Last sunday I organised a heritage walk to the coolest hangout in Delhi- hauz khas village. It was a step towards making people sensitive to the heritage around them and make them more aware of their lineage. I was apprehensive as to how many people might turn up but eventually I was leading 13 people. And I started with the gyaan giving.
Way back in the 13th century, Sultan Alauddin Khalji ruled from the capital city of Siri (Delhi). He decided to dig up a tank, Hauz i Alai, about 28 hectares large to provide water for the fields & the capital. After him, the Khalji dynasty declined & the tank fell into disrepair. It silted up & people carved out private plots of land on it. They dug wells & were selling of its water. The Khaljis were followed by Tughluqs among who Firuz Shah Tughluq took interest in this site. Firuz Shah was the last important Tughluq ruler, who had his capital at Firuzabad (now called Kotla Firuz Shah) on the river Yamuna. He repaired the tank, removed encroachments & built a madrasa complex around. This complex is the focus of our heritage walk. Firuz Shah renamed it Hauz Khas, a special tank. The madrasa building is an L-shaped structure & double storeyed. It has a mosque, colonnaded halls (which were probably classrooms), cells (probably for living in) & independent standing pavilion many of which have graves. Firuz Shah Tughluq’s tomb stands at the junction of the 2 wings of the madrasa. There are stairs leading down to the tank from the building, at regular intervals. Now these are mostly closed up, some by iron grills, others by dumping rubble on them. Hauz Khas village has come around this very complex. The Tughlaq kings were also the patrons of art and learning, they invited scholars, artists, architects and craftsmen from Western and Central Asia to the court of Delhi, a centre of learning in the 14th century. Contemporary historian, Zia-ud-Din Barani wrote “The capital of Delhi, by the present of these unrivalled men of great talents had become the envy of Bagdad, the rival of Cairo and the equal of Constantinople”. The Hauz Khas madrasa was one such institution which would have attracted scholars & learners from far & wide.
The next part of the walking tour was in to Deer Park. The Deer Park has 3 monuments dating from the Tughluq & Lodi period. Bagh I Alam ka Gumbad is a massive tomb typical of Lodi architecture. Next to it stands a small mosque. Kali Gumti, a one roomed structure is located just across the walking path from the mosque. Walk a few steps ahead & you will find the Tuhfewala Gumbad hidden in foliage.
The weather was perfect and Delhiites had all the reasons to be out this fine sunday morning. I hope to see more people in the following walks.
Way back in the 13th century, Sultan Alauddin Khalji ruled from the capital city of Siri (Delhi). He decided to dig up a tank, Hauz i Alai, about 28 hectares large to provide water for the fields & the capital. After him, the Khalji dynasty declined & the tank fell into disrepair. It silted up & people carved out private plots of land on it. They dug wells & were selling of its water. The Khaljis were followed by Tughluqs among who Firuz Shah Tughluq took interest in this site. Firuz Shah was the last important Tughluq ruler, who had his capital at Firuzabad (now called Kotla Firuz Shah) on the river Yamuna. He repaired the tank, removed encroachments & built a madrasa complex around. This complex is the focus of our heritage walk. Firuz Shah renamed it Hauz Khas, a special tank. The madrasa building is an L-shaped structure & double storeyed. It has a mosque, colonnaded halls (which were probably classrooms), cells (probably for living in) & independent standing pavilion many of which have graves. Firuz Shah Tughluq’s tomb stands at the junction of the 2 wings of the madrasa. There are stairs leading down to the tank from the building, at regular intervals. Now these are mostly closed up, some by iron grills, others by dumping rubble on them. Hauz Khas village has come around this very complex. The Tughlaq kings were also the patrons of art and learning, they invited scholars, artists, architects and craftsmen from Western and Central Asia to the court of Delhi, a centre of learning in the 14th century. Contemporary historian, Zia-ud-Din Barani wrote “The capital of Delhi, by the present of these unrivalled men of great talents had become the envy of Bagdad, the rival of Cairo and the equal of Constantinople”. The Hauz Khas madrasa was one such institution which would have attracted scholars & learners from far & wide.
The next part of the walking tour was in to Deer Park. The Deer Park has 3 monuments dating from the Tughluq & Lodi period. Bagh I Alam ka Gumbad is a massive tomb typical of Lodi architecture. Next to it stands a small mosque. Kali Gumti, a one roomed structure is located just across the walking path from the mosque. Walk a few steps ahead & you will find the Tuhfewala Gumbad hidden in foliage.
The weather was perfect and Delhiites had all the reasons to be out this fine sunday morning. I hope to see more people in the following walks.
No comments:
Post a Comment