The Mehrauli Archaeological Park

Mehrauli is one of the oldest continuously inhabited parts of Delhi, with a history going back at least as far as 736 AD, when the Tomar citadel Lal Kot was built by Anangpal I. Now there are many historical monuments in the Mehrauli district, but I chose to start off with the moderately obscure Mehrauli Archaeological Park, wedged between the Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road, the Qutub Complex and the residential section of modern Mehrauli.

Getting here is not hard. From the Qutub Minar metro station, head north along the Mehrauli-Gurgaon road for about 600 metres. The entrance will be on your left, marked by a Delhi Development Authority signboard listing do's and don'ts in the park. For those with cars, you can drive in about 200 metres to a parking lot near the Jamali Kamali mosque. Alternatively, there is an obscure entrance near a spiral ramp folly (courtesy Sir Thomas Metcalfe, mentioned below) on the road leading into the Qutub Complex. A small practical note - there are absolutely no facilities here - no toilets, no food and water, and no guides (this is actually more of a blessing). Come prepared! You can run through the park on a whistle-stop tour in around two to three hours, but a leisurely walk coupled with spending time at the monuments will take longer, and is thoroughly enjoyable. 

Starting at the entrance to the park and walking 20 metres up the path, there is an archway to your right. This is the entrance to the tomb of Ghiyas-ud-din Balban, the 9th Sultan of the Mamluk Dynasty (ruled 1266 - 1287). 

Entrance to Balban's Tomb

For some context, Balban was of Turkic origin and was a slave changing hands between owners, till he wound up in Delhi as the slave of Iltutmish. He was educated and served in important roles, including that of Wazir to the 8th Sultan Nasir-ud-din Mahmud, whose daughter Balban married. On Nasir-ud-Din's death with no male heir, Balban became Sultan.

Walking in through through the gateway, you see what is regarded as the first example of true arches and a true dome (using the principle of a keystone, to allow the arches to distribute loads efficiently) in the Indian subcontinent. So this is a piece of history here, though the dome hasn't made it to the 21st century. The structure wasn't particularly ornate, and I noticed that the grave of Balban itself was missing. In a chamber to the east of the main chamber is the grave of Khan Shaheed, supposedly the favourite son of Balban, who died in Multan while fighting off a Mongol raid.

Arches and a Broken Dome - Balban's Tomb

Rear Entrance - Balban's Tomb

Grave of Khan Shaheed

Plaster work with Calligraphy - Balban's Tomb

 Moving on from Balban's tomb, I walked up a flight of stairs to the right of the tomb complex. This brought me to a rather extensive set of ruins, probably those of a medieval settlement that existed here. It's easy to walk around and imagine what it must have been like to live here. There are recesses in the walls for lamps and the stone walls are thick and held together with mortar.

Ruins of Medieval Settlement I 

Ruins of Medieval Settlement II

Walking through till the end, I made my way to the Jamali Kamali, a complex with a mosque and a tomb. The 'Jamali' referred to here is Shaikh Fazl-ullah aka Jalal Khan aka Shaikh Jamali Kamboh, a poet and Sufi saint who lived in the 1500s, through Lodhi and Mughal rule. For context, he was the tutor of Ibrahim Lodhi, one of the Sultans of Delhi. The mosque itself is a pleasant enough structure, but the real gem here is the mazar, or tomb, of Jamali. 

Jamali Kamali Mosque with Empty Pool

Jamali Kamali Mosque Entrance

Inside Jamali Kamali Mosque

When I got here, the entrance to the mausoleum was locked and I asked the ASI caretaker to let me in (of course, he was looking for a handout at the end, but I'm happy to have seen the structure). The inside of the tomb was pretty, for want of a better term, and very intricately carved. In the tomb area, there are several graves that are unmarked. However, one stands out because it has a canopy over it. The caretaker told me that it belongs to Jamali's grandmother ... slightly incredible, but unverifiable.

Jamali Kamali Tomb

Graves of Jamali and Kamali

Intricate Roof of Jamali Kamali Mazar

Lattice Window and Ornamentation - Jamali Kamali Mazar

Canopy over the grave of possibly Jamali's grandmother

 My next stop was Metcalfe's Canopy, just across Jamali Kamali, on top of a rise. Sir Thomas Metcalfe was the Resident at the Mughal court of Bahadur Shah II. He decided to maintain a country home here, and purchased Quli Khan's tomb for that purpose. His desire to landscape the gardens around it resulted in the existence of a few follies (architectural oddities intended to be decorative), one of which is this canopy. It seems to have become a comfortable picnic spot and was teeming with activity when I arrived in the early afternoon.

Jamali Kamali from Metcalfe's Canopy

Continuing down the path and turning right at a T-junction in the pathway, I came to a rather steep set of steps leading up to the tomb of Quli Khan, the 'foster' brother of Mughal emperor Akbar, and one of his generals (later I realized that the other way around was much less onerous). In the 1800s, Metcalfe (mentioned above) purchased it, naming it the Dilkusha, and the land around it to create his country home. The tomb was intended to be ornamental. In land around it, he built a house and more follies.

Tomb of Quli Khan, Metcalfe's Dilkusha

Dilkusha and Folly

Metcalfe's House with Qutub Minar in the Background

Finally, retracing steps down the pathway and continuing past the T-junction, I wound up at Rajon ki Baoli, a Lodhi period 3 story step-well. To the side is a mosque and tomb complex. The name comes from the allusion to the use of the step-well by masons (the Hindi word for which is 'raj'). Climbing up a flight of stairs to the side of the Baoli, one reaches to Mosque, from where one can climb up to the roof for some very refreshing views.

Rajon ki Baoli

Steps leading down to the water- Rajon ki Baoli

Mosque and Tomb - Rajon ki Baoli

Tomb - Rajon ki Baoli

There are other structures in the Mehrauli Archaeological Park, but most of them are of relative insignificance (until we know better). It's a wonderful place to spend a morning, walking around in relative isolation. It lacks the air of civility of Lodhi gardens, and the order of the nearby Qutub Complex, with the jungle fighting for space with the ruins. However, it's quiet and history hangs thick in the air. And there are gems of architecture around every turn. I think it was a day well spent.


For a map of the area with the monuments marked out, please see below:


View Mehrauli Archaeological Park in a larger map

Alternatively, visit the following link: http://g.co/maps/zea2u