Loharheri Baoli, Dwarka Sector-12, Delhi

“Hogi is dher imaarat ki kahani kuch to,

Dhund alfaz ke malbe me ma’ine kuch to”

(“Surely a story hides behind these ruins somewhere,

Search the debris of words, the meaning is there somewhere”)

– Shahpar Rusool, Urdu Professor,

Jamia Milia Islamia University, Delhi

Bubbling with fantastically-conceived hyperbolic tales and mythology, oral folklore always conceals within its spellbinding florid exaggerations thoroughly disguised minute kernels of truth which resiliently resist, and often irreversibly shatter, even the most endeavoring communal forgetfulness and/or malicious attempts to whitewash history.

Comprised of huge staircases leading down to deep vertical shafts of associated wells, “baolis” (step-wells) are massive medieval water-management and congregational monuments majestically scattered throughout northern and western-central India. Considering their limited numbers and unparalleled ornamental adornments, they are unquestionably and quite conspicuously the most cherished monuments vis-à-vis the multitudes of contemporaneous religious and funerary edifices, extravagantly opulent palaces and formidable fortress-strongholds littering the immense landscape.

Substantially smaller than most of its magnificent counterparts intermittently peppering the city, the recently-discovered Lodi-era (AD 1451-1526) baoli in Dwarka’s Sector-12 is historically believed to have been  christened “Loharheri Baoli”, deriving from the contiguous presence of a small settlement of ironsmiths (“lohar”) whose hydrological and congregational requirements the tiny edifice was to fulfill. Perplexingly though, this satellite suburb would have been considerably distant from the extensive settlements of medieval Delhi whom the ironsmiths would have professionally catered. Fortunately for the enthralling step-well, this historical anomaly renders it one of the few medieval monuments in this part of the city (the only other, that too several kilometers away, is the desolately forgotten and grievously brutalized Hastsal Minar delineating the ruinous remains of Mughal Emperor Shahjahan’s hunting estate (refer Pixelated Memories - Kaushal Minar, Uttam Nagar)).

Lost and found

Walking the unclogged, strangely sanitized streets of Dwarka – almost reminiscent of post-apocalyptic, post-humanity scenes from science fiction movies – feels singularly bizarre and a tad bit bewildering. Unlike the rest of terribly overpopulated, thoroughly urbanized and ubiquitously commercialized west Delhi, minutes pass here before one spots another pedestrian walking purposelessly or expectantly sniffing around buildings, vehicles seldom blare horns, and the colossal multi-storied soaring residential buildings too are unbelievably distantly spaced and uniquely designed.

Accessed via a narrow wicket-gate puncturing the high walls enveloping the towering Gangotri Apartments whose peripheries it discreetly, in fact almost invisibly, adjoins, presently the extensively restored and impeccably maintained three-tiered baoli is existential within a vast garbage-carpeted barren tract of land sporadically shrouded here and there by sorry-looking miserable tufts of weeds and grass irrepressibly rising from amidst the collected assortment of foul-smelling plant and vegetable waste, an overabundance of cow dung and dog droppings, innumerable polythene bags filled with domestic non-biodegradable rubbish, discarded construction material, and worthless shards of glass and plastic glinting in the sunlight.

Although the Gangotri complex and Dwarka International School prominently located barely a stone’s throw away are not insignificant landmarks, the bewildered locals, it seemed, faced insurmountable difficulties either comprehending my modest intentions or offering directions, consequentially sending me on a to-and-fro walk in search of the elusive baoli which being an unadorned, rubble masonry-built underground monument is easy to miss even from the immediate vicinity.

“In India it is not a good idea to ask just one person’s opinion, especially as far as directions are concerned. Not wishing to appear discourteous or unhelpful, they will say the first thing that comes into their head rather than honestly and far more usefully admitting that they do not know. It is best to ask as many people as possible and opt for the majority view. This does not necessarily mean that you will then be going in the right direction – it just gives you a slightly better chance of doing so. We therefore asked as many people as possible but we still ended up lost.”

– Josie Dew, “The Wind in My Wheels” (1992)

First impressions

Moderately proportioned and truly parched owing to the disastrous lowering of water-table over the centuries, the mesmerizing edifice was conveniently forgotten and interred underneath layers of earth and thick undergrowth, which culminated in its unsurprising obscurity and disappearance from contemporary literary records and monument censuses. Like its almost similarly designed cousin associated with the Wazirpur group of monuments in R.K. Puram (refer Pixelated Memories - Wazirpur Monument complex), this beautiful rectangular edifice too possesses immaculate rows of ornamental alcoves lining the longer sides along its two levels. There isn’t however any other functional feature or artistic adornment perceptible, except the presence of the likewise-dry circular well-shaft hugging its rear. Unexpectedly though, especially considering the perennial paucity of heritage enthusiasts and touristic visitors and the wretched uncleanliness of its surroundings, not the slightest trace of garbage can be noticed anywhere within the baoli's earmarked area – certainly a most commendable achievement on the part of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) which restored the edifice and Delhi Development Association (DDA) to whom this tract of land belongs.

Isolated case?

Location: Pocket-1, Sector-12 Dwarka

How to reach: Walk/avail an auto/rickshaw to Gangotri Apartments/Dwarka International School from Dwarka Sector-12 Metro station which is about a kilometer and a half away. If walking, head towards Hotel Radisson Blu and take a left turn from there. The small baoli is located about a kilometer from this point on the right side of the arterial road in a vast barren expanse in the very shadow of Gangotri Apartments.

Entrance fees: Nil

Photography/Video charges: Nil

Time required for sightseeing: 20 min

Relevant Links -

Another monument located in the neighborhood - Pixelated Memories - Kaushal Minar, Uttam Nagar

Other baolis in the city -

1. Pixelated Memories - Agrasen ki Baoli
2. Pixelated Memories - Baoli, Feroz Shah Kotla complex
3. Pixelated Memories - Baoli, Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah complex
4. Pixelated Memories - Baoli, Old Fort complex
5. Pixelated Memories - Baoli, Red Fort complex
6. Pixelated Memories - Baoli, Wazirpur monument complex
7. Pixelated Memories - Gandhak ki Baoli, Mehrauli Archaeological Park
8. Pixelated Memories - Rajon ki Baoli, Mehrauli Archaeological Park

Suggested reading -

1. Deccanherald.com - Article "Behind the glitz and glamour of traditional water harvesting" (dated Dec 05, 2012) by Amitangshu Acharya
2. Thehindu.com - Article "A rare medieval discovery" (dated July 03, 2011) by R.V. Smith
3. Timesofindia.indiatimes.com - Article "Forgotten Lodi era baoli discovered in busy Dwarka" (dated June 28, 2011) by Richi Verma

Lodi-era Tombs, Zamrudpur village, Delhi

“For the most wild, yet most homely narrative which I am about to pen, I neither expect nor solicit belief. Mad indeed would I be to expect it, in a case where my very senses reject their own evidence. Yet – mad am I not – and very surely do I not dream. But tomorrow I die, and today I would unburden my soul. My immediate purpose is to place before the world plainly, succinctly, and without comment, a series of mere household events. In their consequences these events have terrified – have tortured – have destroyed me. Yet I will not attempt to expound them. To me they have presented little but horror – to many they will seem less terrible than baroques. Hereafter, perhaps, some intellect may be found which will reduce my phantasm to the commonplace – some intellect more calm, more logical, and far less excitable than my own, which will perceive in the circumstances I detail with awe, nothing more than an ordinary succession of very natural causes and effects.”

– Edgar Allan Poe, “The Black Cat”

Tomb II  - The odd man out

On the rare occasion when her memory would not fail her, my octogenarian grandmother, unbelievably obese and ceaselessly censorious, would instantaneously and quite pompously invite the grandchildren to her boisterous court and burst forth into a flurry of meandering half-remembered mythological folklore and historical fiction, primarily concerned with opulently extravagant pre-partition life, but also occasionally transforming into perplexingly convoluted yet seamlessly interconnected bedside stories composed of myriads of mythological deities, mythical creatures and anthropomorphic entities perennially endeavoring to caution simpleminded folk against the intolerable sin of avariciousness, represented most often as an inverted, putrefying and obnoxious human skull which can apparently never be filled with enough gold.

Were she alive today, I could have similarly recounted to her about the shockingly obscene conditions of the small urban village of Zamrudpur immediately adjoining the posh Greater Kailash (GK-1) area where existential, in the form of an all-encompassing malignant mushrooming agglomeration of box-like multistoried, multicolored residential apartments acquisitively festering with not the slightest regard for civic planning, physical hygiene or heritage conservation, is a repugnant exemplification of the vicious malevolent evil she repeatedly warned us kids about. As the unbelievably strong stench threatens to overpower casual passer-bys and the decrepit, gaudily-painted buildings huddle close together to render roads narrow stinking pathways thoroughly drenched with garbage, putrid slime and detergent-laced water runoff, crystal-clear rays of sunshine beat an unsolicited hasty retreat, restricting themselves to infrequently transgress only as an intermittent obscure patch here and another brilliant streak there, until eventually the ground surface and several floors succeeding it above are utterly drenched in an unnatural darkness which further vindictively aggravates the threatening spiral down into unhygienic filthy living conditions.

Hide-and-seek - Tombs I (left) and II

Existential in terribly inhumane conditions within this small warren hole of immeasurably appalling living conditions, exceedingly narrow slithering streets and foul-smelling grimy cul-de-sacs, the whole entirely submerged in a deluge of decaying domestic wastes, fetid animal excreta, irritatingly dense spider-webs and unspeakably filthy water runoff, is a cluster of five solemn mausoleums where repose in eternal slumber the immediate family and the closest associates of Zamrud Khan, an Afghan noble in the court of Sikandar Lodi (reign AD 1489-1517) who was provided the bountiful estate (“jagir”) of Kanchan Sarai (thereafter christened “Zamrudpur”).

Crowned by thick clumps of vegetation sprouting from, and branching around, the very pinnacles of their enormous domes, the two greatest of these mausoleums can be perceived as perfectly plump flashes of textured dirty brown peeping inconspicuously from amongst this impermeable maze of multi-hued high-rise apartment buildings in the immediate vicinity of Bluebells International School while travelling between Kailash Colony and Moolchand stations on the violet line of Delhi metro.

Of these two mausoleums, the larger (Tomb I), so gigantic that it fairly easily outsoars the neighboring massive buildings, has been so appallingly molested and encroached upon that one frightfully shudders to even look at it – divided into individualistic corners, a portion of it, accessed by traversing through infinitesimally narrow, garbage-covered and exceedingly cold and damp streets, has been converted into a substantial cowshed by a septuagenarian deaf-and-mute man who also shares these drenched, damp and cow dung-spattered accommodations with his bovine charges.

Repulsive!

The perplexed animals, accustomed to adhering to their monotonous undisturbed lives but presently as shocked upon noticing us as we were on discovering them cheerfully lodged in this wretched imposing monument, confusedly stumbled and trampled about endeavoring to escape through the constricted opening where we stood, until the frail old man shooed and pushed them away and sympathetically switched on a high-wattage incandescent bulb precariously hanging overhead to facilitate our clicking some photographs. Bored eventually after a few minutes, he shooed us away too and the impressive monument despondently reverted to its dimly lit, mistreated existence.

Another portion of the mausoleum, externally entirely cut-off from the first and accessible only after circling through several intermediate ever-constricting streets, has been converted into an atrociously dreadful living quarter by an ingenious neighbor and is perennially leased on rent to garbage-collectors who, besides sleeping here in makeshift hammocks stretched between the walls, also horrifically light fires within the medieval edifice and store huge stacks of non-perishable rubbish like irredeemably broken toys, fragments of punctured tires, unfixable electric fixtures and damp rotting cardboards! Despite the indescribably miserable squalor they inhabit and the freezing cold they were enduring sitting in a small, garbage-littered opening adjoining their grand residence, the impoverished garbage-collectors were heartwarmingly quick to share tales of destitution and penury, concerning their livelihood and living conditions (bitterly describing the freezing wafts of cold January air blowing through the enormous entrances as murderous!), as well as simplemindedly asking why we do not petition the government to save these monuments from such inexcusable humiliation and certain obliteration. If only the government would listen!

A few good men?

They, like the elderly cattle-keeper, respectfully welcomed us into their meager hearths and undeniably earned sanctuary in our hardened hearts, not so however the foul-mouthed middle-aged man who had covetously encroached upon the second-largest mausoleum (Tomb II) by converting it into a proper family residence complete with iron double-gates and whitewashed medieval walls, and arrogantly proceeded to threaten us when we attempted to click photographs, stating, I quote, “This is Lal Dora land. What will the ASI officials do when even the policemen can’t help you here?” “Lal Dora” are those unregulated colonies/urban slums which are exempted from construction guidelines and civic planning protocols as regulated under the Delhi Municipal Act, and quite glaringly, seldom do the municipal authorities have any noticeable presence here. What is most reprehensible however is the knowledge that this particular notably enormous monument, which flamboyantly displays all the telltale structural and ornamental motifs of Lodi-era architecture, including decorative recessed alcoves externally adorning its walls and a dexterously chiseled inverted lotus finial crowing its prominent dome, is not even within the claustrophobic village cluster but barely skims its expansive, relatively uncluttered peripheries! Its resilient walls might have been cleverly whitewashed and the celebrated medieval nature of its cavernous interiors might have been entirely obliterated, but what cannot be wished away is the certainty that, given its conspicuously outstanding architecture and the magnificent harmony of its traditional design relentlessly and starkly contrasting against and contemptibly shaming so-called modern building designs burgeoning around it, it shall never cease to visually stand out as a majestic beacon amidst the abysmal squalor and detestable turmoil of its disgraceful surroundings.

History vs Modernity

Positioned at the acute vertex of an extraordinarily narrow street where it forcibly branches off into two even more congested streets (if these can be referred thus!) which eventually culminate into cul-de-sacs after a couple of steps, Tomb III’s entrances have been temporarily cordoned off with heavy wooden boards and it has been converted into a makeshift warehouse by neighboring residents to store unusable junk and rotten rubbish. Nauseatingly, one of its thick sides has been entirely assimilated as a not inconsiderable fraction of the perimeter of the adjoining unhealthily cramped building; even more horrendously, the quarter off the adjoining corner has been surgically sheared off to accommodate yet another building. As measly relief in the spirit of the legendary beneficence and forbearance of this city, the unevenly-constructed staircase of the densely populated tenement on the third side only barely skirts the mausoleum’s dome and doesn’t really incorporate the edifice within its own structure except for the matter of the small assistance where it raises its entire support configuration over a corner of the latter’s roof! Magnanimously did the inhabitants also spare a small opening between to be used as a community dump yard, and besides the unavoidable unpleasant stench, the mausoleum is now also gleefully richer by an abnormally intriguing diadem composed of colorful, multi-textured plastic wrappers and polythene rubbish.

Eternal damnation! - Tomb III

Furthering these marvelous monuments' incorrigible helplessness, where humanity’s ceaseless avariciousness and heartless barbarity eventually relents, the perpetually incriminatory forces of nature take over – a gnarled Peepal tree (Ficus religiosa), the ultimate bane of monument conservation in the subcontinent, rises from the last remaining corner, imperceptibly gradually yet certainly strangling the monument to indiscernible powder.

“Three or four young pipal-trees have begun to spread their delicate branches and pale green leaves rustling in the breeze from the dome of this fine temple; which these infant Herculeses hold in their deadly grasp and doom to inevitable destruction. Pigeons deposit the seeds of the pipal-tree, on which they chiefly feed, in the crevices of buildings.

No Hindoo dares, and no Christian or Muhammadan will condescend, to lop off the heads of these young trees, and if they did, it would only put off the evil and inevitable day; for such are the vital powers of their roots, when they have once penetrated deeply into a building, that they will send out their branches again, cut them off as often as you may, and carry on their internal attack with undiminished vigour.

No wonder that superstition should have consecrated this tree, delicate and beautiful as it is, to the gods. The palace, the castle, the temple, and the tomb, all those works which man is most proud to raise to spread and to perpetuate his name, crumble to dust beneath her withering grasp. She rises triumphant over them all in her lofty beauty, bearing high in air amidst her light green foliage fragments of the wreck she has made, to show the nothingness of man’s greatest efforts.”

– Major-General Sir William Henry “Thuggee” Sleeman, British East India Co. Administrator

“Rambles and Recollections of an Indian Official” (1844)

Classical architecture - Tomb I interiors

I would be memorably surprised if there are even a dozen people not from Zamrudpur who have ever set eyes on Tomb IV. After spending several minutes traversing the bewildering streets in unordered circles, we could only barely catch a glimpse of some of the irrepressible stone brackets of this small mausoleum startlingly incorporated within the dingy, uninhabitable corner of an irregularly constructed residential building at the very end of a blind alley so unnaturally dark that there was little scope of visually making sense of the congested, garbage-infested, dust and spider web-carpeted surroundings without switching on the camera’s flash! A common toilet exists barely a couple of steps away and stacked against the dingy moldy corner were old rusted motorcycles, political hoardings, wooden furniture and semi-rotten fragments of clothes and other miscellaneous organic wastes. It was only afterwards, when a kindly local lady, feverishly incensed against the neighbors for having nearly obliterated the entire medieval monument, took us up her building that we could make complete sense of the torturous and yet outlandish events that really preposterously transpired here – it appears that an entire multi-storied building, was profanely conceived in a crooked U-shaped manner, had one of its asymmetric extreme branches miraculously arising midair, tenuously supported structurally by the equally unbalanced central branch and the similarly haphazard building on the other side – where the vanished ground floor of this extreme branch of the U-building should have been, there instead exists the aforementioned dingy moldy corner framing a tiny knoll.

Abandon all hope! - Tomb IV hiding in plain sight

To our indescribable horror, masquerading as the tiny hellhole infested with terrifying mold, spiderwebs and the accumulated dust and rotten wastes of several years past, the shabbily crumbling, rubbish-infested knoll was Tomb IV, whitewashed and cunningly camouflaged by a tiny apartment built greedily embracing it! From the adjoining buildings’ roofs, we were looking down at it as if it was within a haphazardly constructed well! One can observe its sheared-off extremities and the moderately-proportioned, perfectly-rounded dome, slowly yet persistently being submerged under a dreadful deluge of plastic wastes, polythene wrappers and other garbage. How long before the entire monument disappears under this wretchedness?

“Fearful, indeed, the suspicion – but more fearful the doom! It may be asserted, without hesitation, that no event is so terribly well adapted to inspire the supremeness of bodily and of mental distress as is burial before death. The unendurable oppression of the lungs – the stifling fumes of the damp earth – the clinging of the death garments – the rigid embrace of the narrow house – the blackness of the absolute night – the silence like a sea that overwhelms – the unseen but palpable presence of the Conqueror Worm – these things, with the thoughts of the air and grass above, with memory of dear friends who would fly to save us if but informed of our fate, and with consciousness that of this fate they can never be informed – that our hopeless portion is that of the really dead – these considerations, I say, carry into the heart which still palpitates, a degree of appalling and intolerable horror from which the most daring imagination must recoil. We know of nothing so agonizing upon earth, we can dream of nothing half so hideous in the realms of the nethermost Hell. And thus all narratives upon this topic have an interest profound; an interest, nevertheless, which, through the sacred awe of the topic itself, very properly and very peculiarly depends upon our conviction of the truth of the matter narrated.”

– Edgar Allan Poe, “The Premature Burial”

Tomb V - The monument stands, modernity around crumbles!

Thoughtlessly degraded and bitterly injured, if these mausoleums too could have spoken, would not they too have hopelessly lamented this unjustified and intolerable burial under garbage? Were these gorgeous epitomes of architectural heritage in some other, more discerning country, they would have been painstakingly and honorably conserved and restored to their original outstanding grandeur, and cherished as magnificent embodiments of the glorious achievements of their unparalleled art, architecture and culture. Here, they have been devastatingly condemned, intermittently shattered and wait to be demolished entirely!

Judging from the outstanding remnants of its artistic ornamentation and physical immensity, especially the exquisitely incised plasterwork medallions inscribed on the underside of its large dome, Tomb V is unarguably spatially the largest and artistically the most celebrated of all the pavilion mausoleums (that is, possessing a massive umbrella dome symmetrically surmounted on several relatively slender pillars, in this case twelve, four to each side) in the city. Or it would have been were it not so heartrendingly converted into an immense clothesline stiflingly located at the end of a claustrophobic road in an extraordinarily dark-damp opening tightly bordered on all sides by several irregularly-conceived high-rises!

Tomb V - The multipurpose clothesline/playground/makeshift temple/garbage dump/hangout zone!

Howsoever irredeemable be their crimes towards these mute edifices, given the bone-chilling cold and the unusually fierce draughts storming this small opening in this otherwise thoroughly densely congested colony, somehow one cannot help pitying the impoverished locals who are condemned to miserable life in such a gloomy and drenched hole, that too in the national capital of one of the self-proclaimed "socialist" global superpowers. It does become near impossible to efficiently argue for the dedication of greater financial resources for heritage conservation and monument restoration in the face of such staggering destitution and criminal inhumanity towards fellow individuals. Wonder when do we get our act together – it's another 26th January tomorrow.

Meager remnants - Dome medallion, Tomb V

Location: Zamrudpur village, immediately behind Bluebells International School, a short walk from Kailash Colony metro station. I could not determine the coordinates of tomb V, however the other monuments should, I believe, approximately correspond to these coordinates – Tomb I - 28°33'26.6"N 77°14'11.8"E, Tomb II - 28°33'28.0"N 77°14'12.9"E, Tomb III - 28°33'26.4"N 77°14'15.5"E (tentative) and Tomb IV - 28°33'25.6"N 77°14'13.7"E.
Nearest Metro station: Kailash Colony
Remarks - Since most of these monuments have been entirely encroached upon and converted into private residences, entry and photography might be restricted by the locals and/or the person(s) living within. It is advisable to be careful and cordial while photographing/documenting. None of these monuments are under the aegis of Archaeological Survey of India and no charges of any kind are applicable.
Relevant links -
Other monuments/landmarks in the immediate vicinity -

1. Pixelated Memories - ISKCON Temple
2. Pixelated Memories - Lotus Temple

Other Lodi-era funerary monuments in the city -

1. Pixelated Memories - Bada Gumbad (Lodi Gardens)
2. Pixelated Memories - Bagh-i-Alam ka Gumbad (Green Park)
3. Pixelated Memories - Gol Gumbad (Lodi road)
4. Pixelated Memories - Imam Zamin's Tomb (Qutb complex)
5. Pixelated Memories - Lodi-era Tomb (Lado Serai)
6. Pixelated Memories - Lodi-era Tomb (Mehrauli Archaeological Park)
7. Pixelated Memories - Lodi-era Tomb (Mehrauli Archaeological Park)
8. Pixelated Memories - Sheesh Gumbad (Lodi Gardens)
9. Pixelated Memories - Tombs in Hauz Khas (Choti Gumti, Sakri Gumti, Dadi's Tomb and Barakhamba)
10. Pixelated Memories - Tombs in South Ex. (Bade Khan ka Gumbad, Chote Khan ka Gumbad, Bhure Khan ka Gumbad and Kale Khan ka Gumbad)

Suggested reading -

1. Laldora.com - What is Lal Dora?
2. Ranasafvi.com - Trampled Tombs: Forgotten Heritage in Zamarudpur (Rana accompanied me to Zamrudpur and this is her account of the horrible conditions we witnessed)
3. Timesofindia.com - Article "Lodhi-era tomb vandalized" (dated Dec 06, 2010) by Richi Verma and Durgesh Nandan Jha
4. Timesofindia.com - Article "New lease of life for Lodi era tombs" (dated Nov 09, 2009) by Richi Verma
5. Timesofindia.indiatimes.com - Article "Heritage sword over many more localities in Delhi" (dated March 19, 2013)

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 -

1. Pixelated Memories - Ahinsa Sthal
2. Pixelated Memories - Azim Khan's Tomb
3. Pixelated Memories - Balban's Tomb
4. Pixelated Memories - Chaumukh Darwaza
5. Pixelated Memories - Dargah Dhaula Peer
6. Pixelated Memories - Jamali Kamali Complex
7. Pixelated Memories - Khan Shahid's Tomb
8. Pixelated Memories - Mehrauli Archaeological Park
9. Pixelated Memories - Metcalfe's Chattri
10. Pixelated Memories - Qila Rai Pithora
11. Pixelated Memories - Qutb Complex
12. Pixelated Memories - Settlement ruins

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 -

1. Pixelated Memories - Ahinsa Sthal
2. Pixelated Memories - Azim Khan's Tomb
3. Pixelated Memories - Dargah Dhaula Peer
4. Pixelated Memories - Mehrauli Archaeological Park
5. Pixelated Memories - Qila Rai Pithora
6. Pixelated Memories - Qutb Complex
7. Pixelated Memories - Tughlaqabad Fortress complex

South Ex. Trail, Delhi

"Dehli

Refuge of religion! Refuge and paradise of justice!

Long may it endure!

Since it is a heavenly paradise in every essential quality,

may God keep it from calamity!"

– Amir Khusro, "Qiran al-sa'dain", 14th century

Surprisingly, if there is an area in Delhi which renews one's faith in humanity's obstinate permanence and repetitive resurgence despite recurrent cataclysms and mortality-induced banalities, it would be South Ex., the commercial heart of the city, that is intriguingly strewn with ornate monuments over half a millennium old that have weathered centuries of oppressively sweltering summers and bone-chilling winters and yet, with its fascinating hodgepodge of designer showrooms, multi-storied coaching centers, glimmering neon signs and glitzy restaurants, appears as new as a fresh idea. Amidst the serpentine, perennially crowded, maze of ubiquitous glass and cement mega-structures are scattered a few miniature, painstakingly adorned early Lodi-era (AD 1451-1526) mausoleums that each stands within a small landscaped grassy lawn of its own and are in such close vicinity to each other that one necessarily feels that they were originally intended as a cluster existential within a larger garden complex but have since become drastically estranged from each other as a result of burgeoning urbanization and commercialization of land space. Needless to say, the disproportionately minimal space around each of these structures renders photography and visual composition exceedingly difficult, but does indeed propel one to imagine what these might have appeared like in their erstwhile majesty when surrounded by vast open grassy plains as far as the eye could see.

Desolation! - Kale Khan ka Gumbad

Kale Khan ka Gumbad –

Coordinates: 28°34'12.5"N 77°13'08.2"E
Literally translating to "Tomb of the Black Khan", the decrepit (yet ruggedly elegant) square mausoleum, the first that a solitary visitor wandering into the back lanes of South Ex's otherwise glittering expanse encounters, encapsulates in itself the mortal remains of Mubarak Khan Lohani who was a nobleman during the reign of Bahlol Lodi (ruled AD 1451-89) and whom many historians consider to be the father of Darya Khan Lohani (more on him later). The crumbling yet evocative edifice, built in AD 1481 and royally seated upon a high sloping mound of its own, dominates the area around itself despite the circumstances it finds itself in presently – the small lawn that surrounds it, though landscaped with a shroud of green grass and rows of palm trees, has become an oasis for couples shopping/feasting nearby, students attending coaching classes and smokers wishing for a respite from the sweltering sun and a corner to sit around and gossip.

Externally, the tomb's walls are conceived to present a double-storied appearance wherein narrow alcoves are set on either side of the larger central arch which is itself set within an even larger arched depression which in turn is set within a projecting rectangular facade. The roof, before culminating into the perfectly executed semi-circular dome, translates into a row of "kanguras" (battlement-like ornamentation) lining also the drum (base) of the dome.

Spotted on the trail

Entrances mark three of the sides while the fourth (western), that lacks any opening, functions in the capacity of mihrab (western wall of a mosque/tomb that indicates the direction of Mecca and is faced by Muslims while offering namaz); the interiors, even more dilapidated than the exteriors which at least display some semblance of having been plastered as part of a restoration effort in the past, retain remnants of plasterwork medallions and a eight-cornered star pattern adorning the dome that might have been vibrantly painted and decorated once but at present offers not the slightest clue to its original glorious existence; there are two graves within, possibly those of Mubarak Khan and his wife. Why the tomb is referred to as that of the Black Khan is a matter of conjecture, but some suspect it might be because of Mubarak Khan's dark complexion, even though no historic records specifically refer to it. Interestingly, of all the Lodi-era monuments, it has been dated to be the earliest and represents a crucial step from pre-Lodi mausoleums (that were predominantly octagonal or otherwise built like a small forceful structure complete with buttresses and thick walls) to the innovation of highly symmetrical square structures – all the more reason for its restoration and conservation for future generations to observe, research and understand.

Hemmed in - Bhure Khan ka Gumbad

Bhure Khan ka Gumbad –

Coordinates: 28°34'20.4"N 77°13'14.9"E
Another distinctive tomb whose nomenclature perhaps invokes a reference to the complexion of the person interred even though the actual identity remains unknown, "Tomb of the Fair Khan" is similar to Kale Khan ka Gumbad in almost all aspects with the only exception that is slightly perceptibly better embellished with a smattering of decorative plasterwork patterns, tapering fluted pillars and brilliant blue tile work along its front facade, inverted lotus finial surmounting the dome and pendant-shaped medallions marking the space in the dome interiors where the larger painted star-pattern is extended so that its vertexes project to intersect the row of ornamental alcoves that adorn the base of the large dome. A large grave occupies most of the interior space and even the squinches (diagonal added between two arms of a corner so as to span space and convert a square structure successively into a octagon and then a polygon/circle to support the heavy dome) are better defined and decorated. Thoroughly filled with cobwebs and foul-smelling refuse, a narrow staircase next to the entrance leads upstairs to the roof level, however the panoramic view around is entirely impeded by the surrounding whitewashed buildings and treeline. The tiny tomb exists in a deplorable condition, wedged between towering houses that overshadow it on two sides, a parking lot turned into a dump yard-cum-cow shed on the third and barbed fences demarcating the extent of the meager confine of land surrounding the tomb on the fourth. The only possible way of entering this fenced-in space if one wishes to observe the monument close and personal is by jumping over the fence along the dump yard side at the cost of spoiling one's shoes with muck and cow shit, or worse, tearing one's trousers on the barbed wires!

Silence and serenity - Bade Khan (left) and Chote Khan (right) ka Gumbad

Bade Khan – Chote Khan Tomb complex –

Coordinates: 28°34'23.7"N 77°13'11.6"E
The only facet of the identities of Bade Khan ("Big Khan") and Chote Khan ("Small Khan") apparent today is that they were eminent noblemen in Lodi regime and possibly shared a relationship amongst themselves such as that of father-son or teacher-pupil. It is contended that originally the three architecturally and artistically similar tombs of Bhure Khan, Bade Khan and Chote Khan were included within the same larger complex but have since become partitioned into two different complexes as a consequence of glaring blunders that Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) committed in an overzealous attempt at monument conservation whereby without any prior notification they demolished buildings constructed by a certain Nahata Group of Traders and Builders who had overtime come to own the crucial land between the tombs. Following this, the Nahata Group pressed legal charges against ASI demanding financial compensation for illegal demolition and the entire area has since been fenced in with barbed wires with notices put up threatening action against trespassers. Thankfully, the remaining plot has been beautifully maintained as a garden by the ASI and there are towering trees flanking the circumference, green grass carpeting the lawns and flowering shrubbery demarcating the walkways. Young children from nearby slums and construction sites run around playing games of their own making, a few walkers stroll around the walkways and the tombs function as majestic bedrooms for a few laborers and gardeners.

Exquisiteness personified - Stucco patterns, Chote Khan ka Gumbad

Though the better preserved Chote Khan ka Gumbad is kept grilled and locked most of the time, the friendly caretaker will instantaneously open it up if requested. Lavishly embellished with an extravagant layer of incised plasterwork patterns crafted into rows upon rows of intricate Quranic inscriptions and floral motifs, the cream-pink exquisite tomb is unarguably architecturally and artistically the most delightful of the lot traversed in this particular trail. The use of vibrant blue tiles along the facades, tapering turrets projecting along the tops of the rectangular embossments that frame the arched entrances, stone latticework ("jalis") to mark the two openings which do not function as entrance gateways (the fourth side functions in the capacity of a mihrab) and hexagonal "chattris" (umbrella domes surmounted on slender pillars) mounted on the corners of the roof contrasted against the massive perfectly designed dome lend further credence to the ornamental conception of the mesmerizing structure. Where mankind failed, further charm is added by nature in the form of colorful parakeets that flutter around the tomb's chattris and sides and sleepy-eyed owls that occasionally peep through their nest holes in the walls.

Inside, the arches engulfing the squinches, the curve of the entrances and the smaller decorative alcoves that fringe the base of the dome too are layered with stucco inscriptions. The sober red sandstone mihrab is exceedingly simplistic and yet undeniably touching while the impressive star pattern adorning the roof couldn't have been envisaged more gracefully. I'll let the photographs do the talking since words fail to convey the eminence of the alluring structure.

"Hey, look! What's that bespectacled guy with the camera trying to do?!"

Bade Khan's spectacularly prominent tomb, though irresistibly simplistic and covered only with red-brown stone rubble, is literally gigantic and has been externally conceived to appear triple-storied through the assistance of narrow arched alcoves and windows on different levels. The massive tomb packs numerous intriguing surprises such as the occasional blocks of singular sculpted stones bearing calligraphic inscriptions embedded within the walls relieving the continuous monotony, corbelled doorways crafted out of red sandstone lintels artistically carved to generate the appearance of arches, small chattris surrounding the colossal dominant dome, the use of detailed stone latticework to close off two of the entrances and most interestingly, ornamental semi-octagonal pillars ("pilasters") built within the walls along the corners – a feature that is unique to this particular tomb amongst all medieval structures in Delhi. The shallow dome rises from a sixteen-sided drum (base) whose each corner is marked by a slender tapering turret. The grand interiors are relatively better preserved and the plasterwork medallions, cobblestone floor, red sandstone mihrab, star pattern adorning the roof and the five large sarcophagi are all intact. The incised plaster medallion inside the star pattern, displaying collinear bands of inscriptions and floral and geometric motifs, is amazingly well preserved and fascinatingly intricate.

Notice the unique corner towers! - Bade Khan ka Gumbad

Darya Khan Lohani's Tomb –

Coordinates: 28°34'20.1"N 77°13'00.3"E
The contrast between the tombs of Mubarak Khan and Darya Khan couldn't have been more glaring. Constructed in a three-tiered setting, one of the most unusual, although grievously neglected, tombs in the city belongs to Darya Khan Lohani, the "Mir Adil" (Chief Justice) during the reigns of Sultan Bahlol Lodi (ruled AD 1451-89) and Sikandar Nizam Khan Lodi (ruled AD 1489-1517). It today functions as a forgotten and ignored traffic roundabout in Kidwai Nagar where it delineates the urban village setting of Kotla Mubarakpur from the exceedingly posh South Extension I. What can be said to constitute the tomb proper is raised from the surroundings by an immensely high square platform which possesses remains of circular bastions along the corners – rubble slopes continue to hinge the platform to the ground around on all sides, however it is deduced that along one of the sides originally existed a regal gateway which has since been reduced to rubble by nature's fury. One wonders how much of the irrevocable damage was heaved to the fragile monument by the enormous heat, noise and material pressure exerted by the annual Dussehra festivities that saw effigies of the demon lord Ravana being burnt in its immediate vicinity till a few years back!

Unusual and beckoning - Darya Khan Lohani's tomb

Upon this pedestal and exactly symmetrical with it is another comparatively smaller pedestal accessible via staircases on three sides and crowned on each corner by a domed twelve-pillared stone pavilion (chattri/barakhamba). In the center of this second pedestal lies a moderately high circular edifice (which presently acts as a site for the locals to sprinkle grain and sweets for the birds and insects which flock to it in hundreds every day) on which in an excessively simplistic grave enclosed in white marble sleeps Darya Khan in eternal slumber. Only one of the four square chattris survives in its entirety while the rest exist miserably in different stages of ruin – the interior surfaces of the domes were inscribed with floral medallions and handsome bands of calligraphy, possibly Quranic, but that couldn't save them from destruction, the pillars are thick, perfectly carved and thoroughly unblemished, the use of squinches to successively convert the square configuration to circular is immediately notable, kanguras (battlement-like ornamentation) decorate the proportionately high octagonal bases of the domes.

Amongst ruins, here lies Darya Khan, a powerful Afghan noble

Pigeons find resting space upon the large domes and underneath meet doting couples looking for a quiet cozy corner, laymen coveting some space to doze around or play cards and locals congregating to gossip. There have been attempts to landscape the upper platform with rows of palm trees extending alongside the sides and shrouds of grass carpeting the entire area. Ashoka trees reach out from the lowermost surface and, much to the pleasure of squirrels who like nothing more than hopping around, spread their wide, crinkled branches over the domed pavilions.

In view of full disclosure, I find these ruins more fascinating than the splendid whole.

It would be fitting to end this article with words drawn from R.V. Smith, my favorite chronicler of Delhi's history and monuments, reflecting upon the neglect and ignorance faced by these tombs in particular and almost all monuments in the country in general in terms of restoration-conservation and historic appreciation –

"The gumbads (domes) of Delhi are also repositories of history which, however, are not given the attention they deserve. Domes came into prominence during the Muslim period, though there certainly were domed buildings before that time, but Hindu temples and other edifices, by and large, lacked the finesse and excellence of the domes that came up later."

Symmetry, stars and medallions - Inside Chote Khan's mausoleum

Nearest Bus stop: South Ex. I
Nearest Metro station: AIIMS
How to reach: From the Ring Road, take the street beginning immediately besides Nalli Sarees or the Louis Philippe store and you will come across Kale Khan ka Gumbad after walking less than half a kilometer. Afterwards walk straight with your back to Ring Road and ask directions for Bade/Chote Khan ka Gumbad and the locals will direct you. Darya Khan Lohani's tomb is located in the middle of a roundabout known as Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Chowk near Kidwai Nagar market/post office.
Entrance fees: Nil
Photography/Video charges: Nil
Time required for sightseeing: 20-25 minutes per monument
Other trails in the city - 

1. Pixelated Memories - Lodi Road - Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium Trail 
2. Pixelated Memories - R.K. Puram Trail 

Suggested reading -

1. Timesofindia.indiatimes.com - Article "Heritage bylaw delay hits locals" (dated Mar 9, 2014) by Richi Verma
2. Timesofindia.indiatimes.com - Article "Lodi Tombs in South Extension stand divided" (dated June 29, 2012) by Richi Verma

R.K. Puram Trail, Delhi

Having visited all the major fortresses, regal tomb complexes and renowned shrines in Delhi, I wasn’t left with any sufficiently huge monument complex where I could cheerily spend an entire day (or at least, till the camera’s battery refused to go on anymore!) photographing, exploring and observing. Given that there are about 1300+ monuments scattered throughout Delhi, a majority in the unlikeliest of locations, it isn’t very difficult to hit upon heritage trails and filter out some groups of structures that stand individually isolated but in close enough vicinity to each other to be covered on foot in a few hours. One such trail is in R.K. Puram – now, R.K. Puram is a relatively well-off area, one of the few properly conceived, planned and executed localities in the city, and there are quite a few medieval tombs here sharing space with beautiful modern Hindu/Sikh temples, simplistic wall mosques and upcoming residential quarters – the last generating the well-documented urbanization pressure on the medieval structures and restricting most, if not all, of them to picturesque oases composed of small un/maintained garden tracts lost in a sea of humanity, commercial establishments, residential buildings and traffic-choked roadways.

Wazirpur Tomb Complex –

Huddled together - The five tombs at Wazirpur complex

Location: Sector– 5, R.K. Puram

Coordinates: (28.562767, 77.175042)

Wazipur Tomb complex, a congregation of Lodhi-era (AD 1451-1526) rubble-built structures located in R.K. Puram Sector –5 and nestled in an extremely small but beautifully landscaped green space consists of a cluster of five tombs the identity of whose occupants is unknown, two wall mosques (“qiblas”), a simplistic stepwell (“baoli”) (now) filled with rubble and garbage, an old well and a grave platform. One of the tombs here has been encroached upon by a family while the personalities buried in the rest are venerated by the local population who regularly leave behind reverential offerings – flowers, incense, earthen oil lamps (“diyas”) and sweets. The tombs are externally and internally exquisitely decorated with intricate stucco medallions skillfully crafted from plaster; the smaller wall mosque too has been ornamented with striking artwork and prettily niches, however the larger bears a rough rubble surface, unadorned and uneventfully executed. Surrounded by clusters of large trees – neem, ashoka, amaltas (Indian laburnum), arjun and frangipani, and inhabited by squirrels and several avian species like sparrows, pigeons and lapwings, the pristine little complex immediately proves endearing not because of the magnificent artwork or designs (which there aren't many), nor because of the superbly-maintained condition of the complex (which is only on paper), but because of the splendid silence and the charming serenity that it affords even to the most wretched of travelers and the most discerning of heritage enthusiasts. For further information, refer Pixelated Memories - Wazirpur Monument Complex

Munda Gumbad –

Munda Gumbad ("Bald Tomb") - A unique landmark on Delhi's cityscape

Location: Sector– 5, R.K. Puram

Coordinates: (28.561165, 77.178832)

A difficult find in the well-laid streets of R.K. Puram, the unbelievably massive but uncompleted tomb boasts of a slightly raised embossment in the center of its stone floor indicating the presence of a single grave deep underneath the high hillock on which it stands majestically. Located within a small square park immediately opposite the Kendriya Vidyalaya of the area, the huge tomb, with its unremarkably bare rubble walls that have been designed to give externally the semblance of a double-storied structure through the use of arched entrances, windows and ornamental niches, has been reduced to a miniature landfill by the nearby residents who dump polythene bags stuffed with domestic waste on a daily basis in the park and often alight fires to get rid of the excessive garbage. Peeping inside the tomb that has been identified to be a Lodi-era (AD 1451-1526) structure and watching the play of sunlight on the huge gaping hole that exists in place of the domed roof, one notices the employment of trabeate arches (stone ledges of gradually increasing sizes placed one over the other in ascending order to span space) for the wide doorways and squinch arches in the corners (to convert the square interiors into an octagonal and a sixteen-sided structure) to support the heavy dome and wonders why the handsome tomb was left incomplete – did the person who commissioned it face an unforeseen depletion of funds, or was there a change in the governance and the new administration looked down upon the person buried or the one who commissioned it, or perhaps some other calamity like a reign change or a miserable war? 

Locked away - Munda Gumbad interiors

One also wonders what would the tomb would have looked like if it were completed – the present structure betrays the conceiving of a gigantic dome resting on a sixteen-sided drum (base) and a filled up western wall that would have acted as a mihrab (wall faced by the devout while offering Namaz prayers since it indicates the direction of Mecca) – would the mihrab have been as wonderfully decorated with white marble, red sandstone and plasterwork as in several other monuments throughout the city, would the dome’s concave surface boast of stunning artwork in incised plaster, or would the walls have displayed a stone or plaster finish with an endearing use of eye-opening medallions and perhaps stone inlay work? The gentle, isolated giant of a tomb raises more questions than it answers – wish at least the locals could answer correctly about its location instead of making a seeker go around in circles!

Sri Venkateswara Balaji Mandir –

Location: Sector– 3, R.K. Puram

Coordinates: (28.558154, 77.181519)

At a slight walk from Munda Gumbad stands one of the finest temples in Delhi – boasting of an array of excellent sculptures depicting mythological and mythical entities, the Sri Venkateswara temple has been built according to traditional Hindu architectural practices and is detailed with design motifs and religious symbolism that is a landmark of South Indian temple construction. Apart from the lofty trapezoidal-pyramidal central shrine (“Gopuram”), passer-bys are also lured in the Vaishnavite temple complex by the numerous Garuda statues that mark the temple complex’s periphery walls – Garuda, a mythical being considered to be the steed of Lord Vishnu (the Hindu God of life and nourishment) is often depicted as a semi-bird, semi-human creature with a beak-like curved nose and huge, powerful wings. 

Sculptural extravaganza - Sri Venkateswara Temple

It is difficult convincing the priests and mendicants residing within to allow photography and even when the managing committee representative yields permission, clicking within the sanctum is out of question – anyway the temple remains locked in the afternoon and opens only in mornings and evenings, so I wasn’t even expecting the priests to open the sanctum for me. The singularly impressive sculptures that adorn the high soaring, pyramidal roof of the temple are unparalleled and display an impeccable diversity in terms of the figures represented and their features. There are several smaller shrines too within the complex, each topped by a slightly domed-roof done up with cross-patching patterns and also ornamented with divine figurines but the most common deity remained the Garuda that could be seen seated atop each small shrine along the front corners. The temple has been commissioned and is being maintained by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), an organization that also maintains several other temples throughout the country including the renowned Tirumala Venkateswara temple of Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh), and is dedicated to Lord Sri Venkateswara Swami (an incarnation of Lord Vishnu) and his consorts Bhumi Devi (Mother Earth Goddess and personification of fertility) and Laxmi (Hindu Goddess of wealth, beauty, prosperity and happiness). 

The entire pantheon consisting of the Lord and his consorts, guards and devotees, amidst religious symbolism and traditional motifs

Spread over 1.2 acres and built at the cost of 11.5 crores (115 million) rupees in 1979 on land granted by the government (renovated in 1994 and 2008), the majestic temple also consists of a “Nata Mandir” (music and dance hall) and a “Dhyan Mandir” (meditation hall). Through the exquisiteness of its rich idols and the unmatched skill that went into its fine construction, the temple has definitely found its way into my list of the must-visit shrines in the city, even though I too came across it without any planning or inclination – now am even hoping to take my mom there the next time we pass that way!

Bijri Khan’s Tomb –

Location: Sector– 3, R.K. Puram

Coordinates: (28.558578, 77.181717)

Seated on its immensely raised platform like a rippling warlord and overlooking the continuous flow of traffic whizzing around it, Bijri Khan’s impressive tomb is perhaps the most massive “unknown” tomb I’ve ever come across in Delhi – built at an unprecedented scale and conveying a sense of uninhibited strength and fortitude, the gigantic tomb cradles in its huge bosom five simplistic, unmarked and unadorned cenotaphs. In the news in the recent past for all the wrong reasons – having been ignored by the authorities, standing in a miserable state in a forlorn corner of its own with its ornamentation lost due to the vagaries of time and nature, scaled on one side by a slum settlement and forgotten by most heritage and monument enthusiasts, the tomb saw a flicker of better days when it was “restored” (in reality only plastered over on the insides and landscaped around the plinth level) thanks to the Commonwealth Games held in Delhi in the December of 2010, only to revert to its original isolated and uncared for condition – the slum still exists and it is quite a feat to find your way from the slum side to the tomb, on the other side is a palm reader’s shack while a wide road runs along the front face. 

Enormity exemplified! - Bijri Khan's simplistic but humongous tomb

An iron gate bars visitor entry to the tomb enclosure but the guard quickly appeared after I shouted for him couple of times, and though he reluctantly let me in when I stubbornly refused to go away and brandished knowledge of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) maintained monuments and laws, he became visibly agitated when I started clicking the structure claiming that he is not even allowed to let in people (yes, even those with genuine credentials), leave aside photography! Why, ASI why? Stepping through the gate and up the steps leading to the plinth, one is greeted by the sight of the guard’s innerwear drying on a clothesline – apart from that and the expensive illumination systems that appeared to have been perennially covered with a layer of mud, the tomb appears in a relatively well-off condition – even the interiors were spic and the plinth area was immaculately clean of debris and garbage unlike several monuments I already encountered on this trail. Sadly, the guard did not budge at all at the prospect of me heading upstairs to the tomb’s dome level and clicking – it would have been excellent to see that gigantic dome up close – in fact following this simple question, he began trailing me like a shadow lest I do something unpardonable, like perhaps clicking the other person who was snoring within the tomb’s precincts – how did he get permission to get in when others can’t?

Bijri Khan's tomb and its dwarf companion

There are no literary records available to indicate who Bijri Khan was – in all probability a very skilled military general or an extremely powerful noble – and why did he command such intimidating respect to deserve this giant tomb, but whosoever he was, he is extremely fortunate in death to have an ASI guard and then too such a diligent one – after all, there are literally hundreds of monuments decaying around Delhi’s ancient landscape! Along one side of the tomb, stands a very small structure, more of a "gumti" (little, domed room) than a tomb proper – though there is no grave within nor any other sign of identification or erstwhile adornment, it is conjectured that the structure functions in the capacity of a tomb – to whom it belongs is yet another mystery, perhaps to a servant or slave to Bijri Khan, or even to his favorite dog (yes, Delhi has its fair share of such inconceivable structures too!). Interestingly, if one is observant enough, one can spot a few signs of the original ornamentation along the front face, like a band of red sandstone chiseled to represent a line of geometrical flowers, besides the usual thick stone pillars carved up to create trabeated arches inspired by Hindu design motifs like auspicious vases and banana leaves that mark the entrances. It is hard not to be impressed by the enormity of the structure when even the red sandstone finial crowning the grand dome seems to convey a sense of superiority. Interestingly, the British, when they came to call the shots in the country, refused to be overawed by the tomb’s grandeur and converted it and the miniature gumti alongside too into fodder stores!

Somber bedroom - Bijri Khan's tomb interiors

Nearest Bus stop: R.K. Puram NAB (400 meters away)
Nearest Metro Station: AIIMS (5 kilometers away)
How to reach: Since the area doesn't lie on any existing metro line and the nearest metro station is actually very far, it is suggested to take a bus to R.K. Puram. Start at Wazirpur complex (refer Pixelated Memories - Wazirpur Monument Complex) and from there ask for Kendriya Vidyalaya school – Munda Gumbad is located opposite the school building. From here, proceed to R.K. Puram Sector– 3 bus stop – Bijri Khan's tomb is immediately at the bus stop, while Sri Venkateswara temple is a couple of meters away in one of the streets close to Bijri Khan's tomb.
Entrance fees: Nil
Photography/Video charges: Nil

Time required for sightseeing: Wazipur complex: 45 min; Munda Gumbad: 20 min; Sri Venkateswara temple: 30 min; Bijri Khan's tomb: 20 min.
Suggested reading - 

1. Incredibleindiaphotogallery.com - Illuminated Delhi monuments >> Tomb of Bijri Khan
2. Newindianexpress.com - Article "Lord Balaji temple opened in Delhi" (dated May 30, 2013)
3. Thehindu.com - Article "250 monuments identified for conservation" (dated Oct 13, 2010)
4. Thuglak.com - Article "Between slum and public toilet, a monument lies neglected" (dated July 12, 2009)
5. Timesofindia.indiatimes.com - Article "Bijri Khan's tomb lies in shambles" (dated May 23, 2004) by Arundhati Basu