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 - 

1. Pixelated Memories - Dargah Shah-e-Mardan Complex
2. Pixelated Memories - Humayun's Tomb Complex
3. Pixelated Memories - Khair-ul-Manazil Mosque

Suggested reading - 

1. Deccanherald.com - Article "Monumental neglect in Delhi" (dated Jan 21, 2012) by Ashpreet Sethi
2. Hindustantimes.com - Article "Are mosques living spaces?" (dated Sep 21, 2009) by Nivedita Khandekar
3. Ioc.u-tokyo.ac.jp - Medieval Islamic historical sites of Delhi: Drawings and sketches
4. Openthemagazine.com - Article "" (dated Aug 1, 2009) by Shivam Vij and Shome Bansal

Deer Park, Delhi

Teeming with a much admired variety of flora and fauna , one of Delhi’s largest green lungs and a delight for nature enthusiasts and joggers alike, the aptly named Deer Park in Hauz Khas has endeared itself amongst heritage lovers for another reason – the thickly forested, almost pristine grounds present to visitors a feast of monuments that remains hidden behind multiple layers of foliage and is reached by following a labyrinthine trail convoluting and turning over itself throughout the massive park – in fact, it is the sheer frustration at being repeatedly brought back to the same point by the slithering, sneaking maze-like pathway and the mind-boggling confusion about finding the correct way in the vast, unmanageable park that might prove a hindrance (if you do consider these one) to locating all three medieval tombs within the complex – but then it is the thrill of discovering these forgotten beautiful structures through veils of vegetation and a complexity of trails that drives the enthusiasts and the curious to explore this hidden magical nook in the heart of the city. The park promises to present to visitors the momentary surreal feeling of awestruck surprise at the sight of a marvelous centuries-old structure that just might peep out all of a sudden through thick layers of vegetation and a tangle of branches and vines or behind vibrantly colorful swings or even amidst unbelievably large mounds of dead and dry gnarled wood! For couples, the park is a heaven, one of the last remaining bastions where young lovers can meet without being judged, disturbed or subjected to moral policing by the older generations and right-wing brigades, though of course, there might be a few lonely, frustrated guys lurking behind a tomb or a tree and sneaking up on couples and clicking them while they get physical.

At Deer Park

It was a particularly sunny summer afternoon when I visited the park and the adjacent Hauz Khas complex (check Pixelated Memories - Hauz Khas Complex) – the trees seemed parched, the concrete felt as if it would melt under the fiery onslaught and the air itself struggled to escape the scorching clutch of the sun – the park’s huge trees, with their wide spread of branches and dense foliage, conspired to keep the sun from showing its dreaded face to those who were seeking asylum under their wild expanse, thereby providing much appreciated relief to humanity and wildlife. But as evidenced by the presence of scores of couples who throng to the park at all times of the day irrespective of blistering sun or drenching rain, love knows no bounds! It has been often observed that all medieval structures – be they tombs, mosques, pavilions or palaces – tend to be considerably cooler than the surrounding environments as a result of location-specific architectural practices, honed over centuries of construction, employed in their building – it is therefore no surprise that the tombs within the park become a refuge during the daytime for dreary visitors, tired couples, heat-struck rodents and hassled birds. Though at all times the park remains threatened by vandals and deranged lovers who take to monuments to vent their emotions, be it love or anger or frustration, and often leave behind irritatingly disgusting love letters or abuses, such elements are more active during the day when the crowd is relatively less and thoroughly dispersed and there is little suspicion that anyone can go about such anti-social, anti-heritage activities diurnally – the few guards on duty have it real rough, having to patrol such vast space and managing undisciplined, and in all probability uneducated, louts and vandals who are adept at badmouthing and harassing at the slightest pretext – despite my rants against the poor state that the government has subjected the monuments to, I do feel bad for the guards. 

Nothing stimulates an adrenaline rush like a friendly fight!

True to its name, the park has enclosures that house rabbits and deer and there are ponds where duck and geese waddle about in enjoyment. The deer are a real delight (probably apparent from the large number of photos I clicked), there are so many of them, and a few look suberbly majestic with their striking horns and chiseled bodies. Incidentally, it was much later that I found out about the monuments in the park, it was the deer I first read about it in a newspaper article, that’s what piqued my interest – who would have thought there are deer roaming about in a public park in Delhi! One can also spot rare avian visitors if one is observant enough – there are lapwings, peacocks, parrots, pigeons, mynas and occasional terns.

Of the three tombs within the park premises, the largest is Bagh-i-Alam ka Gumbad (“Tomb within the garden of the world”), a beautifully adorned, medium-sized tomb that seems to be a favorite with visitors, enchanting them with its modest blue tile work and exquisite multicolored medallion art on the interiors, and also attracting couples to its deep recessed alcoves where one can hope to shut out the world while embracing one’s beloved. Along the tomb is a beautiful rubble masonry wall mosque with thick turrets and a leaf-covered and bird dropping-drenched cemetery – look out for more couples in the hollow turrets, I found it amazing how people can clamber into such narrow spaces! Nearby stand the Tohfewala Gumbad (“Gifted tomb”), an unidentified tomb whose interiors are exceptionally well maintained even though the exteriors appear all run-down and crumbling, and Kali Gumti (“Little black domed structure”), another unidentified structure whose purpose for construction is unclear but whose nomenclature is arrived at after considering the organic mortar finish applied to its round dome that has taken a blackish hue over time. You can look up these structures here – Pixelated Memories - Bagh-i-Alam ka Gumbad, Pixelated Memories - Kali Gumti and Pixelated Memories - Tohfewala Gumbad.

Majestic - Bagh-i-Alam ka Gumbad

The park has been modeled by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) into creating a space to keep the local residents physically fit through the utilization of several simple exercise regimes along a fitness trail and the employment of info boards to guide and explain exercises to the visitors – the exercises are numerous and jocularly interesting, thanks in part to their naming and also to the strange set of accompanying instructions, take for instance “Jumping Jack”, “Balancing Beam”, “Straddle Walk”, “Spinal Exercise”, “Knee Bend” – it is another matter that rarely do people follow these instructions, nor are there many visitors, except couples, to the park except during early morning and evening.

Over the past few years, the park has been in the news for all the wrong reasons – official apathy, poor conservation-restoration of monuments, poor horticultural maintenance, lack of control over vandals and unruly elements, unclean animal enclosures straddled with garbage and polybags, maintenance-related issues and garbage dumping – at least the park was actually clean the day I was there – there weren’t any heaps of garbage, nor any disturbing elements, though yes, the issue of defacement and spoiling of public property, monuments especially, is glaringly rampant in the park premises; the park trails were being relaid with brick red soil and the guards were actually going about and looking after the property. Public facilities are another issue – though there are water coolers near the entrance gate, they seemed to be in a disgusting state of maintenance (the basin hasn’t been cleaned in ages, the taps do not close properly and are forever dripping thereby leading to moss deposits along the basin walls and overspill along the tiled walkways, the perennially filled basins have been taken over by hornets and one has to hope for their mercy while edging closer for a sip). It would take some time for Delhi to get its act together, the city is after all aiming for a UNESCO World Heritage City status, but at least it’s a start – in a city where parks, wetlands and forest covers are rapidly diminishing and children have to come out to play on streets for lack of proper parks and sporting facilities, such a vast green space is truly an unexpected delight! 

Look at those horns!

Location: Hauz Khas
Nearest Metro station: Green Park

How to reach: Walk/take an auto from the metro station to the park.

Entrance fees: Nil

Photography/Video charges: Nil

Time required for sightseeing: 45 min

Relevant Links - 

1. Pixelated Memories - Bagh-i-Alam ka Gumbad
2. Pixelated Memories - Hauz Khas Complex
3. Pixelated Memories - Kali Gumti
4. Pixelated Memories - Tohfewala Gumbad

Suggested Reading - 

1. Deccanherald.com - Article "City-bred make a plea for their deer" (dated July 25, 2012) by Baishali Adak
2. Hindustantimes.com - Article "Garbage and apathy choke Hauz Khas deer park" (dated July 07, 2014) by Ritam Halder
3. Livemint.com - Article "Delhi’s Belly | Gangnam, DDA style" (dated Jan 11, 2013) by Mayank Austen Soofi
4. Thehindu.com - Article "Deer Park to get another chance" (dated Dec 26, 2008) by Bindu Shajan Perappadan

Siri Fort Remains, New Delhi

Continuing with my journey through Delhi in a bid to find the remains of the seven magnificent medieval cities that defined the city, I often come across structures that are remnants of an age of lavish treasures & equally potent pleasures. These relics can mostly be seen standing like oases in the middle of modern, space-starved Delhi that has embarked on the path to become the cement & glass capital of a superpower in making. One such structure I had the pleasure of exploring up close were the remains of the fortress called Siri. Siri was built by Sultan Alauddin Khilji (ruled 1296-1316 AD), one of the most eminent rulers of the Khilji Dynasty. Alauddin was a militaristic ruler, never the one to shy away from wars & almost always victorious in the battlefield. He subjugated most of India & brought parts of Bengal, Deccan & Orissa under the control of Delhi Sultanate. Besides being a competent general, Alauddin was also a confident man whose ambitions knew no bounds – early in his life he wanted to start a religion in his own name & spread it by the strength of his sword, infused with his numerous victories he disregarded Allah, & he proclaimed that his authority to rule superseded the priest’s sermons & the religious command. The period was characterised by regular Mongol invasions & skirmishes along the northern borders of the country. Many historians concede that the Mongol invasions were not necessary a bad thing for the country’s population – the regularity of these attacks kept the king prepared for all possible scenarios & he made attempts to placate the public mood else they side with the invaders. Alauddin, fed up with the necessity of mobilizing his troops at the time of each new invasion, constructed this oval fortress over AD 1297-1307 to house his subjects & offer strong defence against the heavily armed Mongol armies. He was assisted by architects & artists of the Central Asian Seljuqian tribe who had made Delhi their home after being threatened by regular Mongol invasions in their own cities. The fortress (as well as other structures that Alauddin built, such as his own tomb & the magnificent Alai Darwaza, refer Pixelated Memories - Alauddin's Tomb Complex & Pixelated Memories - Alai Darwaza) bears an imprint of the Seljuqian-Turkish architectural traditions. The fortress became the second city of Delhi (Delhi boasts of seven major & one minor medieval city - the first being the Hindu capital of Lal Kot that was also the seat of Muslim sultans who preceded Alauddin). Siri’s given name was “Dar-ul-Khilafat” (Seat of Islamic Caliphate) – indicating the need for Delhi’s medieval sultans, including the agnostic Alauddin, to have their ascension to the throne of an Islamic domain granted by the Caliph.

Remains of Alauddin's Citadel in a public park - Notice the protected passageway between the walls for movement of the soldiers during action. 

When the fortress was being constructed, the Mongols under the leadership of Taraghi besieged the city in AD 1299. The siege was unsuccessful & the Mongols retreated, but Alauddin became a smarter man from his experiences. Next time the Mongols attacked, Alauddin gave them a chase & with the help of his more than able generals Malik Kafur & Ghazi Malik gave a crushing defeat to the fleeing Mongols. 8,000 soldiers, including generals, of the Mongol army were captured – the generals were trampled upon by elephants in the streets of Delhi & the soldiers were beheaded & their heads hung from the walls of the newly completed fortress. The fortress came to be popularly referred to as “Siri” from then on (“Sir” is “head” in Hindi). According to another legend, the heads were actually laid into the fortress’s foundations.

The Mongols again attacked Siri in 1306 AD, but the Governor of Punjab Ghazi Malik annihilated their entire army (Ghazi Malik went on to become the sultan of Delhi in 1320 AD under the title of Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq – he built the gigantic fortress called Tughlaqabad paving the way for Siri’s decline, refer Pixelated Memories - Tughlaqabad Fort). Alauddin ruthlessly took the battle to Mongol territories & attacked their kingdoms in modern-day Afghanistan – the Mongols, beaten & crushed, never attacked India again. Siri established Alauddin as the first emperor of a unified India since it was here from that he repelled the Mongol attacks & spread his rule to the far-flung areas of the country. Even Timur, who invaded India in AD 1398 talks about the invincibility of Siri & writes about the city’s brick & stone fortifications.

Once a soldier's walkway, today a pig sty!!

The fortress boasted of several impressive structures – Alauddin was a skilled builder & has to his name several water tanks, mosques, seminaries & even an unfinished, massive minaret in Qutb Complex. Alauddin also took it upon himself to renovate & expand existing structures within Delhi – the only Sultan other than Feroz Shah Tughlaq to take an active interest in the upkeep of Delhi’s monuments. Among Siri’s marvels, the most widely known was the “Hazar Sutan” – The hall of thousand pillars, profusely decorated with expensive gems & exquisite artwork. The impregnable fortress was built on a massive scale & even today one can see the remains of the walls, unassailable & complete with fire-shaped battlements, niches to fire arrows from & space within the walls for soldiers to pass through during the times of emergencies. The high walls were built of rubble & were several meters thick throughout. Seven huge gates were used for entry & exit purposes. Legend has it that seventy thousand workers were employed by Alauddin to finish the city in record time!!

One of the wall portions preserved by A.S.I in the archaeological complex

Sadly no remains of the structures within the city have ever been found. Later rulers, especially Sher Shah Suri, demolished & plundered the city to forage building material for the construction of their own capitals. The fortress, meant to repel foreign attacks, was brought down by the very people it was built to serve. Today, Siri’s rubble walls & bastions exist, but intermittently, around the Green Park area. One such portion is located near the Siri Fort Sports Complex, just opposite the Siri Children’s Museum. Identifiable by the characteristic red sandstone plaque that Archaeological Survey of India (A.S.I) installs detailing the history & architecture of a structure, the wall portions are part of a small sliver of a garden complex. The walls are at most one meter high, the bastions appear as if they have been surgically cut off. One can make out the extent of the wall & its girth, but that’s it – no other remains survive. The garden, though taken over by weed & vegetation, is still well maintained compared to several other monuments in Delhi. Colorful butterflies, big mosquitoes & strange insects buzz around the vibrantly coloured flowers around these wall remains. A few meters away, a wire fence separates these structures from the Sports Complex, where kids run about playing cricket, coaches shout orders & older guys exercise. Nearby also stands the beautiful Mohammad Wala Masjid (refer Pixelated Memories - Mohammad Wala Masjid). The fortress’s walls extend far off, I must have followed it for at least 200 meters, but the picture is the same throughout – walls & bastions demolished as if cut by a razor & the remains existing as a snaking line with bulges for bastions. The complex gate is usually under chain & lock as a protection against vandals, the key can be obtained from the caretaker who stays within the Museum on the opposite side of the road. The grilles that encompass these structures are coming off at places & one can simply squeeze in through the gaping holes.

Surgically cleaved - One of the bastions

Another portion of the wall is located within a park nearby. The park is used for recreation purposes, so unlike the previous one it is very well maintained – there are grassy turfs, flowering plants, shady trees & a gardener to look after it all. The wall portion is complete here – one can see the arrow holes, the battlements & even climb in the double-storied walls & walk in the passages in the walls that were meant for soldiers. Since the portion visible from the park can’t be climbed into that easily, I decided to go around & see the wall from its back side. A parking lot flanks the wall on the opposite side & here it has been reduced to a rather shabby state – the passages are filled with waste – both plastic & excreta, a small pit is full of what looks like sewage, must have been water accumulating since long, pigs laid in the water, basking in the overhead sun. The dilapidated dome of the Thanewala Gumbad (refer Pixelated Memories - Thanewala Gumbad) rises nearby, hemmed around by designer showrooms & apparel stores. The deplorable site & stench, the massive pigs (they were huge, I have never seen such large pigs before), & the garbage-choked passageways made me want to return. But I had to have a look at the passages – they were high at most places, but would then stoop low at points. At some points, even though the outer walls were straight, the passageways would curve. Sadly, even here not much of the wall remains & the passages end after a few metres. Outside into the sun again, I jumped down the walls back into the park & decided to do a recce of the remaining portion. Except for a few in the nearby Shahpur Jat Village, no bastions of the city have survived the later marauder-emperors. The wall in the park too is reduced to a short stone barrier after a few minutes’ walk. At the entrance of the park exists a Khilji-era well, now filled with waste & covered with heavy stones to prevent kids & drunkards from toppling down. From a distance, one can also spot the moat that surrounds the fortress – though now it is largely filled up & exists as lush grassy contours, it is perceivable nonetheless. A small rubble bridge spans the moat at one place, it has been conserved & maintained. Sadly the same can’t be said for another bridge nearby where the moat around is all stuffed up with waste, especially plastic wrappers & polythene bags. Such is the contrast that could be observed over so little a distance when it comes to monument conservation in India.

Small & sturdy - The moat & the bridge

Among all the structures that Alauddin built – his tomb & associated seminary (“madrasa”), his victory tower (“Alai Minar”, refer Pixelated Memories - Alai Darwaza), Siri, water tanks & palaces – only two survive intact – these being the Alai Darwaza (the striking entrance to the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque within Qutb Complex) & the Hauz Khas (refer Pixelated Memories - Hauz Khas Complex; Hauz Khas was originally a huge water tank meant to provide water to Siri’s population, later it was expanded to a retreat & a site for tomb & madrasa building by Sultan Feroz Tughlaq (ruled AD 1351-88)). Alauddin would not have cared less, he left his mark over Delhi’s psyche – one of India’s largest complex housing sports facilities, museums, auditoriums with combined seating capacity of 25,000 people draws its name from Siri. Sadly, the very complex meant to reflect upon Siri’s greatness proved to be its bane – unknowingly, a large part of the city structures were buried deep under cement when the sports complex & the residential village meant to house athletes participating in Asian Games 1982 were being built. Excavations are on, but it is very difficult to say that the structures would be intact. Also buried was the sister tomb of Mohammad Wala Mosque – the Bulbul Wali Mosque (Information courtesy – Vikramjit Singh Rooprai). The Government has also sanctioned the restoration & upkeep of existing portions of Siri, the result is exceedingly inspiring, especially when referring to the wall portions opposite the Children’s Museum. Hopefully, after the Archaeologists & the artists are done with their tasks, people would recognize the beauty of Hauz Khas-Green Park areas other than the swanky showrooms, attractive girls & luxurious cars. Though the last three are themselves worth checking out the area for!!

Surviving (barely!!)

Location: Green Park Area
Nearest Metro Station: Green Park Station
How to reach - 

1. Wall portion near Shahpur Jat village - From Green Park Metro Station, take a bus for Shahpur Jat village. Opposite the bus stop is the park containing some of the above mentioned ruins.
2. Wall portion within Siri Archaeological Park - After getting down at Green Park Metro Station walk/take an auto to Siri Fort Sports Complex. Just before the Complex is the Siri Fort Children's Museum. The archaeological area is opposite the Children's Museum.

Both the sites are located close to each other & one can walk from one to another. The ruins near Shahpur are closer to the metro station & can be visited first. One can ask for Siri Sports Complex from there on.
Open: All days, Sunrise to Sunset (both)

Entrance Fee: Nil (both)
Photography/Video charges: Nil (both)
Time required for sightseeing: About 30 min (both)
Relevant Links -

1. Pixelated Memories - Alai Darwaza
2. Pixelated Memories - Alai Minar
3. Pixelated Memories - Alauddin's Tomb & Madrasa Complex
4. Pixelated Memories - Hauz Khas Complex
5. Pixelated Memories - Mohammad Wala Masjid
6. Pixelated Memories - Qutb Complex
7. Pixelated Memories - Thanewala Gumbad
8. Pixelated Memories - Tughlaqabad Fort

Thanewala Gumbad, New Delhi

While reading about Delhi’s monuments & heritage structures, I often come across details about structures taken over by the city’s population, often demolished, at times occupied in its original state & at times renovated & turned into living quarters/shops/hospitals by changing the way the structure looked. The Red Fort was occupied by the British Army after the 1857 Sepoy Mutiny/War of Independence & several structures within the complex were razed to ground to make way for their barracks. But that was in 1857, & except for the Red Fort (refer Pixelated Memories - Red Fort), I myself never saw any structure razed/renovated. Until a few days ago that is. Some days ago, I visited the Thanewala Gumbad in South Delhi. The condition of the structure made me realize that this is what happens when the ever progressive tide of urbanization comes face to face with a structure struck somewhere in the medieval ages.

Thanewala Gumbad - First impressions

Taken over on all sides by residential areas & shops, the structure lies surrounded by the spirit of commercialization in the middle of Shahpur Jat. A suburban village, Shahpur Jat, has suddenly found its way into the books of city’s nouveau rich – once a village home to Jats (an ethnic group more common to nearby Haryana), today the new lifestyle hub boasts of designer boutiques & shops selling everything from expensive collectibles, clothes, & furniture. & of course, there was also a Bikanerwala close to the gumbad (I have observed that you can find a Bikanerwala in almost every neighborhood in Delhi. They specialize mostly in sweets, but you can gobble up their pakoras (deep-fried bread filled with potatoes & cottage cheese, coated in a layer of corn flour & again deep fried) with a bottle of coke if you feel hungry after running around the numerous heritage structures that Delhi boasts of. The food is hygienic too!!). The Thanewala Gumbad today survives in the form of a large, domed chamber with its back against the shorter side of the large rectangular courtyard that encloses it.

"Aerial View"

The walls of the gumbad slightly slope towards the outside & are exceedingly unadorned. Nobody knows who built the structure, though it is accepted that the architecture is reminiscent of construction undertaken during the reign of the Khilji Dynasty (ruled 1290-1320 AD). The gumbad lacks ornamentation of any sort, a characteristic of Khilji & later Tughlaq-era buildings – both its interiors & exteriors are thread bare & the only concession to its simplicity are niches that line the bottom of the dome on the inside & the recessed, arched corners. Outside, the dome rests on an octagonal base (drum) decorated with a line of kanguras (battlement-like ornamentation work). The mihrab (the wall inside a mosque indicating the direction of Mecca, faced by Muslims while praying) is very simple, consisting of three arched recesses, the central one slightly larger than the ones flanking it.

Too simple!!

The side opposite the mihrab has three arched entrances, while the other two sides have two small arched entrances each & a blocked arched recess in the place of the central entrance. A small arched window is provided high in the centre of each side to let in sunlight. The courtyard also bears indications that there were several other structures within the complex. Only the foundations remain of what must once have been pillars on either side of the existing domed chamber, indicating the presence of cloisters. It is now accepted that the gumbad was once a mosque. A gumbad is basically a tall, domed chamber with solid walls. Cloistered chambers on either side of the said “gumbad” would fit very well with the mosque theory. Also there is no grave inside the chamber which is further proof that this is not a tomb (as most gumbads are). I don’t understand why isn’t it referred to as a mosque instead of a gumbad if that might be the case. Perhaps some later historian bungled up when compiling a list of structures in Delhi.

Cloister remains to the left of the central chamber

The courtyard also shows signs of arched recesses along one of the longer sides. Perhaps these alcoves were used for lightning earthen lamps, though these appear pretty large. I am tempted to believe that these were part of rooms for the priests of the mosque, or perhaps there once existed a small Islamic seminary. If that would have been the case, the mosque might have been very similar to the Khair-ul-Manazil Mosque in another part of Delhi, but in a similar run-down condition (refer Pixelated Memories - Khair-ul-Manazil Mosque). The courtyard itself was filled with all sorts of rubbish & even construction material the day I visited the gumbad/mosque. A large family picnicked in the courtyard, complete with food & even a hookah!! A washer man dried clothes nearby. Thorny bushes grew around garbage heaps. More than the interior, it is the exterior of the enclosing walls that is in dire need of protection. Along the shorter sides of the courtyard ran parallel streets. A small slum house made with bricks & corrugated iron sheets (next to the main road flanking the gumbad towards its back) used the wall as one of its sides. Towards one of the larger sides, an alley lead to a cluster of houses & showrooms. It was one of these houses that I climbed on to get an “aerial” view of the gumbad/mosque & its surroundings. The walls of these houses maintained their distance from the gumbad’s enclosure, though it seemed almost hopeless, given that Shahpur Jat is a hotchpotch of buildings jutting out of nowhere & giving way only to narrow streets & almost none vegetation. Not wishing to spare any space available in this urban jungle, a buzzing generator set sat next to the courtyard wall in this alley.

Eating into the structure - A shanty & a row of houses alongside the boundary wall

Buildings on the other side were even worse, literally fusing together with the enclosure walls. One had to walk past those buildings into a side street (this one has the Bikanerwala!!) & then make a detour to reach the entrance of the gumbad/mosque. It is a pretty precarious situation that the gumbad/mosque finds itself in, surrounded by all these houses & shops, whatever happened to the Monument Notification Act (1958) that bans construction within 100 metres of a protected monument?? Perhaps the gumbad/mosque isn’t a protected monument, I did not see the characteristic blue board that Archaeological Survey of India (A.S.I.) places near protected monuments. The only worthwhile thing here was that more than encroachments, the place was taken over by kids running around, playing tag here. Many of them clambered around me in a bid to get photographed along with the ruins. They jumped within the gumbad & around it too, unmindful of the pillar stubs sticking out in an ordered progression. The huge chamber boomed with their laughter & echoed back their shouts.

These cloisters exist on the right side of the structure. Visible in the background are the remains of Siri Fort wall

I would rather suggest that this surrounding courtyard be converted to a small park, similar to the park across the parking lot across the road that boasts of bastions & walls of the Siri Fort (another fortress city within Delhi, subject of another post). A gardener could be assigned here, at least this way the place would not give way to encroachments & hawkers, & even the kids would find a new spot within the congested city to run around. But then, is anyone listening??

Location: Shahpur Jat village
Open: All days, Sunrise to Sunset
Nearest Metro Station: Green Park Station
How to Reach: From Green Park Metro Station, take a bus for Shahpur Jat village. Opposite the bus stop is a large park, beyond which lies a parking lot. Walk through the park & the parking lot & you will spot the dome of Thanewala Gumbad rising in the midst of shops. Navigate to find the entrance.
Entrance Fee: Nil
Photography/Video charges: Nil
Time required for sightseeing: About 30 min
Relevant Links -

1. Pixelated Memories - Khair-ul-Manazil Mosque
2. Pixelated Memories - Red Fort

Mohammad Wala Mosque, New Delhi

One of Delhi’s most beautiful mosques lies hidden from the city’s inhabitants. Close to the Siri Sports Complex (which derives its name from another ruined fortress within Delhi, Siri, subject of a future post), stands the elegant Mohammad Wala Mosque. Literally, its name means “the mosque of Mohammad”, but figuratively, the mosque belongs to no one. The citizens of the city have abandoned it, the Govt. has forgotten it & the large retinue of sportsmen, students & coaches who daily come to the adjoining Sports Complex & Museum ignore it. & yet, left to itself, this magnificent mosque of unknown vintage fends for itself. Perhaps the Govt. is responsible for its present state – after all they were the ones who cordoned it off with fences & iron gates, but then what were they to do?? This mosque is a preserved monument, restored to its pristine state, & if the Govt. can’t earn revenue from it, they can’t let it fall into the hands of vandals & encroachers either. Or perhaps the people of the city – the ones who scribble their names on the walls of these monuments, who smudge paints & graffiti on the fine designs of these structures & especially those who either destroy entire monuments or surgically cleave them to make way for apartments & residential buildings – nightmare for the Govt. agencies responsible for monument upkeep, responsible for it. All in all, this is a precarious situation – all this tussle has held this mosque away from the eyes of the city people (the non-destructive kind). 

The Mohammad Wala Masjid

It is not known who built this mosque, though the architecture is definitely from the Lodi period. The Lodi dynasty ruled over Delhi from AD 1451-1526, more than a century after Sultan Alauddin Khilji built the Siri Fort. The Lodis, in the short span of time they ruled Delhi, faced numerous battles, court intrigues & rebellions by the nobles, before being routed out by Babur (the guy who established the three-century long Mughal rule). The Lodhis did not have any time or resources to build new palaces &/or fortress complexes & had to be content with ruling from the existing power centres in Delhi. But they built a number of tombs, mosques associated with tomb complexes as well as small, independent mosques. The Mohammadi Wala Mosque is an example of mosque associated to a tomb complex. Also it was built right next to the moat that encircled Siri Fort, perhaps at one time it lay just outside the city walls. There is no way of telling since portions of the Siri Fort were either destroyed by subsequent rulers, buried unknowingly when the Asiad Games (1982) Village was built nearby, or encroached upon by locals. The fortress exists only as wall portions & intermittent bastions peeking out in the urban jungle that Delhi has manifested into. Today there is no deep stream flowing within the moat that passed next to the Mohammadi Wala Mosque, nor the soldiers keep watch anymore. The area has been levelled & thorny bushes & tall grass cover the area around the mosque. Vibrantly coloured butterflies & insects flow around in the wilderness. A stretch of the fort’s wall (or what remains of it) runs close to the mosque complex, the bastions have been destroyed & the wall itself is not more than two metres high, at places even lower. Red sandstone plaques installed by Archaeological Survey of India (A.S.I.) detail the mosque’s history & also the site map since the ruins of Siri’s walls & bastion stretch alongside the mosque complex. A few of these plaques are already broken & crumbling to pieces. The mosque complex is enclosed by a rubble wall, the entrance is built of grey Delhi quartzite stone & red sandstone (you too can easily identify these things if you travel as much as I do!!). The iron door affixed to the complex entrance is ajar & unyielding, the half-open doors can’t be made to move in any direction. 

Entrance to the Mosque Complex

As soon as one enters the complex’s stone gateway, one feels impressed at the beauty & magnificence of the mosque. The mosque glints in the harsh sunlight. It once boasted of a large garden & an associated enclosed courtyard. Today the garden is taken over by wilderness, gnarled trees spread their branches along, grass & flowers battle for their existence & nourishment with wild vegetation. In a corner opposite the complex entrance is another smaller entrance, this one is locked & even otherwise gives way to the tall thorny bushes. A few graves lie in the garden, most of them submerged under the sea of this unwanted vegetation. The ones that are visible lie crumbled, shattered by plant roots & falling branches. Here & there can be seen huge mounds of soil & debris. Stones hinder the path, stacks of soft grass slow down one’s progress. It’s a wonder who left them here. 

Afterlife hindered??

The cemented courtyard adjacent to the mosque is empty, a few iron grilles that were meant to barricade the mosques passageways are stacked in one corner. Despite being abandoned, the mosque stands virtually unharmed in any way. Perhaps it has been very recently repaired & restored. But there were no labourers around – the entire place is deserted as if after a holocaust. & the ornamentation alcoves in its walls too are filled with spidery silk & remains of animal waste. The façade of the rectangular mosque, with its three arched entrances & protruding chajja (eaves) looks impressive. The entrances are all equal in size, but the central arch is set in a considerably taller niche. Locked iron doors prevent entry from either of the two side arches, the central door is again struck ajar – one has to squeeze through it to enter the medium-sized mosque. 

The peace & the solitude!!

More doors, this time open, are affixed to the entrances on the shorter sides of the mosque. Medallions made of incised plaster cover the mosque’s interiors – not floral medallions as in most other mosques in Delhi, but medallions covered with calligraphic inscriptions & geometric patterns. The mihrab (the wall indicating the direction of Mecca, faced by Muslims while praying) faces the central arch, & is very simply designed, flanked by alcoves for lighting diyas (earthen lamps). The mihrab’s arch & medallions display more unpretentious calligraphy. Small, perhaps ornamentative, niches form a honey-comb like structure towards the roof. These too are fringed by thin lines of calligraphy. A row of such niches stretch under the dome that rests above the central arch. The interior of the roof is decorated with geometrical patterns, calligraphy & paint bands forming two huge concentric eight-petal stars. Pigeons flutter around, a few swoop down close to my head. Perhaps they too are surprised at the sudden appearance of a visitor. 

& the symmetry!!

Intermittently comes the sound of people chattering & hawkers peddling their wares. Towards the back of the mosque is a street & residential areas. I step out into the adjoining courtyard towards the side of the mosque, there is no one there, but still I feel there is someone nearby. Sound of someone walking comes again & again. Good thing I don’t believe in ghosts & spirits. This courtyard is enclosed by a rubble wall on all four sides, a small opening in the wall leads back to the front garden. Stepping out, I notice that unlike the rest of the old monuments & structures throughout the country, the passageways leading to the mosque’s roof are not grilled here. Perhaps the A.S.I. did not feel the need to bar them since the complex sees so few visitors. I climbed up the narrow staircase, a strange dank smell emanated from the stairs. There were a few alcoves along the walls of the staircase, but this portion seemed to not have been touched during the renovation work (if any took place according to my assumption in the near past). There were spider webs & layers of dust & organic waste smudging the alcoves. I exited the passageway, the severe sunshine again blinding me for a minute. The dome glistened against the blue sky – it was really odd, standing next to a mosque’s dome. I had never before climbed up the mosque. I photographed the dome, the surrounding “gardens” & other compositions.

Its lonely up here..

I could see the road stretch behind the mosque, life seemed to go on undisturbed by my invasion. On the other side, within the larger Siri Fort complex, I could see the fort’s extensive ruined walls extend till as far as I could see. But there was no sign of any life. There ought to be someone here since I could see a water pipe extending along the fort wall. A gardener must be snoozing someone around, the pipe wouldn’t have dragged by itself. I climb down the way I came, again gazing at the mosque & photographing it. 

"To love beauty is to see light" (Victor Hugo)

For more than half an hour, I had the run of the place, photographing it, checking every nook & crevice. I wish all monuments were like that!! But alas, this would not be for long. There have been news reports that the Muslim population of the city led by an organisation called the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind wants all these heritage mosques to be thrown open for prayers. They claim that the Govt. has no right to keep these locked & have taken to forcing their way into these sealed complexes to perform prayers. “Once a mosque, always a mosque”. Although the Heritage & Monuments Notification (1958) states that the national monuments are not to be used for prayers if they were abandoned at the time of Govt. takeover, the A.S.I. along with the National Waqf Board (Custodian of Muslim graveyards, mosques & other religional spaces in the country) & the National Commission for Minorities is looking into the matter. I shudder to think what would be the fate of this serene structure once it is converted to a thoroughfare. Would the gardens give way to residential quarters for the “caretakers”?? Would the walls retain their fine calligraphy?? Or would it be painted over like the mosque in Feroz Shah Kotla or Nizamuddin Dargah?? I hope it would not be painted bright pink & orange like the Tarikh-ul-Islam Mosque in Qutb Complex!! 

Lost & Found

Note – The gate leading inside the cordoned off archaeological complex of which the mosque is a part of is usually kept locked to prevent miscreants & vandals from entering. If such is the case, the keys can be accessed from the A.S.I. custodian in the Children’s Museum across the road. Or you can retrace your steps to enter through a gap in the wire enclosure that encloses the complex as I did. The gap is visible just a few meters from the entrance gate & leads to a portion of Siri walls apparently converted into a small dump yard by the locals. Side step & proceed!!

Location: Siri Fort Complex
Open: All days, Sunrise to Sunset
Nearest Metro Station: Green Park Station
How to Reach: After getting down at Green Park Metro Station walk/take an auto to Siri Fort Sports Complex. Just before the Complex is the Siri Fort Children's Museum. The archaeological area is opposite the Children's Museum.
Entrance Fee: Nil
Photography/Video charges: Nil

Time required for sightseeing: About 30 min

Relevant Links - 

1. Pixelated Memories - Kotla Feroz Shah
2. Pixelated Memories - Nizamuddin Dargah
3. Pixelated Memories - Qutb Complex
4. Pixelated Memories - Tarikh-ul-Islam Mosque