“No one is actually dead until the ripples they cause in the world die away.”
Terry Pratchett
Hauz Khas Precinct Walk Part II, Delhi
Hauz Khas Enclave, a part of the old city of Siri, is an elite neighbourhood in South Delhi. What makes it so are the monuments interspersed with open spaces amidst the urban clusters. As if the well-heeled residents deserve the dash of the past more than the Junta, however gruesome it may be.
The precinct has structures from the Khilji dynasty and tombs of unknown descents from the Tughlaq era. So, even if you don’t live there, a walk of around 2 kilometres is time well spent. The best place to start is Chor Minar, within Kaushalya Enclave and end at Biran ka Gumbad, in Green Park extension, opposite the main market.
Chor Minar
My previous post on Hauz Khas highlighted Alauddin Khilji’s rout of the Mongols. And he did so multiple times. As if humiliating them in a battle wasn’t enough, he beheaded the captured soldiers. As a lesson for other aggressors, he stuck their heads on a structure created for the very purpose.
This is the Chor Minar, a pillar for thieves. Later, the pillar was used to hang convicted criminals too. Made of rubble masonry, the tower sports 225 holes. Sitting in a circle within the posh Kaushalya enclave, I am sure it strikes fearsome thoughts.
Dadi-Poti Tombs
Twin tombs, one large and the other smaller in comparison, stand at a sloped plot a kilometre away from Chor Minar, in the Green Park extension. The names mean grandmother-granddaughter, but no evidence points to the buried gentry. The ASI documents mention them as Biwi-Bandi tombs, referring to the wife and mistress of some nobleman.
The larger of the two is from the Lodi period with arched windows and appears double storeyed, similar to the tombs at Lodi Garden. Its ceiling sports Koranic inscriptions that have seen better days. Two cenotaphs, many arched niches and roundels make up the interior.
The twin is smaller and with no decorations. A large garden surrounds the two.
Barah Khamba (Twelve-Pillars)
People often confuse this tomb with the Barakhamba at Connaught Place, but this grave is a few hundred metres away from Dadi-Poti tombs. Supposed to be from the Lodi period, the building doesn’t have any graves inside but a few outside.
As the name suggests, the square construct has twelve pillars. Sitting on high ground, the small garden complex has ruins of a well and a bastion-like structure within it.
Sakri Gumti (Narrow Dome) and Chhoti Gumti (Small Dome)
Gumti is an unusual word for tombs. Makbara is the more used term, but in the Hauz Khas area, three such tombs stand. One within the Deer Park, Kaali Gumti (Black Dome), and two opposite the Barah Khamba Tomb. The Sakri Gumti is a Lodi period tomb, and the dome is so narrow that two adults can’t stand side-by-side. A peculiar wall is on one side of the tomb whose importance is unknown. The structure has no grave, and the arches and ornamentation suggest it could have been a gateway, but no evidence exists to that.
Across the road is Chhoti Gumti, a larger tomb. It stands on a low platform with arches dominating the four sides. Kangooray (battlement ornamentation) line the bald dome that has a hint of a blooming lotus on the top. Again, a Lodi era edifice.
Biran ka Gumbad (Brother’s Dome)
The last stop on the walk is Biran ka Gumbad. Also from the Lodi period, this is very similar to the Dadi-Poti tombs with arched niches and appearing two-storeyed. A ruined well with its drawing wheel still exists in the complex. The colossal size of the tomb and ornamentation implies it to be of a nobleman.
After the long walk satisfying our soul, it’s gratifying that food is just a few metres away. The Hauz Khas village with its mouth-watering digs is around the corner, so is the highlight of the area, the Madrassa and fort complex.
