HERITAGE WALK INSIDE THE MEHRAULI ARCHEOLOGICAL COMPLEX
The Mehrauli Archaeological Park covers 100 acres of green land abutting a World Heritage Site—the Qutub Minar. It is bound by the Chattarpur Road to the east and Qutb Complex in the north. This area is dotted with remains from every era of Delhi’s history—from the pre-Islamic to the late Mughal and the colonial period.
The
Tomar Rajputs established Lal Kot, the first fortification in Delhi here. The
succeeding Chauhan rulers extended Lal Kot to form Qila Rai Pithora. In the
late twelfth century Qutbuddin Aibak, the founder of the Delhi Sultanate, made
this area the seat of Sultanate power. During the early Sultanate period
several structures like tombs and mosques were built here.
The
trend of constructing monumental structures continued through the reign of
successive rulers. Buildings like the mosque and tomb of Maulana Jamali (a
sixteenth-century Sufi saint), Madhi Masjid, Rajon ki Baoli, and the tomb of
Quli Khan (the foster brother of Emperor Akbar) were constructed within this
area. Renovations like the extension of the Quli Khan Tomb into Thomas
Metcalfe’s (commissioner of Delhi in the 1840s and 1850s) retreat and the
conversion of the landscape through the addition of a bridge, canopies, and
guesthouses were accomplished during the colonial era.
The
Archaeological Park has a varied landform with irregular rocky slopes, valleys,
plains, and water bodies. The park contains several water bodies, some of them
manmade. These include Hauz-e-Shamsi, Rajon ki Baoli, Gandhak ki Baoli, Jharna,
and the depression below the Quli Khan Tomb which earlier formed a pond. The
park also contains a variety of vegetation and landscaped gardens such as
Metcalfe’s Garden in front of Quli Khan’s Tomb. Today the park forms a buffer
between the settlement at Mehrauli village and the Qutb complex and is one of
the city’s largest green space.
Jamali Kamali Mosque and
Tomb, built in 1528-1529 during the reign
of Babur, is located in the Archaeological Village complex in Mehrauli, Delhi.
It comprises two monuments adjacent to each other. One monument is the mosque
and the other, within the mosque, built in a separate area, is the tomb of two
people of the names Jamali and Kamali.
The
tomb and mosque present in the site have been together named as “Jamali Kamali”
because both people were buried next to each other. It actually shares the
boundary with Qutub Minar premises, yet it is another archaeological site.
The
Jamali Kamali Mosque, positioned in an enclosed garden area, is built in red
sandstone with white marble embellishments. The mosque has a single central
dome and is elaborately ornate accompanied with stucco work depicting a blend
of the architectural styles of Moth Ki Masjid and Sher Shah Mosque.
It
is considered to lay the foundation to the great Mughal architectural style and
also introduced something which is missing in other earlier monuments, the
Jharokha system. There are eye-catching verses which are inscribed on the wall,
composed by the Sufi saint Jamali himself, which greatly enhances the beauty of
the mosque. This mosque portrays the architectural brilliance that is seen in
the early Mughal Period.
Inside
the mosque, you will find a prayer hall, where prayers do not take place
anymore in order to protect the monument from even more vandalism. In front of this
mosque, is a large courtyard with five arches on thick piers which displays the
impeccable architectural style.
Only
the central arch, which is the largest of the five arches, has a dome and is
embellished with beautiful ornamentation. The square chamber which depicts
ornate stucco work has a very exquisite interior decor.
The
exterior, however, is dressed in stunning tiles which are blue colored and they
are engraved with beautiful verses which were composed by Saint Jamali himself.
It is one of the most serene and peaceful sights if the city of New Delhi.
The
Tomb of Jamali Kamali and the Mosque are protected and maintained by ASI (the
Archaeological Survey of India) and has been funded by the Government to
restore and conserve these monuments which hold our national heritage and
precious ancient masterpieces.
The
Jamali Kamali has a glorious history attached to it. But sadly enough, the
glory seems to be forgotten with the emergence of Jamali Kamali being a haunted
place story. There are numerous Jamali Kamali haunted stories about ghosts and
Jinns who are believed to reside within Jamali Kamali. Apparently, some people
claim to have experienced sightings of lights, apparitions, animals growling
and a feeling that there is someone else standing right next to you.
However,
security guards on duty say that they have been at the mosque several times on
duty, both in the day as well as night and they never felt any paranormal or
uncanny activity and insists that they are made up stories for the pure
entertainment of people.
Although
these various Jamali Kamali haunted stories are made to seem true, the only
destruction seen are caused by humans, not ghosts, as scribbled names and other
acts of vandalism caused by people are visible all over the Jamali Kamali
Masjid and tomb.
Now you are wondering who were Jamali
and Kamali?
Jamali
was pseudonym of Sheikh Hamid bin Fazlu’llah who was also known as Sheikh
Jamal-ud-din Kamboh Dehlawi aka Jalal Khan. He was a Sufi saint known for his
poetry and came to India during the reign of Sultan Sikendar Lodi [ruled
1489-1517 AD] and settled in Delhi. He was already known by 3 different names
but people, impressed by his poetry and seeing the beauty in the words, gave
him his fourth name Jamali. Jamali comes from Urdu word Jamal which means
beauty and positive aura. He was a disciple of another Sufi poet Sheikh
Sama-ud-din and the mosque that now hosts his tomb was his place of
chilla-nashini. It is said that such was the beauty of Jamali’s poems that even
Sikendar Lodi who himself was a renowned poet used to get his works corrected
by Jamali. After Mughals conquered India, Jamali was offered a place in their
court and remained there during the reign of Babar and Humayun, until his
death. It is also said that it was Humayun himself who had the tomb built after
Jamali’s death.
“Kamal”
in Urdu means miracle. Who Kamali was, however, remains a complete mystery.
Whether he was a disciple of Jamali, or another Sufi poet or maybe just a
servant, no one knows. We don’t even know if that was his real name or if he
just took that name because it rhymed with Jamali. There are several stories
around his identity one of which is that it was actually his works, his poems
that Jamali took credit for. Another story is that they were brothers who
travelled together to India. Jamali got famous because he was an excellent poet
while Kamali had no such talent but he too was a Sufi saint. An even more
interesting story is actually described by an American author Karen Chase in
her book “Jamali- Kamali, A Tale of Passion in Mughal India” where she mentions
that they were both homosexual partners.
A
more believable story however, says that Kamali was actually Jamali’s wife, a
woman who is now, after centuries, believed to be a man because of the name
Kamali which sounds a little masculine. Kamali died first and Jamali, who had
an important place in the royal court at that time, built a tomb for his
beloved wife. After Jamali’s own death, Emperor Humayun had him buried right
next to his wife in the tomb that Jamali had himself built during his life.
So,
that was the whole history and story of this beautiful site and now let us go
inside and have a look around the place.
Next, we will be checking out
the BALBAN’S TOMB..
(Balban’s tomb entry closed, renovation work going on for G20 summit )
So
here goes the history or story as we choose to call it... Ghiasuddin Balban
(1266–87) was of Turkish origin and one of the several ‘Slave rulers’ of the
early Delhi Sultanate. This thirteenth century tomb was probably the first
major building in India to use true arches and dome.
The
tomb of Balban is approached through an entrance gateway with column and beam
structure which is commonly seen in pre-Turk Indian architecture, for instance
in temples. The lintel and beam frame, which in a temple might have had a
corbel carved in the shape of an elephant face, is modified to simple decorative
form without any animal or human depiction to suit the tenets of Islam.
It
is a multi-chambered tomb, having one chamber on either side of the central
space. The building is constructed in rubble masonry, originally having true
arches and dome though the domes are no longer there today.
The
Qutab Minar can be viewed from the tomb. In the eastern chamber of the tomb lies
the grave of Balban’s son, known by the title Khan Shahid.
Now, for the story of the person himself …
Ghiyas-ud-din
Balban was the ninth and the last major ruler of the famed slave dynasty. A
Turk by origin Balban had a humble beginning as a water carrier boy, who was
captured by the Mongols and sold as a slave in the bazars of Ghazni,
Afghanistan.
The
word “slave” is actually a misnomer, as the slave traders provided education
and imparted military training to these slaves, because an educated slave with
military training would fetch a higher price.
This
is what happened with Balban, his master Khwaja Jamaluddin Basra, provided him
with education and military training. Many of these military trained educated
slaves rose to the positions of commanders and governors and even went on to
become kings and sultans.
Balban
followed the same path. He was purchased by Sultan Shamshuddin Iltutmish, who
was himself a slave. Balban rose rapidly under the patronage of Iltutmish.
During
his reign Balban used his unlimited funds to create a mausoleum in the middle
of what must have been a flourishing metropolis complete with bazars, mosques
and residential quarters. Sadly today as you can see the massive tomb, of
rubble masonry, lies in a miserable condition surrounded by further ruined
structure in Mehrauli Archaeological Park in south Delhi.
That
was all about the Balban’s tomb and the story associated with it.
From here we will walk towards RAJON KI BAOLI. The route is a bit long from here and
we will go and come back using the same route..
We
all know that, Delhi, despite its location beside the Yamuna, has always had
problems regarding the supply of water—brought on, partially, by the long and
extremely hot summer, and by the proximity to the arid zones of neighbouring
Haryana and Rajasthan. From early days, therefore, Delhi’s rulers began
establishing waterworks: dams, canals, artificial lakes and wells. Among the
last-named, some of the most prominent were the baolis, or step-wells.
So,
the Step wells ,which are known as baoli in Delhi, are called vaav in Gujarat
and barab in Maharashtra, and these are a unique form of architecture built
around the gigantic shaft of a well. You will se that , the construction is
simple, and consists of a well with a huge diameter and depth. Just on the
opposite side of the shaft is a broad staircase leading down to the water
level.
This
baoli that we are going to visit served as a residence of the mason or the
‘raaj mistri’ during the early 20th century and hence the name Rajon Ki Baoli. So
in this case the Rajon ki Baoli does not
mean ‘kings stepwell ’, but ‘masons stepwell’; This isn’t one of the deepest of
baolis and it only consists of three long flights of broad steps leading down
to the water. This is, however, one of Delhi’s more beautiful baolis.
Supposedly
built in 1506, during the reign of Sikandar Lodhi, the baoli has lovely arches
all along the sides, with some exquisite plasterwork—very distinctive of the
Lodhi period—along the arcade at the top of the baoli. Small narrow staircases lead to the
terrace of Rajon Ki Baoli, and offers a spectacular view of the Mehrauli region
.
The
Rajon ki Baoli was obviously meant to act not just as a source of water, but
also as a place of rest for thirsty travellers. This is why, besides the small
cells (used as rooms) which line the walls, there is a small and pretty mosque
here, decorated with more of the finely incised plasterwork. The mosque is small and simple but
still has an elegant look. In front of the mosque stands a domed pavilion
supported by 12 pillars. The dome is crowned with a floral motif finial and
only traces of blue ceramic tiles can be seen to this day.
In
addition, there’s a small tomb, in the form of a chhatri (a domed pavilion).
This, according to an inscription, was built by Daulat Khan, for Khwaja
Mohammad, in 1506.
Now
we will walk back towards the tomb of Quli khan.
The tomb of Quli Khan is located south-east of the Qutb Minar at a distance of 200 m. Built in the seventeenth century, the tomb stands at the edge of the Lal Kot, within the Archaeological Park.
In
the early 1840s, the tomb was converted into a residence with landscaped
gardens, terraces, and guesthouses by Thomas Metcalfe. This weekend retreat was
named Dilkusha. The main residence was planned with the tomb as its core. The
cenotaph from the centre of the tomb was removed and several rooms were added
to the outside of the tomb chamber. Landscaping was done by introducing water
channels and few structural additions bringing in the influence of the home
country.
The
large landscaped garden has separate west and east sections divided by a kuccha
(unpaved) pathway leading towards the canopy placed in the centre of the
garden. The canopy dates from the time of Metcalfe, though an attempt has been
made to mimic an older form. The western garden is enclosed by stone walls with
octagonal bastions on all three sides. The eastern garden has terraces formed
by stone retaining walls.
Located
midway in the northern side of the garden enclosure is a former gateway leading
to the Qutb Minar. This was converted by Metcalfe into an annex which
functioned as guest house. Within this building certain nineteenth-century
features such as a small pool, fi replace, etc. can be seen.
The
tomb is an octagonal domed structure standing on a 1.25 m high plinth. It has a
square plan from inside and an equal sided octagonal form from the exterior.
The tomb chamber can be accessed from all four directions through arched
openings.The dome rests on a drum constructed in the Lodi style. The parapet
and the drum of the dome have kangura (stylized motif that resembles
battlements but are strictly ornamental) details on all sides. Originally the
tomb was decorated with tile work, now visible only along the eastern façade.
The spandrels have Quranic inscription all along. Decorative medallions are
also present on either side of the spandrels.
The
interior of the tomb has brilliant ornamentation which has been recently
restored. There are decorative arches above the four entrances and at the
corners. The entries are flanked by square niches on either side. Above the
arched entries and the drum of the dome, open arched niches are present for
light and ventilation. The dome of the tomb has beautifully decorated
medallions, one in the centre and four on either side.
Today
the tomb structure retains few remains of the reconstructions made by Sir
Thomas Metcalfe. The exterior wall which was an addition made by Metcalfe
exists only on one side along with ruins of arched additions made at basement
level.
The
tomb provides a good view of the Qutb Minar which is nearby.
Going back one can take a look into the Rose Garden area.
On
exiting the gate near Jamali Kamali, we can walk towards the horse stables,
behind which is the “unknown Tomb” and Wall Mosque from the Lodi period.
The
structure of the mosque, is made of random rubble masonry and then plastered. You
can see verses from Koran and floral
patterns inscribed on the plaster on the parapet.
From
here too the Qutub is visible at a distance, but heavy rains spurring the growth of heavy foliage can mask the view.
This
finishes the walk inside the Mehrauli Archeological Park Complex.
OTHER MEHRAULI WALKS
(1) WALK INSIDE THE MEHRAULI ARCHEOLOGICAL COMPLEX
(2) QUTUB MINAR COMPLEX
(3) AROUND THE MEHRAULI AREA
(4) JAIN DADABARI AND SURROUNDINGS
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