Lodi Gardens is a city park situated in
New Delhi
New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament Ho ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. Spread over ,
it contains
Mohammed Shah's Tomb, the
Tomb of Sikandar Lodi, the
Shisha Gumbad and the
Bara Gumbad
Bara Gumbad () is a medieval monument located in Lodhi Gardens in Delhi, India. It is part of a group of monuments that include a Friday mosque (Jama Masjid) and the "''mehman khana''" (guest house) of Sikandar Lodhi, the ruler of the Delhi Sult ...
,
architectural works of the 15th century by
Lodis - who ruled parts of
northern India
North India is a loosely defined region consisting of the northern part of India. The dominant geographical features of North India are the Indo-Gangetic Plain and the Himalayas, which demarcate the region from the Tibetan Plateau and Central ...
and
Punjab
Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising a ...
and
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (; ps, خېبر پښتونخوا; Urdu, Hindko: خیبر پختونخوا) commonly abbreviated as KP or KPK, is one of the Administrative units of Pakistan, four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, ...
province of modern-day
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
, from 1451 to 1526. The site is now protected by the
Archaeological Survey of India
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexand ...
(ASI).
The gardens are situated between
Khan Market
Khan Market, is a shopping district and retail market in New Delhi, India. It was established in 1951 by the newly constituted Republic of India's Rehabilitation Ministry to give economic opportunities to refugees of the Partition of India, es ...
and
Safdarjung's Tomb
Safdarjung's tomb is a sandstone and marble mausoleum in Delhi, India. It was built in 1754 in the late Mughal Empire style for Nawab Safdarjung. The monument has an ambience of spaciousness and an imposing presence with its domed and arched ...
on
Lodi Road and is a popular spot for morning walks for the
Delhites.
Architecture
In the middle of the gardens is the ''
Bara Gumbad
Bara Gumbad () is a medieval monument located in Lodhi Gardens in Delhi, India. It is part of a group of monuments that include a Friday mosque (Jama Masjid) and the "''mehman khana''" (guest house) of Sikandar Lodhi, the ruler of the Delhi Sult ...
'' ("Big Dome"), it consists of a large rubble-construct dome and is not a tomb but was constructed as a gateway to either the attached three domed ''
masjid'' (
mosque
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
) or a large walled enclosure. Both the Bara Gumbad and the mosque were built in 1494 during the reign of Sikander Lodi, there is also a residence surrounding a central courtyard, where the remains of a water tank can be seen. Opposite the ''
Bara Gumbad
Bara Gumbad () is a medieval monument located in Lodhi Gardens in Delhi, India. It is part of a group of monuments that include a Friday mosque (Jama Masjid) and the "''mehman khana''" (guest house) of Sikandar Lodhi, the ruler of the Delhi Sult ...
'' is the ''
Shisha Gumbad'' ("mirror dome") for the glazed tiles used in its construction, which contains graves, whose occupants are not clearly identifiable (either an unknown family of Sikandar Lodi's court or
Bahlul Lodi
Bahlul Khan Lodi (12 July 1489) was the chief of the Pashtun Lodi tribe. Founder of the Lodi dynasty from the Delhi Sultanate upon the abdication of the last claimant from the previous Sayyid rule. Bahlul became sultan of the dynasty on 19 A ...
).
To the north of the garden are the remains of a stream which may once have run as far as the
Yamuna River
The Yamuna ( Hindustani: ), also spelt Jumna, is the second-largest tributary river of the Ganges by discharge and the longest tributary in India. Originating from the Yamunotri Glacier at a height of about on the southwestern slopes of Ba ...
, and by its side is the
Tomb of Sikandar Lodi. This structure still has the battlements enclosing it. Visible from
Sikander's tomb is the ''Athpula'' ("Eight Piered") Bridge, one of the few monuments in Delhi that were built during the reign of
Mughal Emperor
The Mughal emperors ( fa, , Pādishāhān) were the supreme heads of state of the Mughal Empire on the Indian subcontinent, mainly corresponding to the modern countries of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. The Mughal rulers styled t ...
Akbar,
[SAIL to make Lodi Garden ‘stainless'](_blank)
The Times of India
''The Times of India'', also known by its abbreviation ''TOI'', is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by The Times Group. It is the third-largest newspaper in India by circulation and largest ...
, Saurabh Sinha, TNN 14 August 2005. it contains seven arches, amongst which the central one being the largest.
The tomb of Mohammed Shah, the last of the Sayyid dynasty rulers, the earliest of the tombs in the garden, was built in 1444 by Ala-ud-din Alam Shah as a tribute to Mohammed Shah. The tomb is octagonal in shape, with numerous ornamental Hindu-style chhatris around the central dome, numerous arches, verandahs and sloping buttresses. There are turrets at each corner. The main tomb is supported by a 16-sided drum. It is of a flattened type and is surrounded by
chhatris
''Chhatri'' are elevated, dome-shaped pavilions used as an element in Indo-Islamic architecture and Indian architecture. Originating as a canopy above tombs, they serve as decorative elements. The earliest example of chhatri being used in the ...
, which make it look diminutive compared to its substantially larger base. Several years later, the
Tomb of Sikandar Lodi seems to have been copied from this Sayyid tomb.
As there is little architecture dating to the Sayyid and the Lodi periods still standing, Lodi Gardens is an important archaeological site. The tomb of Mohammed Shah is visible from Lodi Road, and is the earliest structure in the gardens. It is a good example of a combination of the Hindu and Islamic styles of architecture. The Hindu features include eight chhatris, each of them capped by a lotus finial with a decorative band around the base; corner ornamental pinnacles (guldastas)and
chhajja.
[ ]
Gallery
File:Shisha Gumbad at Lodhi Garden, New Delhi.jpg, Shisha Gumbad, Lodi Gardens
File:Bada Gumbad, a three domed masjid (mosque), Lodhi Gardens, Delhi.jpg, The three domed mosque, adjacent to Bada Gumbad
Bara Gumbad () is a medieval monument located in Lodhi Gardens in Delhi, India. It is part of a group of monuments that include a Friday mosque (Jama Masjid) and the "''mehman khana''" (guest house) of Sikandar Lodhi, the ruler of the Delhi Sulta ...
, Lodi Gardens.
File:Athpula (eight piered) Bridge in Lodi gardens.JPG, The eight piered bridge in Lodi gardens
File:Lake at Lodhi Gardens.jpg, A goose stands beside the lake at Lodi Gardens
File:Walled enclosure of the Sikander Lodi's Tomb.jpg, Walled enclosure of the Sikander Lodi
Sikandar Khan Lodi (died 21 November 1517), born Nizam Khan, was a Pashtun Sultan of the Delhi Sultanate between 1489 and 1517. He became ruler of the Lodi dynasty after the death of his father Bahlul Khan Lodi in July 1489. The second and most ...
's Tomb
File:Sheesh Gumbad and Bara Gumbad.jpg, Shisha Gumbad in front and Bara Gumbad
Bara Gumbad () is a medieval monument located in Lodhi Gardens in Delhi, India. It is part of a group of monuments that include a Friday mosque (Jama Masjid) and the "''mehman khana''" (guest house) of Sikandar Lodhi, the ruler of the Delhi Sult ...
with Mosque at back
File:Tomb of Mohammad Shah.jpg, The tomb of Mohammed Shah known as Mubarak Khan- Ka-Gumbaz
File:Tomb of Sikandar Lodi (1 of 1).jpg, Tomb of Sikandar Lodi Built 1494 A.D.
File:Lodi Garden Mosque, a heritage building in the Lodi Garden 04.jpg, A Mosque including four walls of an enclosed garden
See also
*
The Lodhi
The Lodhi is an Indian luxury hotel located in Lutyens' Delhi. The property is spread across seven acres near the Lodhi Gardens, which is at the centre of the Indian capital city. It is the only Indian hotel among The Leading Hotels of the World ...
*
Delhi Sultanate
*
Sunder Nursery
Sunder Nursery, formerly called Azim Bagh or Bagh-e-Azeem, is a 16th-century heritage park complex adjacent to the Humayun's Tomb, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Delhi. Originally known as Azim Bagh and built by the Mughals in the 16th century, ...
*
List of Monuments of National Importance in Delhi
This is a list of Monument of National Importance, Monuments of National Importance (ASI) as officially recognized by and available through the website of the Archaeological Survey of India in the Indian union territory Delhi. The monument identi ...
*
Bara Gumbad
Bara Gumbad () is a medieval monument located in Lodhi Gardens in Delhi, India. It is part of a group of monuments that include a Friday mosque (Jama Masjid) and the "''mehman khana''" (guest house) of Sikandar Lodhi, the ruler of the Delhi Sult ...
*
Shisha Gumbad
*
Sikandar Lodi
Sikandar Khan Lodi (died 21 November 1517), born Nizam Khan, was a Pashtun Sultan of the Delhi Sultanate between 1489 and 1517. He became ruler of the Lodi dynasty after the death of his father Bahlul Khan Lodi in July 1489. The second and most ...
*
Tomb of Bahlul Lodi
Bahlul Lodi's tomb is a building situated in Delhi, India, which is allegedly the tomb of an emperor of Delhi Sultanate and the founder of Lodi Dynasty, Bahlul Lodi (Reign:1451-1489 A.D). The tomb is located in a historic settlement, Chirag Delh ...
*
Ibrahim Lodhi's Tomb
*
Tomb of Sikandar Lodi
*
Khwaja Khizr Tomb
Khwaja Khizr Tomb is a maqbara located at Jatwara, Sonipat
Sonipat is a city, municipal corporation and administrative headquarter in Sonipat district of Haryana state of India. It comes under the National Capital Region and is around from N ...
References
Further reading
* ''Sunday at the Lodi Gardens'', by Vinay Dharwadker. Published by Viking, 1994.
* ''Lalkot to Lodi Gardens: (Delhi of Sultans)'', by Ranjit Sinha. Published by South Asia Books, 1996.
External links
Lodi Gardensat ''
wikimapia
Wikimapia is a geographic online encyclopedia project. The project implements an interactive "clickable" web map that utilizes Google Maps with a geographically-referenced wiki system, with the aim to mark and describe all geographical objects ...
''
{{Authority control
Parks in Delhi
Lodi dynasty
Architecture in India
Architecture of the Delhi Sultanate
Monuments and memorials in Delhi
Gardens in India
Burial sites of the Lodi dynasty
Protected areas with year of establishment missing