Delhi Heritage Walks by Rohit Sanatani

These heritage walks are organised by Rohit Sanatani, a young architect from Kolkata. His passion in the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal architecture comes out from the heritage walks organised by him. The following are two of his most recent organised heritage walks of the unexplored tombs in Delhi. If you take a keen interest on such unexplored monuments, come just Rohit in his walks.

The Hidden Tombs of the Sayyids and Lodis

The Sayyid and Lodi dynasties of the Delhi Sultanate have graced the city with a number of beautiful mosques and tombs. While the most celebrated of these are situated within Lodi Gardens, there are numerous others, which are of equal architectural significance and grandeur, but are rarely visited. These lesser-known structures are scattered around different parts of the modern metropolis, usually remaining hidden within modern residential pockets.

A small group of such tombs are dotted across modern day South Extension I, around Kotla Mubarakpur village, which was once the walled tomb enclosure of the second Sayyid Sultan, Mubarak Shah. This walk will focus on exploring and appreciating these less celebrated, yet architecturally valuable structures that lie within this area. Participants will engage with these monuments primarily from an architectural standpoint, against the backdrop of the typical stylistic configurations of tombs dating from this period. Examples of structures from the three main stylistic categories – the twelve pillared tomb, the square tomb, and the octagonal tomb – will be touched upon. Kicking off from outside the Tanishq showroom on Ring Road, the route will weave through the tomb of Kale Khan, the tomb of Darya Khan Lohani, the tombs of Bade and Chhote Khan, and that of Bhure Khan, before terminating at the splendid tomb of Mubarak Shah Sayyid, which was a precursor to the grand octagonal tombs at Lodi Gardens. Drawing upon the necessary historical context, the walk will thus explore these hidden gems from this less hyped, yet architecturally prolific phase of the Sultanate. It is highly recommended for those with an interest in the evolution of Delhi’s architecture, or with a knack for exploring places that are off-the-beaten-track.

Sultangarhi and Early Islamic Tomb Architecture in India

The tomb of Nasiruddin Mahmud, eldest son of Iltutmish, is arguably the first monumental Islamic tomb to have been constructed on Indian soil. Tucked away from public view, barely a hundred meters off the Mehrauli Mahipalpur Road, this monument is a splendid example of early sultanate architecture in Delhi. It was constructed around 1231 AD, on a site that was probably occupied by a temple. Numerous architectural elements (including columns and lintels) originally belonging to the temple were used in its construction. The presence of an octagonal crypt serving as the tomb chamber throws open the possibility of a part of of the temple’s original spatial layout being appropriated and integrated into the new structure.

This heritage walk focused on exploring these numerous questions that this unique monument throws open. Having been repaired in the mid-1300s by Firoz Shah Tughlaq, this structure has a richly layered architectural history. Here’s the walk description below:

“Tombs are perhaps some of the most commonly found structures of medieval Islamic architecture in India. Across the subcontinent, we find magnificent examples of monumental funerary structures, erected in the memory of the departed. Tomb architecture greatly evolved through the Sultanate and Mughal periods, producing jewels such as the Tomb of Humayun in Delhi or the Tomb of Sher Shah Suri at Sasaram, and reaching its peak, one may say, with the celebrated Taj Mahal at Agra.

The evolution of tomb architecture in India, however, had very humble beginnings. The earliest monumental Islamic tomb on Indian soil was erected in Delhi by Iltutmish, a few miles away from Qila Raipithora, the fortress of the early Sultans. The tomb, popularly known as Sultan Ghari, is that of Nasiruddin Mahmud, the eldest son of Iltutmish, who died in battle while attempting to conquer Lakhnauti in modern Bengal. Constructed in 1231 AD, this structure stands today as one of the most splendid and architecturally significant examples of early Sultanate tomb building. It is also one of the very few surviving Islamic monuments constructed in India before the ‘true arch’ became a common structural device.

Drawing upon the related theoretical framework and historical context, this walk will take participants on an architectural journey to the modest beginnings of tomb building in the country. It will also explore the ruins of a village that had emerged around this tomb, including the remains of what are believed to be the oldest surviving examples of residential architecture in Delhi.”