Dil ki basti bhi shehar dilli hai; Jo bhi guzra usee ne loota.
(City of love too is Delhi; all those who have passed through have looted it.)
Khwaja Mir ‘Dard’
Mehrauli Archeological Park, Delhi
Queen Durgavati of Jabalpur stopped the Mughals from advancing further. That doesn’t stop me from taking you to witness the grandiose Mughal and other Islamic heritage at India’s capital over the eras, Delhi.
I could compare Delhi with a veiled woman. You can see her obvious sketchy silhouette but little else. She is visible but leaves much more to be explored. My discovery of Delhi begins from its oldest ruins. The ruins in Mehrauli Archeological Park (MAP). These heritage relics straddle many medieval reigns and kingdoms.
A few other sites in Delhi may be argued to be older. Mahabharata era excavations were found in Purana Qila (Old Fort). Also at Agrasen (Ugrasen) ki Baoli (stepwell), built by Maharaja Agrasen (Ugrasen). But the current Baoli was rebuilt in the 14th century.
If we take these claims with a pinch of salt, Mehrauli Archeological Park stands apart as the oldest. With structures from the 11th century CE to the late 17th-early 18th century.
Jamali-Kamali Complex
A nondescript entry gate takes you to the first of the Mehrauli ruins, the graves of Jamali-Kamali and a mosque. Believed to be constructed in the reign of Babur, it is dedicated to the Sufi saint Sheikh Hamid bin Fazlu’llah. His pseudonym was Jamali. There are no clear indications to who Kamali was. A fellow Sufi, partner, or even possibly a woman. The mosque shows a typical Mughal architectural facade of a verandah with arches. In red sandstone with marble trimmings, the prayer wall of the mosque has niches with rich carvings.
Adjacent to the mosque is the twin tombs of Jamali and Kamali. The mausoleum has a small door leading in. The wall across the door has a window with a jaali (latticed screen). The walls, alcoves, and ceiling show exquisite inlay work. The entry to this room is restricted. Waqf Board treats it as a mosque where people may pray, while the Archeological Survey of India looks at it as a heritage site.
Balban’s Tomb Complex
Rubbles of stones, reminiscent of an earlier grandiose structure, greet us as we walk out of the Jamali-Kamali complex. Seen strewn around are a multitude of graves from the Slave Dynasty. A powerful kingdom that ruled India with an iron fist. Balban (1266-1287), a slave turned Emperor, and his son lay here. As the dynasty, only ruins of the conquerors live on in history.
The first ruin is said to be of the burial place of Balban’s son, Mohammed. All one can see now are mangled remains. Walking further and down a few steps, a small but aesthetic tomb in red sandstone stops us. Intricate Persian calligraphy adorns it. Balban’s tomb. As it is with history, contradictions are galore. Some say it’s Balban’s eldest son, Mohammed’s.
This tomb complex has the first-of-its-kind feature. True arches and a true dome, unknown to Indian architects, were first seen here in the subcontinent. A true arch has a semi-circular arrangement of stones, with its keystone supporting it. The domes have collapsed long ago but vestiges of one small and another large dome are visible. Remains of the arch, though, are still intact. Remarkable is its architecture! And these ruins bring back the memories of an epic era gone by.
