Heritage Walks

The history of Delhi is fascinating and what adds to it is that several of the places, monuments have retained their historical identity and they are still relevant today. A brief peek into the interesting facets of Delhi is packed into the Heritage Walks conducted by many experts from time to time. There are several standard ones, several historians of Delhi do conduct such walks in collaboration with well known clubs or gratis. One of the easiest way to catch a glimpse of Delhi is through the two shows held at the majestic Red Fort and Purana Qila or Old Fort.

The Sound and Light show at Red Fort – Tuesdays to Sundays – Hindi Version – 7:30 – 8:30 pm and English Version – 9 to 10 pm.

Ishq hi Dilli at Purana Qila  – Monday to Sunday Hindi Version – 7:30 – 8:30 pm and English Version – 9 to 10 pm.

Other walks organized include – INTACH conducts heritage walks around Delhi. Details can be accessed from their site – www.intach.org . Delhi Heritage Walks conducted by Kanika Singh includes the Tughlakabad area, Chandni Chowk, Mehrauli…… There are some other walks like sampling of food of Chandni Chowk, the flower markets in Delhi, villages around Delhi….which are run from time to time. Most charge fees, there are a few which are new and more interesting. I will review some of these as we go along. May be in the future, I may start a few myself but not heritage, more contemporary of the present if you must!!!!

Lodhi Garden Turns 75 - Delhi's Muse

Lodi Gardens  - Delhi’s muse

If there were one modernistic icon which straggles the past and present and holds all of Delhi with fond memories, it is its green lung - the Lodi Gardens. It is the power house of oxygen literally for Delhi, given the acres of green area and figuratively, it is where the corridors of power meet informally at the time of their morning walk!!! A place to be literally seen enjoying nature for Delhi’s bold, beautiful and the powerful. This is where many politicians, bureaucrats, diplomats, expats, artists, writers…….take their pleasant morning walk. Or while away their time in the evening. It is a place where relationships are formed and deep friendships nurtured. For the old, it is nostalgia as it reminds them of what Delhi once used to be, covered by forest area. For the young, it is a charming laid back world, far from the maddening crowd. It has been much written about, it has been the setting and provided inspiration for many a book by well known authors, including that of Kushwant Singh.

Lodi Gardens is located at the heart of Delhi, very close to Khan Market, off Max Mueller Marg. It is spread over 90 acres and is a standing testimony that the monuments of the past built several centuries earlier can exist peacefully with modernistic restaurants, themed gardens, international influences and more. The history of the Gardens is very interesting. As per INTACH’s brochure it was once called Bagh-I-Jud, the burial grounds of the Sayyid and Lodi dynasty and the monuments are traced to the 15^th century. As a Garden, it was first developed in 1936 to preserve the beautiful monuments located around the area. It was Lady Willingdon, wife of the British Viceroy at that time, who is said to have fallen in love with place and was keen on setting up of the garden. The village around it was called Khairpur, the villagers were moved and the space was created for the park. The gardens were developed with a mix of trees native to India, exotic ones, plants of various hues. Thus the monuments were given a new lease of life. The park was Lady Willingdon Park, after Independence it was re-named Lodi Gardens. As a tribute to the several monuments of the Lodi period and Sayyid periods located in it. It was re-landscaped in 1968.

The Lodi Gardens are a historian’s delight for it houses a cluster of monuments. Of which the oldest of the monument is the Muhammad Shah Tomb. Muhammed Shah (1434-44) was the third ruler of the Sayyid dynasty. The octagonal pattern with Chhatris is the hallmark of this Tomb. The Bara Gumbad, its decorations includes stucco work. No one really knows who has been buried but the conjecture is that it was meant for a high official held in great esteem by Sikandar Lodi (1489-1517). On its West, it houses a beautiful small mosque, said to be built in 1494, which is decorated profusely with coloured tiles. The Sheesh Gumbad to have been built in the late 15^th century, gets its name from the tiles century, gets its name from the tiles that once decorated it. Hence the nomenclature glass or glazed dome. The remnants of the Persian blue tiles can still be seen. The Tomb of Sikandar Lodi is enclosed in a square garden which is enclosed within high walls. It also has a wall mosque on the west side. In all the monuments, the clever use of stone, the arches, the shapes are an architect’s delight. The Athpula getting its name from ath meaning 8 and pula meaning bridge or piers was built during the Mughal rule – Akbar’s reign (1556-1605). The bridge probably covered a part of the tributary of River Yamuna, unbelievable today that the river Yamuna once flowed through the heart of South Delhi!!! 

If the monuments are a historian’s delight, then the trees are a Nature lover’s quest. It houses more than a 100 variety of trees. Some local, some traditional Indian, some rare imported and cared to with great love. The National Bonsai Park was started in 1996, today it has a butterfly conservatory, rose garden with around 25 varieties of roses, Lily pond, herbal garden. A recent addition, the fragrant tree corner with 2000 trees of 21 species. It is home to several varieties of birds and little animals.  

Apart from these factual details, it is the undisturbed ambience which makes the Garden so special. It is ideal for picnics during winters and wonderful oasis of cool comfort in Delhi’s hot summer days. It makes one nostalgic for the good ole Delhi sans its traffic jams, dust and choc a block roads. Nevertheless it is literally one of the last remnants of what Delhi used to be once upon a time, lots of green areas and a laid back lifestyle. It is a 75 year young muse Delhi will not forget in a hurry!

(This appeared in the July 2011 issue of Air India magazine - erstwhile Swagat)

Garden of Five Senses

Garden of Five Senses, at Said ul ajaid, the heritage part of Mehrauli truly awakens the five senses. Yes - sight, touch, sound, smell and taste. The garden is beautifully planned, designed and maintained more as a prayer and ode to the maker for the gift of five senses we possess. The garden has aspects, which evokes each of these senses taking one beyond the real physical world to a dream like float of bliss. With Qutab Minar playing the backdrop at a distance it evokes dreams of a distant past. Spread over 20 acres, the architecture blends superbly with the ruins of Mehrauli. The stone columns, pillars, seating arrangements, amphi theatre all bring out aspects of architecture from Delhi’s historical past. The use of stainless steel in limited manner blends in the contemporary. An ideal blend of tradition with the modern is this project of the Delhi Tourism and Transport Development Corporation.

The ambience is one of simply doing nothing. The restaurants at both the gates offer spiced up products, the designer shops offer enough excuse to browse through and shop. It buzzes with activity during various festivals.

Location – Said Ul Ajaid, Saket. Turn in to the left as you come down the IIT crossing, just before the statue of Mahavir at Ahimsa Sthal. Then the first right in, there are directions all along. Follow the road to reach the Garden.

Timing – Open from 8 am to 8 pm on all days. Tickets – Rs. 15/- for adults, Rs. 10 for children (ages 3 to 10) and senior citizens. Plenty of space is available for parking. Parking cost Rs. 10/-.

Highlight - The installation by Kristine Michael, John Bowman’s tree, Enaz, Subodh Kerkar, Radhakrishnan..stand out as the Mughal era inspired char bagh style of garden. Try identifying the various trees - The kadam wood trees, camphor, pine, teak, rudraksha, kalpavriksh, kamandal…. The Trail of fragrance, appropriately named, appeals to the sense of smell. The aroma of champa, chameli, lavender, raat ki rani, rose and marigold is wonderful. Various varieties of palm can be seen. The bamboo garden houses a variety of rarely seen bamboos like black, green, Buddha and dwarf.

Insider Tip – The best time to visit is day time to catch the sun in winters and late evening in summers, when the ambience and the breeze is a welcome change from the furnace like environs of Delhi. In the evenings, the fountains work and with the dimmed light around, it is truly another world. The food including Fruit Beer, is welcome, though is a deservingly another blog. Public transport is not available so please be sure you have a vehicle to ferry you to and fro. For the conservative, “the romance in the air” can be irksome!!! The drive from the road to the Garden is beautiful and sets the tone to what is to follow.