

Nili/Neeli Masjid, Delhi

A year and a half ago, exploring on foot the lavishly affluent Hauz Khas village area, that has become symbolic of ultra-rich fashion and fine dining with its many lounge bars, designer showrooms and merchandise outlets and yet retains a hemmed in, “village-like” feel in part because of its secluded existence isolated from all the real villages that flank it on every side, was when I first came across the enchanting Nili/Neeli Masjid (“Blue Mosque”). Dead camera batteries bounced in the bag, nodding affirmation to the subdued magnificence and beckoning grandeur of the Hauz Khas ruin cluster (refer Pixelated Memories - Hauz Khas complex), leaving me with no option except making a mental note of the directions to access the beautiful mosque in order to return at a later date and photograph its humble glory.

The Blue Mosque - What's in a name?

But as time would have it, few months later I met with an accident in Calcutta that left me with 14 fractures, a shattered left arm and numerous other wounds – and where would my family take me for orthopaedic consultation upon the much anticipated return to Delhi – you guessed it right – Hauz Khas and then too in the immediate vicinity of the mosque! In fact, my orthopaedician-surgeon Dr Rajnish Gupta maintained his residential clinic so near the medieval mosque that I passed it nearly every day on my way to and from for severely excruciating surgeries, monotonous physiotherapy sessions and often incapacitating painful consultations – but the sorest agony remained my inability to even lift a camera and click the 500-year old mosque despite passing by it every day and the festering urge that had grown out of a deep nurtured wish to return to the structure and document and photograph it to my heart’s desire! Finally, almost a year later, following the declaration of fitness by the jovial doctor, I joyously returned to the mosque and clicked it despite the fact that it was raining and thundering relentlessly and my vehement insistence on heading to the mosque was also accompanied by brutal naggings from my cousin who accompanied me that I’ll wet the camera and damage it perennially. But there was a sensation of completion, of fulfillment – a year later, life had come full circle!

A sketch of the mosque depicting the architectural features and artistic motifs (Photo courtesy - Ioc.u-tokyo.ac.jp). It is sad that there are no Indian sites/studies generating the architectural layouts of the monuments.

According to an inscription plaque above its central arched entrance, the graceful mosque, surrounded by an ornamental enclosure along its front face that itself is flanked on the corners by enormously thick decorated bastions, was commissioned in AD 1505-06 by Kasumbhil, wet nurse of Fatah Khan, son of Khan-i-Azam (“The Greatest Lord”) Masnad-i-Ali ("Seat of the Faith") Khawas Khan, Governor of Delhi during the reign of Emperor Sikandar Lodi (ruled AD 1489-1517). Kasumbhil is thus regarded amongst the line of several distinguished women who patronized massive architecture and transformed Delhi’s landscape though their additions, most notable among them being Hamida Banu Begum who commissioned Humayun’s tomb complex (refer Pixelated Memories - Humayun's Tomb Complex), Maham Anga who had Khair-ul-Manazil mosque built (refer Pixelated Memories - Khair-ul-Manazil Mosque) and Qudsia Begum who constructed the Dargah Shah-e-Mardan complex (refer Pixelated Memories - Dargah Shah-e-Mardan Complex). Apart from its unique ornamental bastions and the tapering conical supporting towers along its back (western) wall, there aren’t many other distinctive features distinguishing the mosque from several other medieval structures. The single dome surmounting the rectangular structure springs from an octagonal drum (base) whose each corner is marked by slender turrets; the central of the three equally proportioned arched entrances allowing access to the mosque interiors is set in a protruding rectangular embossment; slender turrets also emerge from the corners of the roof and the said central rectangular embossment. Along the roof runs an especially intricate line of kanguras (battlement-like ornamentation) inset with vibrant blue tiles, thus generating the nomenclature – Nili Masjid or Blue Mosque, however it appears that the ornamentation was only limited to the portion above the central facade; where the tiles should have been along the rest of the front face runs a wide “chajja” (overhanging eave) supported on rather thick simplistically carved brackets.

Blue tiles, calligraphy and exquisite artwork

The overall image is of opulence, indulgence indeed but not flamboyance – instead by limiting the adornment to the roof features and the small alcoves that flank the entrances, an aura of simplistic elegance has been thoughtfully imparted. There is also a well within the fenced, ambiently-vegetated enclosure around the mosque – but I do not recall seeing the fence the first time I was here, then the mosque's surrounding green square simply opened to the road along an entire side and a characteristic red Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) sign identified it. The mosque seems to have been plastered very recently as part of regular conservation-restoration regime, though the roof and its ornamental features remain untouched. It is still used for offering prayers by devotees and expectedly the interiors have been considerably altered – a long prayer mat covers the entire floor and another is rolled up and stacked in the corner; a religious instructor was preaching and calling the faithful for prayers and his voice resounded through the loudspeaker installed on the roof – clicking seemed a precarious option considering that there were already several devotees inside not inclined to be disturbed by a unbelievably cheerful photographer less than a third of their age. The mosque is one of the few that are under control of the ASI and still used to offer prayers – the encroachments can be distinguished rather easily, apart from the prayer mats and the obvious pressures exerted on the 500-year old structure, there are coolers fixed into the arched openings in the shorter sides of the mosque, fans and loudspeakers along the roof and tube lights nailed to the front facade.

View from the threshold of the foliage-covered open patch. In the right foreground is the well.

Despite the obvious contravention of rules regarding monuments and heritage sites and the affixing of modern fixtures to the its vintage walls, the mosque retains a certain grandeur, at least when viewed from the lush, tree-lined square it possesses around it, if not from the road which physically and abruptly cuts through its limited realm of forgotten existence. It is from here that one can click numerous compositions and perspectives of the little mosque, its unique architectural and ornamental features and the masculine bastions flanking it. Happy clicking!

Side profile of the mosque. The second picture illustrates the architectural layout and the interior features vis-a-vis external structure. (Photo courtesy - Ioc.u-tokyo.ac.jp)

Location: H-Block, off Aurobindo Road, Hauz Khas market (Coordinates: 28°33'12.9"N 77°12'25.3"E)
Nearest Metro station: Green Park

Nearest Bus stop: Hauz Khas
How to reach: Walk from the metro station (850 meters) or the bus stop (250 meters). If coming from the metro station, walk towards Hauz Khas bus stop. A massive white marble-lined mosque with towering minarets (Highway Masjid) exists on the Aurobindo Road near the bus stop and the road immediately opposite leads within to H-Block residential areas and the Nili Masjid.

Entrance fees: Nil
Photography/Video charges: Nil
Time required for sightseeing: 20 min

Also located nearby - Pixelated Memories - Hauz Khas complex

Delhi's other monuments also commissioned by women -

Suggested reading -

March 04, 2014

Sheesh Gumbad, Lodi Gardens, New Delhi

In the heart of Lodi Gardens which themselves are located in the heart of Delhi, seated on a gentle man-made hill is an impressive tomb christened as Sheesh Gumbad (“Glass Dome”) on account of the vivid blue tiles that adorn its façade. A magnificent example of Lodi architecture the tomb is and bears all the features that characterize buildings of that particular period – a high dome resting on a high drum (base), well-preserved lotus finial atop the dome, exterior semblance of a multi-storied structure achieved by the use of arched niches on two levels along its faces, trabeated entrances which employ lintel beams to span the distance to form a rudimentary arch despite the availability of architectural knowledge to build true arches as reflected from the construction of the arched niches along the windows and the larger double niche in which the entrances are set, slender turrets projecting out of each corner of the square structure as well as the rectangular projection in which each entrance and their arched niche are respectively set, a row of arched alcoves ornamenting the dome’s drum and the most glaring feature – the use of leaf motif decoration along the roof and the drum instead of the kanguras (militaristic battlement-like ornamentation that evolved from the use of battlements in all structures of earlier vintage to afford protection against recurrent Mongol raids) – there is indeed not a single feature which we haven’t observed in a majority of structures of that age and yet the tomb exudes a certain magnificence, a charm that magnetically attracts all visitors to it. It isn’t just the use of the glossy blue tiles which are rare in medieval structures (must have been difficult to produce and hence expensive back then, conjecture is that once the whole top surface of the tomb were covered with such tiles. Incredible, right?? Shiny blue!); it isn’t even the majestic dome that, except for a long crack running along its side, retains its grandeur; it isn’t even the mystery associated with this particular tomb, after all there are hundreds of tombs scattered throughout Delhi (India as a whole in fact) the identity of whose occupants is not known; neither is it the extraordinarily well preserved exteriors or the masochistic style in which this massive tomb built out of hard grey quartzite towers above its surroundings – is it the combination of all these factors that makes this tomb so mesmerizing?? Enchanting enough for the historian Simon Digby to propose that this must be the tomb of Sultan Bahlol Lodi, the first of his dynasty who reigned from AD 1451-89! It is generally accepted that Bahlol Lodi is buried in a modest tomb in another part of Delhi, but what if this was his tomb and the Bada Gumbad that stands facing it actually its enchanting gateway? Enrapturing, isn’t it? How history of actual human beings, Sultans and generals, intertwine with the stories these structures hide to create this web of fables, of mysteries indecipherable, of lores forgotten, of stories untold!!

Picturesque

On the inside it’s pretty dark; several unmarked and unornamented graves lie in rows along the rough floor; squinches span the corners to support the giant dome; the walls are unadorned except for white plaster which has mostly disappeared now; the dome’s concave surface is decorated with a huge medallion composed of floral and calligraphy patterns in incised and painted plaster – the medallion is further enveloped by an eight-pointed star whose vertices are extended to touch the band of calligraphy at the circumference of the dome; the calligraphy is exquisite, intricate, the band further rests on a row of ornamental arched niches which display miniature medallions along their curved parts – though the whole roof surface is layered with orange plaster, it’s difficult to decipher the designs and patterns since most of it is covered in what appears to be white bird droppings, though looking at the way in which it covers the surface it looks as if somebody took a paint gun and began shooting white color on the roof!!

Light and dark

As dusk comes calling, the area surrounding the tomb become the haunt of hundreds of birds – eagles swoop around in gigantic circles around the tomb, pigeons and mynas come calling to the thick trees where they nest, crows raise a cacophony on the leafless trees where they come to rest – the din is terrible, but it is also easily ignorable; no wonder people can be seen jogging, exercising or just sitting around the tomb at the time. After all, it’s Lodhi Garden – a hub for fitness enthusiasts, a Mecca for city-bred couples, a pilgrimage for photographers and heritage enthusiasts and a picnic spot for families!

A leisurely romantic evening anyone?

Location: Lodi Gardens, Beside India International Centre
Nearest Metro Station: JLN Stadium
How to reach: One can walk/take an auto or a rickshaw from the Metro station
Open: All days, Sunrise - Sunset
Entrance Fee: Free
Photography/Video Charges: Nil
Time required for sightseeing: 30 min
Relevant Links -

Pixelated Memories - Bada Gumbad Complex, Lodi Gardens

Suggested Reading -

Books.google.co.in - Swapna Liddle/"Delhi 14: Historic walks"

February 18, 2014

Bagh-i-Alam ka Gumbad, Deer Park, New Delhi

Though Bagh-i-Alam ka Gumbad literally translates to “the tomb within the garden of the world”, there is nothing grand or striking about Deer Park in which this imposing tomb stands to consider it a garden of worldly beauty – in fact, it isn’t even a garden, the unruly tracts of vegetation, the massive trees with their twisted branches and gnarled trunks, the all-invading thorny shrubbery and the dense foliage give it the appearance of a forest. The only exception to this pervading sense of being in a small forest is brought about by the presence of jogging tracks and physical training equipments thrown in at intervals with boards and signages explaining to the visitors the purpose and guide to the equipment – in that sense, it is indeed the garden of the world, striving to keep people healthy so they remain in this mortal world a bit longer!

Masculine and towering

The number of visitors that this magnificent tomb attracts would put many of the more famous monuments in the city to shame, but the latter can keep heart as most of these visitors are either couples who are looking for a quiet spot for a quick make out or vandals on a lookout for space where they can carve their names and love letters – the massive entrances set within three of the four walls of the tomb (the fourth acts as mihrab – the wall that indicates the direction of Mecca and is faced by Muslims while offering prayers) are barred with grilles to keep both categories of people out. Of course it escapes the attention of civic authorities that the grilles would also prohibit the entry of monument lovers and heritage enthusiasts.

The largest of the three tombs in Deer Park (the other two are Tohfewala Gumbad and Kali Gumti), the structure is built with locally quarried stone – the red and grey stone blocks are fitted together to create a striking patchwork that further plays with sunlight to present a picture filled with brilliance and glimmer bouncing off each of the fragments. Externally, the single chamber gives a semblance of being divided into floors through the use of arched niches set on three levels – only the niches on the ground level and adjacent to the entrance act as windows, the rest are filled in with the same dressed stone that faces the rest of the structure – the niches are deep-set and couples were engaged in various physical activities in many of them (of course I do not mind, nor should you, reader!).

A beauty, overshadowed

The entrances are trabeated (stone blocks of gradually increasing sizes kept on top of smaller blocks so as to span a distance and give the appearance of a rudimentary arch). Arched windows exist above the entrances and these display remnants of vivid blue tiles which were used to break the monotony of the grey and red stonework but in my opinion fail to do the job, especially on a scorching summer afternoon. Both the entrance and the window are set within a larger arched niche which is further housed in a rectangular frame projecting outwards through the wall face. The roof and the drum (base) of the hemispherical dome are decorated with a line of kanguras (battlement-like ornamentation).

I had the pleasure of encountering two guys sitting on the staircase leading to one of the entrances and trying to light up a marijuana joint but failing repeatedly – they definitely were not engineers; engineers know how to light joints (as I demonstrated to them a few minutes later). The reason for recounting this is to point out that engineers don’t frequent the park (owing, perhaps, to the lack of girl friends that most of them face!?) but the park has become the haunt of marijuana/alcohol consumers. Peering in through the grilles, one can make out the design of the simplistic mihrab within as well as the intricate patterns in blue, red and white incised plasterwork that adorn the dome interiors – a huge central medallion depicts beautifully-executed floral patterns set within concentric circles of calligraphy and geometrical motifs. The medallion is further enclosed within two concentric stars done with bands of red paint – each vertex of the star is bound on both sides by vertices of the other star and a small teardrop shape medallion graces each of the vertices.

Dome interiors: Plasterwork details

The teardrop medallions also follow the scheme of the larger medallion – floral designs set within a band of calligraphy and geometrical motifs. The designs invoke a sense of awe at the brilliance of the artists who worked on these patterns and crafted them with unmatched grace and precision. The mihrab bears an inscription referring to the construction of the tomb – it was commissioned by one Abu Saiyyid in AD 1501 to house the mortal remains of a mendicant Sheikh Shihab-ud-din Taj Khan. Sultan Sikandar Lodi reigned over Delhi at that time and his rule saw many mendicants and saints arriving from Afghanistan, Persia and beyond settling in Delhi. Imam Zamin, who is buried in the World Heritage Site of Qutb Complex, also arrived in Sikandar Lodi’s reign (refer Pixelated Memories - Imam Zamin's Tomb).

A colorful teardrop

Adjacent to the tomb is an exquisite Qibla (wall mosque) with a large courtyard meant to seat the devotees bound to it. The Qibla has five arched niches set within larger rectangular indentations – the central of these niches is the largest both in terms of height and width. The wall extends and folds along the edges so that an additional niche also flanks the two sides of the courtyard adjacent to the Qibla. The entire length of the wall is topped by pretty neat leaf-motifs; smaller niches line the wall and would have perhaps once also provided holds for keeping small lamps; two neat rows of graves line the prayer space; light and shadows playfully create patterns along the courtyard. The wall shows signs of cracks and in many places the plaster has flake off to reveal the underlying layers of rubble – still it’s in pretty good condition if compared to the other two tombs in the park.

Prayers, graves and desolation

The central niche is flanked towards its back by turrets that convey masculinity despite their slenderness; towers exist at both ends of the Qibla wall. The towers are octagonal and thick but not solid – there are arched entrances built right through them. It is from behind the wall that one notices that these structures have largely been consigned to vegetation – foliage reaches right upto the Qibla, trees overshadow the tombs and in many instances the branches simply droop over the structures.

It is actually a pity that such splendid structures are hidden from general public and allowed to become the haunts of vandals and anti-social elements; had these been located elsewhere in the kind of garden settings that these were envisaged with, they would have been the treat of the place and a joy to behold.

Tower view

Even today the structures would prove to be magnetic towards visitors, but if only the park is well maintained and the portions of it that have become overly vegetated cropped and landscaped along with the provision of visitor facilities like clean drinking water and toilets – though there are water taps located right next to the park entrance, either they weren’t working or looking at their condition one began to suspect if they are hygienic and the water served clean. There are no toilets even in the famous Hauz Khas complex adjacent to the park, so fat chance of the introduction of such facilities here. As I said, it’s a pity, except that the pity doesn’t come from the authorities who have convinced themselves that only a handful of monuments in the city deserve their attention and conservation efforts and have turned a blind eye to the rest. Makes you think that the Ministry of Culture and Tourism is actually a farce – all they are concerned with is the tourist flow and would actually restore only those monuments, organize such concerts and events where tourist footfall is expected and conveniently forget the rest.

Forgotten - Mihrab within the tomb

Location: Deer Park
Nearest Metro Station: Hauz Khas
How to reach: One can walk from the metro station; availing a autorickshaw is advisable since the distance between the two is roughly 2 kilometers.
Entrance fees: Nil
Photography/Video charges: Nil
Time required for sightseeing: 20 min
Relevant Links -

January 03, 2012

Sabz Burj, New Delhi

“A solemn consideration, when I enter a great city by night, that every one of those darkly clustered houses encloses its own secret; that every room in every one of them encloses its own secret, that every beating heart in the hundreds of thousands of breasts there, is, in some of its imaginings, a secret to the heart nearest it!”

– Charles Dickens, “A Tale of Two Cities”

Although only historians, heritage-enthusiasts and conservationists are concerned about the existence and condition of the enchanting Sabz Burj ("Green Tower"), the unusual medieval structure looms over millions of people who either travel or had on an occasion traveled on the ever-crowded arterial Mathura Road where it gracefully protrudes in the middle of a traffic roundabout, it's striking presence in so public a space forcing passer-bys and eager tourists to grant it a second look and admire it with appreciation and amazement. Its history and character of course are also a mix of interesting and crazy –

Barring the name, the enthralling monument is not green at all! In fact, the vividly-colored dome of the structure is actually blue!
Nobody knows – or bothers to guess – what purpose did it serve – it could have been a mausoleum, or a pleasure pavilion, or even served a functional purpose, but not a fragment of its history is known.
And although it's not known why it was actually built, what we do know is that it was utilized in several unimaginable capacities (including as a funky police station for a few years during British reign!) that were totally alien to its original purposes.

And despite all this, the beautiful tower has miserably garnered much less popularity than it ideally should have.

Secretive - The Sabz Burj

Locally referred to as "Neeli Chattri" ("Blue umbrella") and often confused with the Nila Gumbad ("Blue-domed tower") monument that exists a few miles away (refer Pixelated Memories - Nila Gumbad), the octagonal structure is medium in height, its deep blue dome glistens in the sunlight and even brings one to consider it a far-off cousin of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (aka Blue Mosque) of Istanbul. Technically, it is "Baghdadi" in nature, more influenced by Central Asian than Indo-Islamic architecture and consists of alternating wide and narrow sides – each side possessing an arched recess, though entrances have been built only along the wider sides and the narrower ones are ornamented with incised plaster and paint patterns. It is said that no two recesses are decorated alike, but I could not verify the same as entry to the grassy circle that surrounds the tower is prohibited – high railings surround it and a guard, who refuses to open up saying he is not allowed to, is always present on duty inside (Sigh! Another example of a monument snatched from the public!) The double dome rests on a very high drum (base) – in fact, the tower is one of the very first examples of the use of double-dome in Delhi (the first recorded construction of double-dome in India is in Kashmir – the tomb built by Zain-ul-Abidin for his mother in AD 1465). Originally it possessed vibrant green tiles covering its dome and drum, thus lending it its characteristic name "Sabz Burj", but a restoration fiasco by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) witnessed it ending up with brilliant blue tiles, although one can still spot the remnants of green, yellow and blue tiles in varied patterns on the drum.

The structure was supposedly built between AD 1530-50, though it is not known who commissioned it. Most historians now state with a fair degree of certainty that it could also have been built somewhere in early 15th century, 100 years before its accepted period of construction. 6 years after its last possible window of construction, Hamida Begum initiated the construction of a magnificent tomb for her deceased husband Humayun (ruled AD 1530-40 and 1555-56) close to Sabz Burj and eternally changed the nature of the surrounding area as well as Indian architecture – today the entire area is classified under Humayun's Tomb Complex, a World Heritage Site that boasts of several hundred graves, tombs and mosques (refer Pixelated Memories - Humayun's Tomb Complex ).

Exquisite - Patterns on one of the recessed niches (Photo courtesy - Igougo.com/Phileasfogg)

This mysterious and beautiful piece of architecture is there for enthusiasts to adore day and night and happens to be one of those few structures that make me fall in love with Delhi again and again on every encounter. Throughout the day, a barrage of cars, autos and buses surrounds it, after all it stands on the intersection of two of the busiest arterial roads of Delhi – Mathura Road and Lodi Road. Roads branch off on either side of it, the first leading to Humayun's Tomb complex and the other to Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah (refer Pixelated Memories - Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah). Chemical treatment a few years back ensured that the structure retained its cream-pink finish. More recently, it was restored as part of the monumental urban makeover for the Commonwealth Games 2010 that were held in Delhi. Illumination was also appended on the roundabout around the tower to make it more popular among tourists and to promote night travel.

Be wary of the traffic!

Location: Intersection of Mathura Road and Lodi Road, near Humayun's Tomb complex
Nearest Bus Stop: Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah
Nearest Railway Station: Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah, also about 2 kilometers away
Nearest Metro Station: JLN Stadium Station, though it is approximately 2 kilometers away.
How to reach: Buses and metro are available from different parts of the city. Walk/avail an auto from the metro/railway station.
Entrance: Prohibited
Photography/Video charges: Nil
Other monuments located in the immediate vicinity -