World Heritage Day | This Sultana's tomb, a summer palace whisper tales of yore from lanes of Delhi

Delhi, the capital city of India, brims with history. It has been conquered by many a monarch, was lost in battles, destroyed by raiders, rebuilt by kings, looted by invaders and loved by poets. It has witnessed empires fall, dynasties crumble, poets lament over the loss, Sufis instil hope and faith among dwellers and in its bylanes, epochs traverse through centuries. 

Amid the manicured gardens, laid-out pavillions and neo-classical buildings of Lutyen's Delhi, some unidentified tombs, broken colonnades or ruins of forts and palaces, littered across the city, seem to narrate forgotten tales from the yore. The city that attracts millions of travellers every year due to the historical marvels it boasts of, seems to have forgotten the ruins that lay nonchalantly amid the mushrooming neighbourhoods. 

Tomb of Delhi's first empress 'Sultana Raziya' 

Every Sunday, the Qutub complex welcomes hundreds of visitors who stare in astonishment at the beauty of the Qutub Minar and its calligraphic carvings. The tourists also visit the Tomb of Iltutmish, the third Mamluk king who ruled Delhi in the 13th century. 

Almost an hour's drive from the Qutub Complex, in Old Delhi's Bulbuli Khana, lies the daughter of the Mamluk king and first empress of Delhi, with hardly any visitors. Navigating through the serpentines lanes, one suddenly finds an Archaeological Survey of India's (ASI) board, cramped in a corner, which reads "the grave is said to be of Sultana Razia, who succeeded her father Sultan Iltutmish". 

The desolate grave of Delhi Sultanate's first and last woman emperor is a place lost in the oblivion of the time wheel. The mausoleum, which also includes a mosque, inhabits two tombs and it still remains a mystery which one belongs to the Sultana and who lies in the other grave. 

While speaking to WION about the mystery over the tombs, former convenor INTACH Delhi chapter Swapna Liddle said, "The confusion may always remain. Sultana Raziya was buried in obscurity because her brother, who was her successor, did not want to give her much publicity." 

"Therefore, her tomb is small and modest, and also easily overlooked," said the historian and author. 

What adds to its obscurity is its very unpopular location and inaccessibility. 

"Sultana Raziya as the only female monarch of Delhi deserves to have a proper memorial of her reign. Her grave should have a better approach and access," says historian and author Rana Safvi. 

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Zafar's summer palace

In Mehrauli stands the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar's summer palace, which is now just another remnant of the empire's opulent past. The palace that the Mughals constructed before their fall has now become the habitat of gamblers and alcoholics. 

In its golden days, Zafar along with the royal entourage visited the summer palace during monsoons and from there they set off for the jharna in a royal procession to celebrate Phoolwaalon Ki Sair, the annual celebration by Delhi's flower sellers. 

Speaking to WION on its deteriorating condition, Safvi said, "Zafar Mahal is in a desolate state. It is the last monument built by the Mughals and is a symbol of our syncretism as the centre of the Phoolwaalon Ki Sair. It has so much history."  

Before Zafar was exiled to Rangoon by the British Empire, the emperor had wished to be buried in this place beside his family members. However, fate had other plans and the emperor was hurriedly buried in exile on November 7, 1862. 

The empty grave today stands as a testimony to his verse - "Kitna hai badnaseeb Zafar, dafan ke liye do gaz zameen bhi na milii, ku e yaar mein (How unfortunate is Zafar! Even two yards was not in his fate for burial in the beloved land). 

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Shalimar Bagh – Aurangzeb's 'coronation site'

A small gate separates a children's public park, located in northwest Delhi, to a hardly known and not easily accessible Shalimar Bagh, which was the first coronation site of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. 

Present amid the garden is the Sheesh Mahal which has turned into a dilapidated ruin. The place once became the spot chosen in haste to coronate the king after the astrologers predicted the auspicious day – July 21, 1658 – for the ceremony. 

It was a hasty coronation ceremony with no Khutba (recital in the mosque) read in the name of the monarch and no coins struck. The garden was originally built by Mughal king Shah Jahan and was later used as a summer lodge by East India Company's Sir David Ochterlony & Lord Metcalfe. 

Talking about the lack of accessibility to the historical site Liddle said, "It is a pity that it is often kept locked. It should be kept well-maintained, with appropriate signage and it should be accessible to visitors." 

Recently, the Archaeological Survey of India announced that it will be giving a facelift to the 17th-century monument which will include the revival of the old water channel running between the two pavilions while setting up the decorative fountains in the garden. 

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