{"id":758,"date":"2014-01-26T15:21:00","date_gmt":"2014-01-26T20:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/svetanyc.com\/?p=758"},"modified":"2015-08-15T22:06:13","modified_gmt":"2015-08-16T02:06:13","slug":"delhi-india-january-2014","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/192.168.2.119:1984\/svetanyc\/2014\/01\/delhi-india-january-2014\/","title":{"rendered":"Delhi, India. January 2014"},"content":{"rendered":"

January 19, 2014<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sunil and I left Mandawa<\/a> in the morning, shortly after the breakfast. After 16 days in Rajasthan<\/a> and 35 days in India<\/a>, it was my\u00a0final road trip before reaching Delhi<\/a>. Despite all the extremes that happened to me in Rajasthan, I\u00a0made\u00a0a right decision to come there and see with my own eyes this beautiful land of incredible scenery and rich history, learn about half-dozen of ancient kingdoms still co-existing within the Union of India, visit extravagant palaces and hear the secrets of zenana, witness the sunrises in Thar desert<\/a> and spend a night on camel safari<\/a>. At times, I felt exhausted to\u00a0constantly look over my shoulder and try to remain safe and sane, but mostly, I enjoyed my experience. Waiving goodbyes to Rajasthan, I was finally driving back to where I started – New Delhi, to the comfortable home of Varun and familiar faces of my Oxonian friends.<\/p>\n

The trip was uneventful, after 3-4 hours we reached Delhi and Sunil took me to the Kalka Travel<\/a>‘s office to finally meet the owner of the agency and to pay my balance. After all formalities were done, Sunil drove me to Safdarjung Enclave where I was staying at my friend’s family home. It was an evening full of lengthy travel stories on my behalf and lots of listening on Varun’s. I finally felt safe and I looked forward to spending 5 more days in Delhi before taking off to New York<\/a>.<\/p>\n

January 20, 2014<\/strong><\/p>\n

For the history of Delhi, please refer to this link<\/a>\u00a0–\u00a0my first post about Delhi. For many people, Delhi is the first stop in India and they rush to leave it for Agra<\/a> or Varanasi<\/a>, however, Delhi is a remarkabe megapolis with 7 distinctive threads of history woven in the fabric of the city. After reading the history of Delhi and especially book by William Dalrymple “City of Djinns: A Year in Delhi”<\/a>, I realized that it would be a great opportunity to stay there for more than a few days and explore every nook and cranny of it. I compiled a list of 14 “must see” things and while spicing them up with some unexpected stops and diversions, embarked on my quest of Delhi.<\/p>\n

Varun’s mom, lovely Seema, allowed me to borrow their car with a driver for a day, so I could get acquainted with the city in comfort. First, I headed to Old town<\/a> to pay my respect to the person whose name just as tightly associated with India as India’s with his – Mahatma Gandhi<\/a>. I drove to Raj Ghat<\/a>. Located just south of the Red Fort<\/a>, originally it was a name of a historic ghat of Shahjahanabad<\/a> on the bank of Yamuna river<\/a>, next to where\u00a0the Raj Ghat Gate of the walled city used to stand. Entrance was free and in order to enter I had to remove my shoes. \u00a0An\u00a0attendant tried to scam me by demanding money for shoe storage, however, I just placed them on a rack on the opposite side from him\u00a0and entered the site\u00a0accompanied by his angry screams.<\/p>\n

Manicured lawns and well maintained stone paths covered with green carpets made this place look serene and I guess, this is what the architects of the memorial hoped for – to put the father of the nation in tranquil and beautiful place in the heart of Delhi. A black marble platform with an eternal fire marks the spot where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated a day after his assassination on 31 January 1948. It is inscribed with what are said to have been Gandhi’s final words “Hai Ram” (“Oh, God”). Gladly, there weren’t a lot of visitors, so I enjoyed the memorial in peace. On the way back, I was afraid not to find my shoes, but they were exactly where I left them.<\/p>\n

\"DSC_8822\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Then, despite Seema’s advice not to visit the market today, we drove to Chandni Chowk<\/a> where the driver dropped me off. If I were to see the largest\u00a0and most famous market in India, I had to go for the full-on Indian experience on the busiest day of the week – Monday. Chandni Chowk, or the Moonlight Square, was designed and established by Princess Jahanara<\/a>, Shah Jahan<\/a>\u2019s favorite daughter, in 1650 B.C. and was once the grandest of the markets in India (in fact, the Mughal<\/a> imperial processions used to pass through it).\u00a0The bazaar, shaped as a square, was given further elegance by the presence of a pool in the centre of the complex, which didn’t survive to present times. The pool shimmered in the moonlight hence the name “Moonlight square” (another theory – the bazaar was famous for its silver merchants and was referred to as Chandi in Hindu).\u00a0The shops of the complex were originally built in a half-moon shaped pattern, which is lost today too.<\/p>\n

Today,\u00a0Chandni Chowk is Delhi’s main thoroughfare – chaotic, dirty, non-disciplined, packed with small shops and stalls, crowded with sellers, lookers and hawkers. Sarees, jewelry, wedding gowns, ice-cream, shoes, fabrics etc. The market lives and spreads through the network of twisting alleys but unfortunately, it doesn’t offer the medieval bazaar experience\u00a0of the time of Shah Jahan.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_8633\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Somewhere in the middle of Chandni Chowk I saw a beautiful building of the Sikh Temple – Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib<\/a>. It is one of the nine historical gurdwaras in Delhi, established in 1783 by Baghel Singh<\/a> to commemorate the martyrdom site of the ninth Sikh Guru, Tegh Bahadur<\/a> who was beheaded there on the orders of Aurangzeb<\/a> on 11 November 1675 for refusing to convert to Islam<\/a>. \u00a0Before Guru Tegh’s body could be quartered and exposed to public view, one of his disciples, Lakhi Shah Vanjara<\/a>, stole it and burnt his house to cremate the Guru’s body (this place is Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib<\/a>). The severed head (“sis” in Punjabi) of Guru was brought to Anandpur Sahib<\/a> in Punjab<\/a> by another disciple, Bhai Jaita<\/a> where it was cremated by the Guru’s son, Gobind Rai<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_8642\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Story goes that on 11 March 1783, Sikh military leader Baghel Singh<\/a>\u00a0marched into Delhi along with his army. He occupied the Diwan-i-Am<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0the Mughal emperor Shah Alam II<\/a>\u00a0agreed to allow Baghel Singh to raise gurdwaras on Sikh historical sites in the city and receive six annas in a rupee (37.5%) of all the octroi duties in the capital. Sis Ganj was one of shrines built by him, within the space of eight months, from April to November 1783. However, due to volatile political climate in the 19th century, the site alternated between being a mosque and a gurdwara which caused dispute between two communities. Eventually, the Privy Council during British Raj<\/a> ruled in the favor of the Sikh and the present structure was added in 1930, gold guild of the domes was added in the coming years. The trunk of the tree under which the Guru was beheaded is also preserved here along with\u00a0the well from which he took bath while in prison. Also, adjoined to gurdwara is the Kotwali (police station), where Guru was imprisoned and tortured. Now Katwali serves as Langar<\/a> (free kitchen) and Sarai (accommodation for pilgrims).<\/p>\n

I removed and deposited my shoes (free) before entering the Temple. Visitors were washing their hands and feet and water was running down the road in all directions, so I had to walk barefoot through the puddle of water for about 20 meters. Inside the Gurdwara I covered my head and shoulders and stepped into a different world. The prayer’s hall was phenomenal, covered with white marble, crystal chandeliers, carpets and red flowers. It was quiet with not lots of visitors, so I sat in the corner and let my eyes explore this beautiful place.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_8617\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I am not familiar with Sikh traditions but it looked like I entered in the middle of a ceremony conducted by a man sitting next to a covered throne, right in front of a poshly decorated tomb or mausoleum. People kept getting up and coming to this man while he continued to sing or recite something in a melodic manner. It was quiet and relaxed, nobody paid any attention to me. I discreetly took a few pictures and ascended to the second level which provided me with even better views of the temple. I wish I could stay there longer but I had more things to explore.<\/p>\n

\"DSC_8829\"<\/a><\/p>\n

After leaving the Temple, I unsuccessfully tried to reach my driver to come and pick me up, so I simply took a tuk-tuk (I became more familiar and comfortable negotiating the prices with drivers of “never-in-order meters”). Since I still had a full day, I asked him to take me to Lakshmi Narayan Temple<\/a> also known as Birla Mandir.<\/p>\n

It is a Hindu<\/a> temple dedicated to Laxminarayan<\/a> (usually refers to Vishnu<\/a> Preserver when he is with his consort Lakshmi<\/a>). Its construction started in 1933 by industrialist and philanthropist Baldeo Das Birla<\/a> and his son Jugal Kishore Birla<\/a> and the foundation stone was laid by Maharaj Udaybhanu Singh<\/a>. The temple was built in the northern Nagara style<\/a> under the supervision of famous Acharya Vishvanath Shastri who brought with him more than hundred skilled artisans from Varanasi. In 1939, the completed temple was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi who requested it to be open not only to the Hindus but to people of every cast, hence the sign on the gate says “Everyone is Welcome”.\u00a0\"DSC_8842\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The temple faces the East and is situated on a high plinth. It spreads over 7.5 acred and is adorned with many shrines, fountains, large garden and cascading waterfalls. The entire temple is decorated with Jaipur<\/a> marble carvings depicting the scenes from Hindu mythology<\/a>\u00a0and the highest shikhara<\/a> above the sanctum sanctorum<\/a> rises 160 feet high. The main temple houses statues of Lord Narayan<\/a> and goddess Lakshmi, while the side shrines are dedicated to Shiva<\/a>, Krishna<\/a>, Ganesha<\/a>, Hanuman<\/a> and Lord Buddha<\/a>. The left temple’s shikhar houses Devi<\/a> Durga, the Hindu goddess of Shakti<\/a>, the power.<\/p>\n

Even though it is a large temple surrounded by many little temples, it took me only 30 minutes to see everything (maybe because they didn’t allow any pictures inside – backpacks and shoes must be deposited in a special room for free). I don’t think it is the most beautiful Hindu temple I’ve ever seen but it was the most organized one, they even had signs in English, explaining one or another Hindu deity<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_8651\"<\/a><\/p>\n

From there, I walked to another Sikh place -a beautiful wedding cake-like Gurdwara Bangla Sahib<\/a>. I had a list of places to see, but without planning, I ended up visiting lots of Sikh’s places in one day. Gurdwara was originally a bungalow belonging to Raja Jai Singh<\/a>, a ruler of Amber<\/a>, and was known as Jaisinghpura Palace<\/a>. The eight Sikh Guru, Har Krishan Dev<\/a>, resided there in 1664. During that time, there was a smallpox and cholera epidemic, so a 6 y.o. Guru, despite his tender years, tended to victims by giving aid and fresh water from the well at the house. Soon he too contracted the disease and eventually died on 30 March 1664. Raja Jai Singh constructed a small pond “Sarovar”\u00a0over the well and now its water “Amrita”<\/a> is revered to have healing properties. The temple itself, along with 8 others, was first built by the the\u00a0General Sardar Bhagel Singh in 1783 with an agreement of Mughal emperor Shah Alam II. Currently, the Gurdwara is a place of great reverence and pilgrimage for Sikhs who flock here at all hours.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_8667\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Shoeless (free to deposit) and with a mandatory covered head, I entered the beautiful Gurdwara. The premises include the temple, a kitchen, Sarovar (holy pond), a school and an art gallery. Every Sikh Gurdwara practices the concept of langar – all people regardless of race or religion are invited to dine in the Gurdwara kitchens (langar halls) for free.The food is prepared by gursikhs<\/a> who work there but also by volunteers.\u00a0I was offered to join langar several times while I was inside, but because I was very cautions in regards to food, I declined the invitation and never got to experience the langar.<\/p>\n

I didn’t go inside the temple but instead slowly walked around Sarovar, repeating the rituals that sikhs performed – washing my hands in the water, circumambulating the pond and enjoying this beautiful site. I am not sure if the water was clean but it was definitely\u00a0full\u00a0of fish.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_8662\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I spent about an hour in Durgwara and could possibly spend a whole day, it is just a wonderful, peaceful, stunning place to be at.<\/p>\n

\"DSC_8862\"<\/a><\/p>\n

After leaving the Gurdwara, I leisurely strolled (1 km) towards Janta Mantar<\/a> (literally meaning “abracadabra” in Hindi<\/a>). It was another popular place in Delhi that I wanted to visit. Jantar Mantar in Delhi is one of five observatories in west-central India built by the Rajput<\/a> king of Amber<\/a> & Jaipur<\/a>, but also scientist and astronomer, Jai Singh II<\/a>. Other four are in Mathura<\/a>, Varanasi, Ujjain<\/a> and Jaipur (click here<\/a>\u00a0to read my review of Jantar Mantar in Jaipur). Its construction started in 1724 and presently it consists of 13 architectural astronomy instruments that were built by an order of the Mughal emperor Muhammad Shad<\/a> to revise the calendar and astronomical tables, to be able to predict the times and movements of the sun, moon and planets.<\/p>\n

\"DSC_8881\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The four main yantras (Samrat, Jai Prakash, Ram and Misra) are housed in six structures. The Mistra yantra believed to have been constructed after Jai Singh II death by his son, Maharaja Madho Singh<\/a> (1751-1768). They say that by 1867, most structures considerably decayed but were beautifully repaired and restored back to life. Unlike the Janta Mantar of Jaipur, which is still in working condition and frequently utilized by scientists, the Delhi’s one is just another touristic site to see and explore.<\/p>\n

After paying Rs.100, I walked into the observatory. Jantar Mantar in Delhi occupies much larger space than the one in Jaipur, that is why, no matter how many people are inside, it still feels spacious and pretty empty. In addition, I guess Monday isn’t their busiest day (I suspect everyone was shopping at the Chandni Chowk), there were no more than 10 tourists and about 30 Indian visitors inside.<\/p>\n

The first astronomy instrument located to the right from the entrance is Misra Yantra<\/a> or “composite yantra” consisting of five different instruments – Dakshinottara Bhitti, Samrat (in two halves), Niyat Chakra, Karka Rasivalaya and the Western Quadrant. Misra Yantra was designed as a tool to determine the shortest and longest days of the year. Quite remarkable, it could also indicate the exact moment of moon in various cities and locations regardless of their distance from Delhi. In a sense, it is a unique instrument, since it was the only one not invented by Jai Singh II.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_8694\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Dakshinottara Bhitti<\/a> (also built in 4 other observatories) was a modified version of the portable meridian dial present in Greek, Arabic, Hindu and European systems of astronomy. It is a graduated semicircle structure located on the easter wall and its purpose is to measure the meridian altitude of a celestial object, particularly altitude of the sun.<\/p>\n

The Niyat Chakra or “Fixed Arc” is in the center of Misra Yantra and consists of four semicircular scales on either side of a central gnomon<\/a>. The scales are inclined to the meridian place at different degrees and serve to measure the declination of an object at intervals of a few hours as the object moves from east to west in the sky during the period of the day. The Niyats are meant to duplicate the readings for the meridian arcs at four different locations on the globe: Notkey in\u00a0Japan<\/a>, Serichew in Pic Islands, Zurich<\/a> in Switzerland<\/a> and Greenwich<\/a> in England<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Karka Rasivalaya<\/a> or “Circle of the Sight of Cancer” consists of large graduate semicircle marked on the northern wall of the Misra Yantra. This wall is inclined to the vertical at angle of about 5\u00b0 and is parallel to the plane of the tropic of cancer. On 21 June, when the sun is at the tropic of cancer, its rays graze the instrument at noon. Its purpose is to measure (to the nearest minute of an arc) the longitude of a celestial object, such as the moon at the moment when the first point of the sign of cancer is on the meridian.<\/p>\n

The Samrat Yantra of Misra Yantra is constructed in two halves so it could be\u00a0used before and after the noon hour. Its function is to determine the local time.<\/p>\n

The taller Western Quadrant was sometimes identified as an Agra or amplitude instrument to measure the latitude and longitude of a celestial object every 24 hours.<\/p>\n

Next was Samrat Yantra<\/a> or “Supreme Instrument” – a giant triangle that is basically an equal hour sundial. It is 20.73 m\u00a0high, 38.10 m long at the base and 3 m thick. It has a 39 m hypotenuse that is parallel to the Earth’s axis and points toward the North pole making an angle of 28\u00b037′ with the horizon, equal to the latitude of Delhi. On either side of the triangle is a quadrant representing the plane of the equator with graduation indicating hours, minutes and seconds. The time at a given moment is read by the shadow of the inclined wall (gnomon) on the quadrants. \u00a0At the time of the Samrat Yantra’s construction, sundials already existed, but the Supreme Instrument turned the basic sundials into a precision tool for measuring declination and other related coordinates of various celestial bodies. The chamber in its Eastern quadrant contains another instrument – the Shasthamsa Yantra.<\/p>\n

\"DSC_8880\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Shasthamsa or “Sextant Instrument” is unique to the Delhi and Jaipur observatories and is regarded to be the Jai Singh II’s high precision instrument which measures the declination, zenith distance\u00a0and the diameter of the sun. This Yantra consists of a large graduated 60\u00b0 arc built in the plane of a meridian within a dark chamber hight above the arc. A pinhole near the top of the chamber\u00a0is left open to read the\u00a0declination of the sun when it\u00a0passes through the meridian and shines on the arc through the pinhole.<\/p>\n

Another interesting instrument, named after Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, used to measure the coordinates (azimuth and altitude) of the celestial objects, local time and other zodiac observations is Jai Prakash Yantra<\/a> or “Light of Jai”. It consists of two hollowed out hemispheres, 6.33 m long, built into the ground and represents a complete hemisphere. The hemisphere has various scales marked on the concave surfaces, including \u00a0the circles of the signs of the Zodiac. The areas between alternate hour circle in the two hemispheres were replaced by steps in order to read the scale markings. The position of the sun was indicated by the shadow of the cross wires that were stretched across the yantra from North-South and East-West.<\/p>\n

\"DSC_8889\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Ram Yantra<\/a>, named after Raja Ram Singh<\/a>, was Jai Singh II’s invention and is known to have no duplicates in the world. The hight of the walls and the pillar is equal to the internal radius of the building – 7.51 m. The floor is divided into 30 sectors raised on 0.91 m high supports which help observation. The sectors and their intervening open spaces measure 6\u00b0 degrees each, thus making a full circle of 360\u00b0. Its function was to measure the horizontal (azimuth) and vertical (altitude) angles of celestial bodies, such as the sun and the moon.<\/p>\n

It is a cylindrical instrument, consisting of the two large building open to the sky. The building are complementary to each other and each represents a circular wall surrounding a central pillar. The walls, floor and pillar have scales marked on them. The wall sections correspond to the floor markings and contain notches to place sighting bars. The horizontal sectors are used to\u00a0measure the angle of azimuth for objects with zenith distance less than 45\u00b0 and the scales on the walls are used for objects with zenith distance greater than 45\u00b0.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_8708\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"DSC_8890\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Jantar Mantar is an interesting place to discover, especially if you have a guide or know what you are looking at. Otherwise, it resembles\u00a0an enormous park filled with the gigantic abstract sculptures belonging more to a Museum of Modern Art then to science. I spent about an hour there, walking around but mostly interacting with a gang of homeless children who came to beg but then got carried away by the stuff I pulled out of my backpack – little trinkets, chocolate and beautiful hair ribbons for the smallest and only girl in the group. We developed some sort of communication, without speaking a word in each other’s language and I felt sad to leave, and so did they, I\u00a0think.<\/p>\n

At the exit, I saw\u00a0a hundred missed calls from my driver. Apparently, he was in a basement with his friends when I tried to reach him from Chandni Chowk, but when Seema and Varun called him later to check on me, he didn’t know where I was. When I reached him, he told me to wait at Jantar Mantar till he comes to pick me up. I was actually going to see the last place of the day – Agrasen ki Baoli<\/a>, which was about 5 minutes walk from the observatory. I should have done it because the driver arrived 45 minutes later and then got lost looking for the baoli. By the time we arrive, the baoli was about to close but I asked an attendant to let me in for 5 minutes.<\/p>\n

\"DSC_8907\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Agrasen ki Baoli (also known as Ugrasen ki Baoli) is\u00a0a protected monument by the Archeological Survey of India<\/a>. A stepwell (baoli) is an underground structure for the water storage mainly constructed to cope with seasonal fluctuations in water availability.\u00a0Although there are no known\u00a0historical records<\/a> to prove who built Agrasen ki Baoli, it is believed that it was originally built by the legendary king Agrasen<\/a>\u00a0during the Mahabharat<\/a> epic era\u00a0and rebuilt in the 14th century by the\u00a0Agrawal<\/a> community which traces its origin to Maharaja Agrasen. The architectural features of this Baoli resemble those of the late Tughlaq<\/a> or Lodi<\/a> period.<\/p>\n

It is 60 m long and 15 m wide and is among a few of its kind in Delhi. Built with rubble and dressed stones, the main feature of the structure is the long flight of steps leading down to the steep well situated in the north. Some parts of the well, with 103 steps, are permanently immersed in water. The visible parts of this historical stepwell consist of three levels. Each level is lined with arched niches on both sides.\u00a0Regarding the name Agrasen Ki Baoli<\/i> it should be stated that in 1132 AD an Agrawal<\/a> poet named Vibudh Shridhar<\/a>\u00a0mentions, in his work Pasanahacariu, a wealthy and influential Agrawal merchant of Dhilli named\u00a0Nattal Sahu<\/a> who was also a minister\u00a0in the court of King Anang Pal III. Rebuilding the old Agrasen Ki Baoli would have been within the means of a well established and wealthy Agrawal community during the 14th century.<\/p>\n

On the west is a small mosque with three openings. Raised on a solid platform with underground dalans<\/a> on the sides, it has a “whaleback” roof<\/a> and pillared columns of red sandstone carved with “Chaitya<\/a> motifs and stucco medallions” in spandrels, which makes it a distinct structure.<\/p>\n

I truly wish I had more time to spend in this atmospheric place and hang out on the steps with a bunch of other young couples, but it was closing at 6 pm.<\/p>\n

It was getting dark, so the driver took me back home to Safdarjung Enclave via the eastern end of Rajpath<\/a> and by 42 m-high India Gate<\/a>. In a few days (26 January) India was getting ready to celebrate its Independence Day<\/a>, so the roads were closed for public and traffic was horrendous.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_0570\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Wow, what a great but tiring day I had! There was nothing better than to spent the evening at home, in a lovely company of Seema and Varun.<\/p>\n

January 21, 2014<\/strong><\/p>\n

Unlike the day prior, Tuesday turned out to be foggy, cold and wet. Luckily, it wasn’t raining, but equipped with an umbrella, I was ready to embark on yet another journey around Delhi. Varun, on his way to work, kindly dropped me off at my first pit-stop – Safdarjung’s Tomb<\/a>. Unexpectedly, on my trip to India I’ve seen more tombs then ever in my entire life.<\/p>\n

\"DSC_8932\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This magnificent marble mausoleum, built in 1754 in the late Mughal Empire style<\/a>, holds a body not of an Emperor but a very rich and powerful Vizier. The story goes that Mirza Muqim Abul Mansur Khan, who was popularly known as Safdarjung<\/a>, was a ruler of Awadh<\/a> as viceroy of\u00a0Muhammad Shah<\/a>. After the\u00a0death of Emperor, he moved to Delhi and upon Ahmed Shah Bahadur<\/a> ascendance to the throne in 1748, Safdarjung was made the Chief Minister (Vizier<\/a>) of the empire with the title of Wazir ul-Mamalk-i-Hindustan.<\/p>\n

Since the Emperor was just a figurehead, who enjoyed wine, women and opium more than running a state, Vizier had taken all powers under his control. Unavoidably, his abuse of power provoked the Emperor\u2019s family to call their Hindu Maratha confederacy<\/a>\u00a0for help to get rid of Vizier. A civil strife ensued and eventually in 1753 Safdarjung was driven out of Delhi.\u00a0After his death, just a year later, his son Nawab Shujaud Daula<\/a>\u00a0pleaded with the Mughal Emperor to permit him to erect a tomb for his father in Delhi. He then built the mausoleum, designed by an Abyssinian<\/a>\u00a0architect, that became both, a site of ridicule and a site of praise. In my opinion, lack of proportions and use of poor material (sandstone in comparison to marble) couldn’t take neither significance nor grandeur away from this structure. As one of the last projects completed during the Mughal rule, Safdarjung’s Tomb is often described as “the last flicker in the lamp of Mughal architecture<\/a>“.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_8741\"<\/a><\/p>\n

After paying Rs.100, I was allowed to enter the premises of the mausoleum. As every other Mughal tomb in India, whether it is small or large (except for the tomb of Aurangzeb in Aurangabad<\/a>), it is never about the actual tomb, which, on most occasions, is located underground and invisible to visitors. It is about the lushness of gardens, the superiority of architecture, the splendor of fountains, the presence of supporting buildings such as palaces, mosques, libraries and so on. Taj Mahal might have set a very high bar, but there are so many wonderfully designed and executed buildings of Mughal period in India. The Safdarjung’s Tomb is no exception.\u00a0The tomb has four key features – the garden with the mausoleum at the center, a ninefold floor plan, five part fa\u00e7ade and a large podium with a hidden stairway.<\/p>\n

The main (eastern) entry gate to the tomb is a two storied building with a very elaborate purple fa\u00e7ade decorated with the ornaments over plastered surfaces. There is an inscription in Arabic<\/a>\u00a0that translates\u00a0\u201cWhen the hero of plain bravery departs from the transitory, may he become a resident of god\u2019s paradise\u201d. The rear side of the eastern gate, which is seen after entering through the gate, hosts many rooms and the library. To the right of the gate is a three-domed mosque marked with stripes.<\/p>\n

After passing through the main gate of the complex, I entered the\u00a0charbagh<\/a>-styled\u00a0<\/i>garden which occupies 274.2\u00a0m2<\/sup>\u00a0and has a lay out in the form of four subdivided squares with wide foot paths and water tanks.\u00a0 One channel leads to the entrance gate and the others lead to the three pavilions – western Jangli Mahal (Palace in the forest), northern Moti Mahal (Pearl Palace) and southern Badshah Pasand (King’s favorite). Nawab\u2019s family used to reside in these pavilions.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_8752\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Entering through the main gate gives a perfect view of the mausoleum which was built on the podium 50 m long on each side. Red and buff stones were\u00a0used to build the main mausoleum and its dome which is 28 m2<\/sup>. The central chamber, square in shape, has eight partitions with a cenotaph<\/a> in the middle. The interior of the tomb is covered with a decorated \u00a0rococo plaster<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0Four polygonal towers with marble panels and decorated arches\u00a0surround\u00a0the main tomb at the corners. \u00a0Underneath the cenotaph is an underground chamber which houses the actual graves of Safdrjung and his wife.<\/p>\n

\"DSC_8921\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Interestingly, to the south of this tomb is the historic site of the battle that was fought in 1386 between Timur of Mangol<\/a> and Mohammed Tughlaq<\/a> when the latter was defeated.<\/p>\n

I spent over an hour at the Safdarjung’s Tomb and it was well worth it; my next pit-stop was only\u00a0a few minutes walk from the Tomb – Lodi Gardens<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_8781\"<\/p>\n

Spread over 360,000 m\u00b2, this park in the heart of New Delhi is a place of stroll, meditation, yoga, picnics, power-talks, making-up, everything that can happen in a busy city’s quiet garden. In addition, Lodi Gardens is also a place of Delhi’s oldest architectural heritage. It witnessed the rise and fall of three different dynasties – Sayyid<\/a>, Lodi<\/a>\u00a0and Mughal<\/a>,\u00a0contains architectural works of the 15th century such as Sheesh Gumbad<\/a> and Bara Gumbad<\/a> and serves as the last resting place to two\u00a0leaders –\u00a0\u00a0Mohammed Shah<\/a> and Sikandar Lodi<\/a>. As there is little architecture from these periods remains in India, it was the best\u00a0place for me to explore.<\/p>\n

I entered the Lodi Gardens from Lodi Road and appeared right next to the oldest and most remarkable monuments of the park – The Mohammed Shah Tomb.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"IMG_8779\"<\/p>\n

The Tomb is visible from the road and is the earliest structure in the gardens built in 1444 by Ala-ud-din Alam Shah<\/a> as a tribute to the Sayyid dynasty ruler Mohammed Shah who ruled from 1434-1444. Sayyid dynasty reined for a short period of time (from 1414-1451) over much shrunken territories. Therefore, they had neither the time nor the money to build grand cities or palaces. The Tomb of Mohammed Shah has some distinctive features of its time – an octagonal plan, corner buttresses, decorative plaster finish, corbeled doorways and chhatris (pavilions) on the roof. The central chamber, which is 15 m in diameter, contains several graves, of which the central one is believed to be that of Mohammed Shah and the others belong to members of his family.<\/p>\n

\"DSC_8942\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Following the park’s map, I proceeded to the Lodi period Mosque which stands in a masonry enclosure, most portions of which have now disappeared. The mosque consists of rectangular chamber with vaulted roof and three-arched entrances on the eastern side. The west wall hosts three recessed arches. The interior is decorated with ornamental moulding while the exterior is highlighted by the floral ornament with moulding at the cornice level and the inverted lotus on top of the fluted dome. The Mosque is constructed of stone masonry and rendered with very fine red colored plaster in traditional fresco technique. Even though the building yet remains, its initial purpose and some of its dignity was stripped away by time and garden visitors (workers, likely) who use the mosque to park\/store their bikes.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_8799\"<\/a><\/p>\n

One of the most memorable and imposing constructions is Bara Gumbad<\/a> (Big Dome), located in the middle of the gardens. During the Lodi Period (1451-1526), tombs were raised in two styles – square and octagonal. Bara Gumbad and Sheesh Gumbad are examples of the former, though many archeologists believe that neither of the Lodi Gardens’ Gumbads were actually tombs. Bara Gumbad, a rubble-constructed dome (19m x 19m x 27m high), is one of the biggest and finest examples of the Lodi period monuments in Delhi, built in 1494 during the reign of Sikandar Lodi. Some say that it is a gateway to an attached three-domed masjid (mosque), but some claim that the mosque was no doubt erected as an adjunct to the tomb, and not the other way around.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_8802\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Both, Sheesh Gumbad and Bara Gumbad has a semblance of being double-storied. It combines spans of both arches, brackets and lintel beams. The main material is grey quartzite with some other stones used for decorative touches – red sandstone on the doorways and a combination of red, grey and black stone on the facade. The interior is very plain and the stone finish is un-plastered and mostly un-carved.<\/p>\n

The name of the person who was buried here, but whose grave no longer exists, is unknown, but he must have occupied an important position during Sikandar Lodi’s reign.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_8803\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Bara Gumbad’s mosque (25 m x 6.5 m), built at the same time with the Big Dome, is a five-arched hall with a frontage of bracket-and-chajja <\/a>cornice. It is a fine example of the decorative technique of incised and painted limestone plaster used during the Lodi period. The tapering minarets at the rear are in Tughlaq style<\/a> but seem to anticipate the octagonal towers of early Mughal and Sur<\/a> periods of oriel windows on the north and south. Other distinctive elements are the jharokhas (cantilevered, enclosed openings).<\/p>\n

\"IMG_8825\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Interior of the mosque is extremely rich in arabesque stucco decoration and paintings, consisting of floral and geometrical designs and Quranic inscriptions<\/a> (an inscription over the southern mihrab – the arch on the western wall which indicates the direction of prayers- dates it to 1494). Partaking both the Tughlaq and Mughal features, it occupies an important place in the development of the Mughal Mosque.<\/p>\n

\"DSC_8965\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The long hall in front of the mosque is\u00a0mihman-khana or guesthouse for pilgrims, there are also the remains of a water tank and a mound of rubble which was probably a grave platform.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_8842\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Opposite to Bara Gumbad is the Sheesh Gumbad<\/a> (Glass Dome) named for the glazed tiles used in its construction. Also built during the reign of Sikandar Lodi, the building is somewhat different in ornamentation. With its facade divided horizontally by a string -course and with series of sunk niches running above and below it, it has an external resemblance of being double-storied. Its western wall has a built-in mihrab (arch) which served as a mosque, while the other sides have a central entrance set in a projecting frame. The niches are spanned by arches, the central openings are by bracket-and-lintel beams, combining thus features of both Hindu and Islamic architecture. It was originally faced with friezes of blue enameled tiles, which survived now only in traced, and which gave it its name. It is likely that originally the top half of the exterior was almost entirely covered with tiles.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_8832\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Inside, Sheesh Gumbad’s high ceiling is decorated with stucco and painted plaster\u00a0containing floral and Quranic patterns. The chamber of the tomb (10 m\u00b2) \u00a0contains\u00a0a number of graves but the names of the persons buried here are not known. Some historians suggest that this is the tomb of the first Lodi Sultan Bahlul Lodi<\/a> who died in 1489.<\/p>\n

\"DSC_8976\"<\/a><\/p>\n

After Gumbads, following the well-maintained paths and the remains of a watercourse which connects the Yamuna river to Sikander Lodi’s tomb, I headed to the other side to the gardens to see the last site. Sikandar Lodi was the second ruler of the Lodi dynasty and ruled from 1489 to 1517. His tomb, resembling the one\u00a0of Mohammed Shah, is set in a garden surrounded by an elaborate enclosure, about 76 m\u00b2, with 3.5 m high walls.\u00a0It was built by Sikaner’s son, and the last of Sultans of Delhi from Lodi dynasty, Ibrahim Lodi<\/a> in 1517.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_8853\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Tomb is a simple rectangular structure on a high platform approached by a flight of steps. The two chhatries (pavilions) on the square platform in front have remains of blue tiles. Inside the enclosure, the middle part of the western wall has been built so as to function as a wall mosque, with the qibla<\/a> (direction of prayer) indicated through arches and a paved area in front.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_8858\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In the center of enclosure is the octagonal tomb, its interior decorated with extensive and fairly well preserved tile work and a painted and incised plaster ceiling. The Tomb was renovated by the British and an inscription mentioning Ibrahim Lodi’s defeat at the hands of Babur was included in 1866.<\/p>\n

\"DSC_8991\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Before leaving the Lodi Gardens, I passed by the Athpula Bridge<\/a> (Eight Piered), the last of the buildings in Delhi, build during the reign on Mughal Emperor Akbar<\/a>. This bridge was constructed to span a stream which went through this area and probably joined the Barahpula nala further south which fed into Yamuna River. The bridge is placed diagonally across the stream bed and has a beautiful curving shape. It contains seven arches, amongst which the central one being the largest. No one knows which road went over this bridge but the presence of a Mughal garden nearby suggests that this was an important resting place.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_8873\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I spent over 3 hours in the gardens and If I lived in Delhi, it would have been be one of my favorite places to visit. I only regret that there were no guides to explain and elaborate on the magnificent structures the gardens host.<\/p>\n

After the Lodi Gardens, still following my graveyard tour of Delhi, I took a tuk-tuk to the Humayun’s Tomb. The Humayun’s Tomb<\/a> is one of the city’s three UNESCO World Heritage Sites<\/a> (along with Red Fort<\/a> and Qutb Minar<\/a>) and is considered to be the most perfectly proportioned and captivating Delhi’s mausoleums.\u00a0As most Mughal tombs, it is located in a large, immaculately maintained garden in the Persian Char Bagh (four corners) style that were thoroughly renovated in 2003, which makes it more pleasant to walk around but more boring too. Rs.250 will get you in.<\/p>\n

Frankly, there were less visitors at the site than people\u00a0buried in The Humayun’s Tomb. The garden hosts at least 6 other tombs – of Haji Begum<\/a> (Humayun’s senior wife), Afsarwala Tomb<\/a>, Iza Khan Tomb<\/a>, Bu-Halima enclosure<\/a>, a tomb of the emperor’s favorite barber and Khan-i-Khanan’s<\/a> tomb.<\/p>\n

Right as you walk in, the first major structure on the right is the bulbous Tomb of Isa Khan <\/a>built in 1547. Isa Khan Niyazi was a noble in the court of Sher Shah Suri<\/a>. The enclosure includes his tomb and a mosque, both built during his own life. The octagonal tomb, predating Humayun’s Tomb by 20 yeas, has striking ornamentation in the form of canopies, glazed tiles and a lattice screens. Along the western side of the enclosure, the three-bay-wide mosque has a grand red sandstone central bay and striking mihrabs. Until the early 20th century, an entire village lived in the enclosure.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_8902\"<\/a><\/p>\n

A bit further on the left, there is an unidentified Tomb\u00a0with\u00a0neither visitors nor signs describing what it was and who was buried there.<\/p>\n

\"DSC_9011\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Aligned in axes with the western gate of Humayun’s Tomb enclosure and Subz Burj, the 16th century gateway to Bu Halima Garden Tomb <\/a>(of whom not much is known) stands on the eastern side of the enclosure. The upper arched opening has sandstone jharokha with beautiful lattice parapet which is supported on decorative sandstone brackets. Ornate domed canopies surmount the two northern bastions of the garden wall. Remains of the original tile-work decoration are still visible and conservation work was in full process.\"IMG_8919\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Following the\u00a0Bu Halima Garden Tomb gate was the Arab-Ki-Sarai gateway – the 14 m\u00a0high passage that served as the southern entrance of Arab Serai, a\u00a0housing site accommodating the Persian craftsmen involved in building of Humayun’s Tomb. Red sandstone and white marble inlay work add a striking touch to the gateway, mostly built of Delhi quartzite stone. The projecting jharokhas still display remnants of the glazed ceramic tiles.\"IMG_8922\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I passed through\u00a0Arab-Ki-Sarai gateway and appeared in a totally different world of rubbish and destruction. While the gateways and main tombs were finely restored and decorated, many other buildings, hidden from visitors’ eyes remain in\u00a0pitiful state. For me,\u00a0they were the most interesting one to explore, until I realized that they also host many unattended seclusion-seeking creeping single men. I have had my share of experience with Indian men, so I rushed to get out to the public area.<\/p>\n

\"DSC_9012\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Following the Arab-Ki-Sarai gateway was the whole complex of Afsarwala Tomb and mosque <\/a>dated to 1566. Folklore attributes this tomb and mosque to “Afsarwala”, meaning “officer”, but nothing more is known. The octagonal tomb is covered with red sandstone with sparing use of white and black marble inlay work. Over the central lofty arch of the three-bay-wide mosque is a niche that could have once held an inscription. The guard at the site was very annoying and clingy, so I sped my pace up.<\/p>\n

\"DSC_9013\"<\/a><\/p>\n

From there, I entered the West gate (16 m high) – the main doorway to the Tomb-Garden of Emperor Humayun.\u00a0Rooms on each side flank the central passage and the upper floors has small courtyards. Six-sided stars, used by the Mughals as an ornamental cosmic symbol, adorn the structure.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_8941\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The centerpiece of the site is the eponymous Tomb of \u00a0Emperor Humayun, who was the second Mughal emperor. Built between 1565-1572 by Hamida Banu Begum<\/a>, his Persian-born senior wife, the tomb brings together Persian and Mughal elements, creating a true predecessor or prototype of Agra<\/a>‘s Taj Mahal<\/a>. The structures are indeed stylistically similar (by now, every tomb looks like the previous one to me), although Humayun’s Tomb is built from red sandstone, not white marble, and was built by a wife grieving for her husband, not the other way around. \u00a0The Tomb stands on a platform of 12,000 m\u00b2 and reaches the height of 47 m (the brass finial over the white marble dome is itself 6 m high). Built of rubble masonry, the structure follows strict rules of Islamic geometry, with an emphasis on the number “eight” and is the first to use red sandstone and white marble in such great quantities.\u00a0The small canopies on the terrace were originally covered in glazed blue tiles.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_8988\"<\/a><\/p>\n

After climbing to the second level, on the south side I found an entrance into the main crypt which contains the solitary tomb of an emperor, but the structure itself has within it over 100 graves, earning the name “Dormitory of the Mughals”. It was almost 5 pm and guards rushed the visitors out long ago, so I was left on my own. It felt adventurous and a bit freighting to be alone in the mausoleum at night. Interesting fact is that the tomb was the place of refuge taken by the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar<\/a>, before being captured and exiled by the British in 1857.<\/p>\n

\"DSC_9023\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Soon, the guards came for me and after leaving the Tomb’s site I understood how much scarier it was outside with alive people than inside with dead. Apparently, the entire area around the Tomb is a big resting place for at least a hundred of people. I ended up stepping over sleeping people and their belongings, playing children, cooking women with their utensils and it all was happening in darkness. Since I didn’t know the area well, I rushed to the main road and called Varun, though he was pretty far away to pick me up. I tried to get a taxi but it is almost impossible to get one on the road in Delhi. A few cars stopped by and their impudent and shameless owners, sizing me up, offered to give a lift. Dah… No way! Luckily, there was a police station across the street so I asked the officer to fetch me a tuk-tuk.<\/p>\n

I was all wired and tired by the time I got home but I was eager to see my Oxonian friend Priyanka, who invited me to come to an American Comedy club night. It was a very nice place with mediocre but acceptable Italian food, filled mostly with either expats or Indians who hangs out with expats. I haven’t been to many comedy clubs so I am not a judge, but I found the jokes entertaining and the atmosphere friendly and relaxed. Priyanka opened a totally new side of Delhi to me and I am forever thankful for that.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_0579\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0January 22, 2014<\/strong><\/p>\n

Weather was not cooperating with me, but it is normal. I can choose to come to India in summer and suffocate from smoke, heat and smell, or in winter, when it is rainy, cold-ish and super foggy. For the last few days it has been raining, but usually by noon the weather would\u00a0improve. Today, rain didn’t stop for a minute and after spending all morning and early afternoon at home, I decided to take my chances and go out. Mostly all places I wanted to see were outdoors, so if I wanted to visit everything that I planned, I had to get wet and dirty.<\/p>\n

I took an Uber car<\/a> to the first place – Baha’i Lotus Temple<\/a>. Because it is a temple, there was no entrance fee, pictures were allowed in the garden, but not inside the temple. Just as its names says, Lotus Temple does look like a bud of a Lotus flower with 27 petals arranged in clusters of three to form nine sides. Designed by Iranian-Canadian architect Fariborz Sahba<\/a>, it was completed in 1986 and is surely one of the most magnificent monuments ever made from concrete (the surface of the temple is made of white marble from Penteli mountain<\/a> in Greece<\/a>). Some of its elements are specified by Baha’i scripture.\u00a0Abdu’l-Bah\u00e1<\/a>, the son of the founder of the religion, stipulated that an essential architectural character of a House of Worship is a nine-sided circular shape.\u00a0<\/span>While all current Bah\u00e1’\u00ed Houses of Worship have a dome, this is not regarded to be an essential part of their architecture.\u00a0 <\/span>The Lotus Temple located in a beautifully manicured garden (comprising 10.5 ha) with multiple walking paths and nine ponds to enjoy the scenery, but I was in a rush.<\/p>\n

\"DSC_9035\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Somewhere in the middle of the main path, no less than 70 meters before the temple itself, there was a shoes deposit center. It was about 10-12 C outside with unstoppable rain, but I had to remove my shoes and walk barefoot in pools of water till I finally reach the building itself. Cascading waterfalls on each side (remarkably blue), made it look as if the Lotus bud was floating in the water (as I was definitely already floating). The whole construction and its setting made a breathtaking scene.<\/p>\n

\"DSC_9044\"<\/a><\/p>\n

What I, unfortunately, can’t say about the internal decoration of the Temple. Bah\u00e1’\u00ed scripture states that no pictures, statues or images be displayed within the House of Worship and no pulpits or altars be incorporated as an architectural feature (readers may stand behind simple portable lecture stands). The 9 doors of the temple open into a central hall that is slightly more than 40 m tall and capable of accommodating up to 2,500 people. All visitors were divided into guided groups and each group is given an instructions to pack cameras and phones and to be silent for the entire time while inside.<\/p>\n

Like all other Bah\u00e1’\u00ed Houses of Worship<\/a>, the Lotus Temple is open to all, regardless of religion, or any other distinction, as told\u00a0in Bah\u00e1’\u00ed texts<\/a>. A stone tablet in front of the temple says “This House of Worship is a place for prayer and meditation for the peoples of all religion and races. From within it portals the voice of mankind will ever be raised in praise and glorification of the creator of Universe.”\u00a0The Bah\u00e1’\u00ed laws emphasize that the spirit of the House of Worship be that it is a gathering place where people of all religions may worship God\u00a0without denominational restrictions.\u00a0The Bah\u00e1’\u00ed laws also stipulate that only the holy scriptures of the Bah\u00e1’\u00ed Faith<\/a> and other religions can be read or chanted inside in any language; while readings and prayers can be set to music by choirs, no musical instruments can be played inside. Furthermore no sermons<\/a> can be delivered, and there can be no ritualistic ceremonies practiced.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_8997\"<\/a><\/p>\n

So, when “my” group entered, there was nothing but silence in the Temple. Just as\u00a0impressive as the temple looked\u00a0from the outside, as empty and barren it looked from the inside – empty of worshipers, of sounds, of decor or any other religious attributes. I stayed inside for 5 minutes and went out together with my group; apparently, we all were there to see, but not to pray. Before leaving the Temple, I picked up a few brochures about\u00a0Bah\u00e1’\u00ed Faith in order to research more at the later time. Luckily, I also had a few spare pairs of socks, because after 30 minutes barefoot under the rain, I sought warmth and dryness of my Merrell<\/a> shoes.<\/p>\n

My second stop of the day was Purana Qila<\/a> –\u00a0the oldest fort among all forts in the city\u00a0and, the oldest known structure of any type in Delhi.\u00a0It’s located at the site of the legendary city of\u00a0Indraprastha<\/a>, that was founded by Pandavas<\/a> on the banks of\u00a0Yamuna<\/a>, which is revered by Hindus<\/a> since ages. This points to the possibility of this site’s history dating back to nearly more than 5000 years old. A Kunti Temple inside the Qila also exists, which is believed to be the place where Kunti, the mother of Pandavas lived. Consequently the fort is considered by some, to be ‘the first city of Delhi’.\u00a0Researchers now confirm\u00a0that up till 1913, a village called Indrapat<\/i> existed within the fort walls. Excavations carried out by Archaeological Survey of India<\/a> (ASI)\u00a0have unearthed Painted Grey Ware<\/a> dating 1000 B.C., and with a continuous cultural sequence from Mauryan to Mughal through Sunga<\/a>, Kushan<\/a>, Gupta<\/a>, Rajput<\/a> and Sultanate<\/a> periods, confirming the antiquity of the fort.<\/p>\n

Fort was called as the inner pitamdel<\/a> of the city of Dina-panah<\/i> during Humayun’s rule who renovated it in 1533 and completed five years later.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Purana Qila and its environs flourished as the “sixth city of Delhi”<\/a>\u00a0 (read about the history of Delhi in my previous blog<\/a>).\u00a0The founder of the Suri Dynasty<\/a>, Sher Shah Suri<\/a>, defeated Humayun in 1540, naming the fort Shergarh;\u00a0<\/i>he raised the citadel of Purana-Qila with an extensive city-area sprawling around it and it seems that the fort\u00a0was still unfinished at Sher Shah’s death in 1545, but was completed either by his son Islam Shah<\/a> or Humayun.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_9024\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Subsequently Islam Shah took over the reins of North India from this fort, but shifted his capital to Gwalior<\/a>, a safer capital in that period, leaving the charge of Delhi and Punjab<\/a> to his Hindu Governor and military General Hemu<\/a>. After Islam Shah’s death in 1553,\u00a0Adil Shah Suri<\/a> took charge of North India and appointed Hemu as the Prime Minister-cum-Chief of Army and himself retired in Chunar fort<\/a>. According to a vizier-turn-historian Abul Fazal<\/a>, Hemu became a virtual king and had all authority of appointments and other decisions making. Hemu was busy in quelling rebellion in east India so the\u00a0fort remained neglected. Humayun, who was based in Kabul at this time, seized the opportunity to re-capture the citadel and the seat of Delhi in 1555, fifteen years after abandoning it following his defeats at the hands of the Suri Dynasty in the Battles of Chausa and Kannauj. Humayun’s reign proved brief thereafter; he died following an accidental fall within the fort complex at Sher Mandal<\/a> only a year later, in January 1556.<\/p>\n

Hearing about re-capture of Delhi by Humayun, Hemu\u00a0rushed towards Delhi from Bengal<\/a>, where he had just defeated and killed Muhammad Adil Shah<\/a>, the ruler of Bengal. After winning 22 battles spanning entire north India, Hemu\u00a0met and defeated the forces of Akbar<\/a>, which were led by Tardi Beg Khan<\/a>, in the Battle for Delhi<\/a>, which took place in the Tuglaqabad<\/a> area in October 1556. Hemu had his Rajyabhishek<\/a>\u00a0(coronation) at Purana Qila on 7 October 1556, declaring ‘Hindu Raj’ in North India, and was bestowed the title of Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya<\/a>. Just a month later, Hemu lost his life at the Second battle of Panipat<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0subsequently had his torso hung outside this fort to create terror among Hindus.<\/p>\n

As history shows, Purana Qila brought bad luck\u00a0for rulers who occupied it; Humayun, Sher Shah Suri, and Hemu all had but relatively brief tenures ensconced there. Humayun’s son Akbar did not rule from here and Shah Jahan built a new fort in Delhi known as\u00a0Lal Qila<\/i><\/a> (“Red Fort”).<\/p>\n

\"DSC_9047\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The walls of the Fort (20 m high and 4 m thick), traverse about 1.9 km, and have three arched gateways: the Bada Darwaza<\/i>\u00a0(Big Gate) facing west, which is still in use today; the south gate, also popularly known as the ‘Humayun Gate’ (probably so known because it was constructed by Humayun, or perhaps because Humayun’s Tomb<\/a> is visible from there); and lastly, the ‘Talaaqi Gate’, often known as the “forbidden gate”. \u00a0The eastern side was originally bounded by Yamuna river which since has long changed its course eastward. All the gates are double-storied sandstone structures flanked by two huge semi-circular bastion<\/a> towers, decorated with white and colored-marble inlays and blue tiles. They are replete with detailing, including ornate overhanging balconies, or jharokhas<\/a><\/i>, and are topped by pillared pavilions (chhatris<\/a><\/i>), all features that are reminiscent of Rajasthani architecture<\/a> as seen in the North and South Gates, and which were amply repeated in future Mughal architecture<\/a>. Despite the grandeurs of the exterior, few of interior structures have survived and the ambiguous historical record makes it difficult to say for sure which of the remaining structures of the fort were built by Humayun and which were commissioned by Sher Shar or his son Islam Shah. Nevertheless, this site that conjures up the images of conquest and combat was one of the most desirable for me to visit and after paying Rs.100, I was in.<\/sup><\/p>\n

\"IMG_9022\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Like everyone else, I entered Purana Qila via Bada Darwasa (Big Gate), the western entrance (20 m high) to the fortress which most probably was built under Humayun, as it is a part of the main fortification. On either side of it are bastions which, along with the curtain wall beyond, have arrow\/gun slits. Kungaras (merlons) would originally have run along the top of the entire length of the wall, but have now completely disappeared except at the top of one of the bastions. The surface ornamentation of the gate consists of inlay patterns in sandstone and marble, some stone carvings and tile work. Jharokhas (cantilevered enclosed openings) and chhatris (pavilions) also serve decorative purpose.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_9029\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I decided to walk clockwise along the fort’s massive wall in order to enjoy this magnificent structure. It was nice to see that some steps were made to preserve this incredible “sixth city”, as construction workers\u00a0and their tools were seen everywhere. Walking along the wall, I noticed that some parts of the fort, especially those closer to Bada Darwasa were better preserved than those in the northern or southern parts. I hope the reconstructions will eventually touch all parts equally, because some ruins looked not better than jungle. I also noticed that even though some parts of the wall were left to deteriorate, the others were rebuilt and used as offices or perhaps storage facilities.<\/p>\n

\"DSC_9049\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Talaaqi Darwasa on the north side\u00a0is a tall and imposing structure, with the central archway itself measuring 17 m in height. It has entrance ways on two levels, the lower originally being at the level of water. The upper entrance way seems to have been the main way in, as it is more ornamented. If so, a drawbridge or causeway must have connected it to the land on the other side of the moat that encircled the fort. Decorative features include sandstone and marble inlay, carving, tile work, jharokhas and chhatris. There is no credible explanation for the origins of the name of the gate, which literally means “forbidden gate”.<\/p>\n

\"DSC_9056\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I continued clockwise toward the Mosque located on the eastern side of the compound; I found myself surrounded by more abandoned ruins and weeds than tourists, however, isolation didn’t keep small groups of suspiciously looking weirdoes away, on the opposite. Luckily, there were guards everywhere, so I felt more or less safe. The coolest part was to climb the thick walls of the fort and look outside or around. It was truly an interesting angle.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_9053\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Single-domed Qila-i-Kuhna Mosque<\/a> (literally means “the mosque of the old fort”) built by Sher Shah in 1541 is an excellent example of a pre-Mughal design, and an early example of the extensive use of the pointed arch in the region as seen in its five doorways with the ‘true’ horseshoe-shaped arches. The octagonal turrets at the corners of the back wall are distinctive features of the Mughal style.\u00a0It was designed as a Jami Mosque, or Friday mosque for the Sultan and his courtiers.\u00a0At one time, the courtyard had a shallow tank, with a fountain.<\/p>\n

\"DSC_9085\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The prayer hall inside, the single-aisled mosque, measures 51 m by 15 m and has five elegant arched prayer niches or mihrabs<\/a><\/i> set in its western wall. Marble in shades of red, white and slate is used for the calligraphic inscriptions on the central iwan<\/a>, marks a transition from Lodi<\/a> to Mughal architecture<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"DSC_9078\"<\/a><\/p>\n

A second floor, accessed through staircases from the prayer hall, with a narrow passage running along the rectangular hall, provided space for female courtiers to pray, while the arched doorway on the left wall, framed by ornate jharokas<\/a><\/i>, was reserved for members of the royal family.\u00a0<\/span>On a marble slab within the mosque an inscription reads: “As long as there are people on the earth, may this edifice be frequented and people be happy and cheerful in it”.\u00a0<\/span>Today, it is the best preserved building in Purana Qila.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_9067\"<\/a><\/p>\n

It was distressing and saddening to observe Indian visitors (Hindus and mostly young couples) touching everything and taking pictures of a girl, leaning on the monument, and a guy, groping her. This mosque wasn’t an exception and when I finally got fed up and schooled one couple, they just pack their stuff and left without paying the mosque another glance. Sad.<\/p>\n

From the mosque, I proceeded to Sher Mandal that was named so after (Sher Shah) who had tried to finish what was ordered by Babur but had died during the initial phase and so construction was halted until the arrival of Humayun in 1451.<\/p>\n

This double-storied octagonal tower of red sandstone with steep stairs leading up to the roof was intended to be higher than its existing height. Its original builder,\u00a0Babur<\/a>,\u00a0ordered the construction to be\u00a0used as a personal observatory<\/a> and library for his son Humayun. It is also one of the first observatories of Delhi, the first being in Pir Gharib at Hindu Rao at Ridge built in the 14th century by Feroz Shah Tughlaq<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span>The external diameter of the structure is 16 m, and the height from the base of the plinth to the top of the parapet is 13.5 m. The lower floor is mostly solid, with stairs leading to the upper floor. At the center of the upper level is a small chamber. The tower is topped by an octagonal chhatri<\/a><\/i> supported by eight pillars and decorated with white marble in typical Mughal style.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_9108\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Inside there are remnants of the decorative plaster-work and traces of stone-shelving where, presumably, the emperor’s books were placed.<\/p>\n

This was also the spot where a tragic event took place on 20 (24 or 27) January 1556. Humayun, with his arms full of books, was descending the staircase from his library when the muezzin<\/a> announced the\u00a0Adhan<\/a> (the call to prayer). It was his habit, wherever he heard the summons, to bow his knee in holy reverence. Kneeling, he caught his foot in his robe, but some say that he was pushed while he was trying to do that, tumbled down several steps and hit his temple on a rugged stone edge. He died three days later. They say “he tumbled in life and finally tumbled out of it too.” Entry inside the library is now prohibited.<\/p>\n

Next to Sher Mandal is a ruined brick structure – all that stands of a hammam (bath house). The remains of terracotta pipes and a ribbed water chute can still be seen around a room measuring some 32 m\u00b2. Such hammams, with provision for hot and cold water and even steam rooms, were an important part of Mughal culture. In the years after the abandonment of the fort as a capital of the empire, this structure was forgotten and built over. It was revealed when the clearance of the village of Indarpat and conservation of the site was undertaken in 1913-1914.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"IMG_9111\"<\/a><\/p>\n

And I completed my circled next to the last, southern gate of the Purana Qila – Humayun Darwasa. Though, it is called after Humayun, it is partly attributed to Sher Shah on the basis of fading inscription in ink that was found in one of the rooms on the upper floor. There are two entrances, one on the top of the other. The lower one opened at the level of water in the moat, while the upper would have been approached by a drawbridge or causeway across the moat. Decorations include inlay work and carvings in sandstone, marble and tile work. This gate is the only one to preserve the decorative merlons on top which originally existed over the other gates of the fort too.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_9119\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I guess most visitors (mostly Indians) weren’t very excited to see yet another replica of the gate they’ve just see on the other side of the fort, that it why this gate was absolutely and utterly empty. There is more for me.<\/p>\n

Before it got too dark, I harried to visit another interesting historic place dated 200 years earlier than Purana Qila – Feroz Shah Kotla<\/a> (entrance fee Rs.100). Since there wasn’t a lot of information about this fort\u00a0and it was getting to the closing time, I decided to hire a local guide (Rs.200) only to find out a few moments later that he was drunk as a skunk. Nevertheless, since there were no other visitors, his company was better than none at all, so I proceeded anyway.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_9126\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Ferozabad, the fifth city of Delhi (read about it in my previous blog<\/a>), was built by Feroz Shah Tughlaq<\/a> (1351-1388) in 1354 as a replacement for Tughlaqabad<\/a>. Feroz Shah Kotla was the citadel built along the banks of Yamuna inside Ferozabad. The fortress contained palaces, pillared halls, mosques, a pigeon-tower and a baoli (step-well). While the gateway from the southern enclosure has been later closed, there are also the remains of a gateway from the northern enclosure. Several flights of steps on the east lead down to the old river bank. Feroz Shah was a renown builder whose reign is credited with the construction of several mosques, hunting lodges, reservoirs for irrigation, embarkments and colleges. However, there isn’t a lot remains from his citadel since most of the building material from it was robbed to build Shahjahanabad<\/a> (1638-1648).<\/p>\n

\"DSC_9095\"<\/a><\/p>\n

However, ringed by crumbling fortifications, this meticulously maintained fort, still hosts\u00a0a huge mosque, a baoli (step-well) and a pyramid-like Hawa Mahal topped by a pillar. We first visited the baoli, but it was already closed. I asked the guide to find a keeper with the keys to open it (since they closed it before the due time, simply out of laziness), but he just rolled his drunk eyes on me.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_9140\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Then we went to see the place of a particular interest to me as it contains a relic of Ashoka The Great<\/a>, the first Indian emperor dating back to the 3 century B.C – a column, also called obelisk or Lat<\/i> is one of\u00a0Ashoka Pillars<\/a>. The 13.1 m high column, made of polished sandstone and dating from the 3rd Century BC, was brought from Pong Ghati Ambala, Punjab in 14th century A.D. under orders of Feroz Shah. It was installed on a three-tiered arcaded pavilion near the congregational mosque, inside the Sultanate’s fort. In centuries that followed, much of the structure and buildings near it were destroyed as subsequent rulers dismantled them and reused the spolia<\/a> as building materials, however, Ashoka Pillar remained untouched.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_9133\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The guide showed me the very steep steps up to the upper pavilion, so I could see the Ashoka Pillar from close distance. The upper lever was a square platform no more than 15 m x 15 m with no railings, so when I asked my guide to take a picture of me and he started to back off all the way to the corner, I got a bit scared for him. He was drunk enough to fall off this 6-7 meter structure.<\/p>\n

\"DSC_9100\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Sultanate had wanted to break and reuse the Ashoka pillar for a minaret, however, Feroz Shah decided to erect it near a mosque instead. At the time of re-installation of the obelisk in Delhi, in 1356, no one knew the meaning of the script engraved in the stone (it was written primarily in Brahmi language<\/a>, with some Pali<\/a> and Sanskrit<\/a> added later).<\/p>\n

About five hundred years later, the script was deciphered by James Prinsep <\/a>in 1837 with help from scripts discovered on other pillars and tablets in South Asia. The Ashoka Pillar contains the decrees of Ashoka with the following texts: “Among high roads, I have caused fig trees to be planted that they may be for shade to animals and men…” or “..And let these and others the most skillful in the sacred offices discreetly and respectfully use their most persuasive efforts, acting on the heart and eyes of the children, for the purposes of imparting enthusiasm and instruction in dharma (religion), etc.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_9137\"<\/a><\/p>\n

It is hard to describe the feelings when you are so close to something that is so ancient. From the upper pavilion, there was a beautiful view of the Jami Mosjid. Only the remains of the congregational mosque of the citadel stand today belying the fact that it was quite spectacular in its own time. Built in 1354, it was the largest of the seven mosques built in Delhi during Tughlaq’s reign. The main entrance to the mosque is to the north on account of the proximity of the Yamuna to its eastern wall. It rests on a series of cells on the ground floor. The cloisters on the sides of its courtyard and its prayer hall have disappeared with only a rear wall standing on the western side. The doorway was decorated with carved stones, which have since been plundered. In the middle of courtyard was an octagonal domed structure on which was inscribed, the “Futuhat-e-Feroz-Shahi”, listing the great works and achievements of the emperor.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_9148\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Timur<\/a>, visiting the mosque in the end of 1398, was so impressed by it, that he is said to have had a similar mosque built in his capital Samarkand<\/a>, using craftsmen taken from India. They also say that in the mosque or in an adjoining building, Emperor Alamgir II<\/a> was murdered in 1759. \u00a0An interesting feature is the chambers at the lower level. There is an otherworldly atmosphere in the ruins which are still an active place of worship – on Thursday afternoons, crowds gather to light candles and incense and leave bowls of milk to appease Delhi djinns.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_9166\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The walls of the citadel are 15 m hight and have a slights slope on the outside. The top parapets or merlons have now disappeared but the arrow slits can still be seen.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_9179\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The rest of the ruins represented the remains of the Palatial structures. The buildings inside are too ruined to be identified individually, but historians from the time of Feroz Shah listed many structures of the fortress. There was “The Palace of the Clayey Court”, which was meant for the emperor’s court attended by nobles, officials and distinguished literary men. “The Palace of a Wooden Gallery\/Overhang” was for the officers of the emperor and the “Central Quadrangle” or the “Palace of the Public Court”, was where the emperor held court for the general public. The more private areas meant for the residence of the emperor and his family, have not been mentioned, but must also have existed. It is likely that the surfaces were at one time covered by a fine limestone plaster which was decorated by carvings and paintings in various colors.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_9173\"<\/a><\/p>\n

It got dark and rain started to pick up, so without proper goodbye, I left Feroz Shah Kotla with hope to visit it once again. By the time I reach Varun’s house, I was exhausted and cold. I spent a nice and cozy evening at his beautiful home with his family.<\/p>\n

January 23, 2014<\/strong><\/p>\n

Weather wasn’t cooperating, but I still moved forward with my plans. I hired an Uber Delhi for a few hours and my first stop, despite many warnings that it wasn’t worth a trip, was Tughlaqabad Fort<\/a> (entry- Rs.100). I admit that Mehrauli<\/a> and Tughlaqabad were two extremely underrated sites. Yes, they were rustic, in progress\u00a0and, sometimes dangerous, but authentic, adventurous and inspiring, being there brought me back in time to the seven ancient cities of Delhi.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_9299\"<\/p>\n

Tughlaqabad Qila\u00a0is a ruined fort in central\u00a0Delhi, stretching over 6\u00a0km, built by Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq<\/a>, the founder of Tughlaq dynasty<\/a>, of the\u00a0Delhi Sultanate<\/a> of India in 1321-1325, where he established the third historic city of Delhi, which was abandoned already by 1327. Story goes that Ghazi Malik was a feudatory of the Khalji<\/a> rulers of Delhi and once while promenading with his Khalji master, Ghazi Malik suggested to\u00a0build a fort on a hill in the southern portion of Delhi. The king jokingly told Ghazi Malik to build the fort himself when he would become a king.<\/p>\n

In 1321\u00a0AD, Ghazi Malik drove away the Khaljis and assumed the title of Ghias-ud-din Tughlaq. He immediately started the construction of his fabled city, which he dreamt of as an impregnable, yet beautiful fort to keep away the Mongol<\/a>\u00a0invaders. However, destiny had other plans for him. Usually perceived as a liberal ruler, Ghias-ud-din was so passionate about his dream fort that he issued a dictate<\/a> that all laborers in Delhi must work on his fort. Saint Nizamuddin Auliya<\/a>, a Sufi mystic, got very\u00a0upset about the edict as the work on his baoli (well) was stopped to supply people for the construction of the fort. The confrontation between the Sufi saint and the royal emperor has escalated and become a legend in India. The saint uttered a curse which was to resonate throughout history right until today: “Ya rahey ujjar, ya basey gurjar” which can roughly be translated to “the fort either remain inhabited or would be occupied by\u00a0gurjars<\/a>\u00a0(shepherds)”. At that time in 1324, the Emperor was engrossed in a successful campaign in Bengal<\/a>\u00a0and was on his way to Delhi, when his son, Muhammad bin Tughlaq<\/a>, met him at Kara<\/a> in Uttar Pradesh<\/a>. Allegedly at the prince’s orders, a Shamiana (tent) fell on the Emperor crushing him to death. Another of the Saint Nizamuddin’s curses was “Hunuz Dilli dur ast” meaning “Delhi is still far away”. The Emperor never reached Delhi and never saw the completion of his fort. After the fall of sultanate, Gurjars of the area captured the Qila and situated in it. Thus, both curses of the Sufi saint came true.<\/p>\n

Tughlaqabad still consists of remarkable, massive stone fortifications that surround the irregular ground plan of the city. The sloping rubble-filled city walls, a typical feature of monuments of the Tughluq dynasty, are between 10 and 15\u00a0meters high, topped by battlemented parapets<\/a> and strengthened by circular bastions<\/a> of up to two stories height. The city is supposed to once have had as many as 52 gates of which only 13 remain today. The vast size, the great strength and visible solidity of the gigantic in proportion walls, give it an air of stern and massive grandeur.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_9258\"<\/p>\n

The moment I entered the fort, I knew that it would be safer if I hire a guide-guard to take me around. There weren’t lots of visitors and definitely no foreign tourists as I could see, however, there were plenty of single men, alone and in groups, and thousands of placed to hide, which made me worry. The guide-guard and I agreed on Rs. 200 and it was perhaps the best safety investment I made in India. In addition, while most of the fort is inaccessible due to dense thorny vegetation, an ever increasing part of the fort\u00a0area is occupied by modern settlement, my guide-guard made sure I didn’t get lost and didn’t intrude\/walk-in into somebody’s backyard. His English and knowledge of the fort were more than acceptable, while his skills as a body-guard were tried on multiple occasions since here and there a man or group of men would pop up out of the ruins and storm towards me until they saw a guard. Till now I am not sure what their intentions were, since they still did follow us though never came close. Despite this little inconvenience and constant safety alert, I really enjoyed checking out every crevasse\u00a0of the fort, I breathed the air of history.<\/p>\n

Tughlaqabad is divided into three parts:<\/p>\n