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Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
Delhiwale: Nizamuddin East's vanished five
Delhi city's Nizamuddin East colony is home to the rich and celebrated, including a filmmaker whose son is likely to become New York City's next mayor. Her tiptop terrace has a view of Humayun's Tomb as well as Rahim's Tomb. Indeed, almost every upper-story apartment in Nizamuddin East has a view of at least one of these two historical tombs (see photo). Some houses show both these tombs. A few show one more--the so-called Barber's Tomb. A very few show all the three--plus the Neela Gumbad tomb! Nearly every upper-floor apartment in Nizamuddin East overlooks at least one of these two historic tombs (as seen in the photo). (HT Photo) Not many people however are aware—not even 'Niz East' wale!— that Nizamuddin East itself stands on the site of vanished monuments. This is a truth confirmed by Ratish Nanda of Aga Khan Trust for Culture, that has been actively involved with restoration projects in the much larger Hazrat Nizamuddin area. This afternoon, at his office in Sunder Nursery garden, he takes out his worn copy of Maulvi Zafar Hasan's Monuments of Delhi: Lasting Splendours of the Great Mughals and Others. Published in 1916, the book lists hundreds of monument, some of which has now vanished. Ratish Nanda points out five disappeared monuments that stood where Nizamuddin East is. First vanished monument The square-shaped tomb stood on a stone platform. Each side had a doorway, topped by a latticed window. The identity of the grave was a mystery. Second vanished monument It too was a tomb, its identity too a mystery. The dome had collapsed by the time the book was written. The grave too was gone. Third vanished monument It was the stone gateway to a walled garden. The garden was named after a man called Fazil Khan. Fourth vanished monument This stone gateway marked either the entry to an extinct tomb, or to an extinct garden. It too has gone unsung. Fifth vanished monument This was a major monument, and stood on a hillock. It was the tomb of Darab Khan, a son of poet Rahim—the same Rahim whose grand tomb continues to grace Nizamuddin East. By the time the book was written, the central dome of Darab Khan's makbara had already collapsed, the debris choking up parts of the edifice. That said, the monument's total erasure is a profound loss. (While Darab Khan was lucky to have his own tomb, nobody would want his fate. The poor man was beheaded by a Mughal general, who wrapped the severed head in a cloth and sent it to his father, Rahim, as 'the present of a melon.')
Hindustan Times
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Delhi-based actors Rajesh Tailang, Sanjeeta Bhattacharya react to Sunder Nursery video: Delhiites often lack civic sense
Days after the video showing visitors jumping into a pond at Delhi's Sunder Nursery went viral, the public response has only grown louder — and sharper. And now, it has celebrities like Rajesh Tailang and Sanjeeta Bhattacharya weighing in on the issue, too. Actors Rajesh Tailang and Sanjeeta Bhattacharya have reacted to the video of visitors entering a water body at Delhi's Sunder Nursery. The Instagram Reel, captioned 'SWIMMING POOL IN SUNDER NURSERY,' captured several groups of adults and children wading and splashing in one of the heritage site's water bodies during rainfall on June 29 (Sunday). Posted on Instagram on July 1, the clip has now clocked over 399k views and 5k comments, and continues to draw widespread criticism. Actor Rajesh Tailang, who regards Delhi as home — having gone to the National School of Drama here — called out the behaviour. 'I've often visited Sundar Nursery with close friends, and each visit has been a calming experience, surrounded by nature and history. It inspires a sense of responsibility to preserve both. But this recent incident reflects not just insensitivity, but also reminds me, sadly, how lacking we Delhiites often are when it comes to civic sense," the NSD alumnus tells us. Delhi-based actor and singer Sanjeeta Bhattacharya also echoed this sentiment and questioned the absence of intervention: 'As long as people aren't breaking rules, things should be fine. [But in this case] did they (the people in the video) not know this was not allowed? If so, was security not there at the time?' The site is managed by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture. According to the management, the unauthorised activity lasted for 17 minutes. Architect Ratish Nanda, the trust's CEO, informs: 'Sunder Nursery boasts of several water bodies. However, at none is public access to the water permitted. On Sunday, 29 June, a group of visitors ignored the clear signs prohibiting entry into the water and, with the onset of rains, entered the water channel at the Gardens of Delight for a total of 17 minutes from 8.02pm to 8.19pm. Fortunately, nobody was hurt and the fountains, lights and other electric equipment in the water channel were not damaged. We are grateful that many visitors aided the guards in ensuring that the inappropriate and dangerous activity was brought to a halt within minutes." As the video continues to circulate, many social media users have expressed fear that such incidents could result in tighter rules or reduced access to one of Delhi's most beloved public spaces. And while the rain may have invited a moment of indulgence, the city's growing backlash is clear: Sunder Nursery is a heritage site, not a water park For more, follow @
Time of India
30-05-2025
- Time of India
Ditch day plans, unwind by Delhi's lakes on summer evenings
Want to hang out with family and friends, but the sweltering heat is stopping you? Step out when the sun goes down and head to one of Delhi's many lakes, where the vibes are cool, the skies turn gold, and there's a lot to do – or not – as you unwind amid nature. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now From taking a walk with your doggo and listening to the birds sing to enjoying a boat ride – the city's water bodies offer a relatively cool and pretty chill way to spend summer evenings. We take you through the scenic lakeside spots in the city that you can visit over the weekend. Naini Lake A North Delhi gem, Naini Lake is perfect for paddle boating and evening strolls. 'The lake is visited by many residents and college-goers in the evening. A 30-minute paddle boat ride costs Rs130 for four people. The motorboat ride costs Rs250 for six people,' shares a Delhi Tourism employee. Naini Lake 'Good time to spot resident birds' While migratory birds have departed, resident birds can be spotted in and around the lakes of Delhi during late summer afternoons. Kavi Nanda, a member of Delhi Bird Foundation, shares, 'During this time, most lakes in Delhi are home only to resident species. One may spot egrets, spot-billed ducks and herons. There's a good chance of spotting spot-billed ducks with chicks or coming across active heronries, egrets, cormorants, storks and ibises. The green patches around these water bodies are also ideal for spotting summer birds like the Indian golden oriole, Asian koel and common hawk-cuckoo.' 'Good time to spot resident birds' Sunder Nursery Lake With floral blooms on both sides of the walkway, the lake at Sunder Nursery offers a picture-perfect pause amid the heritage gardens Sunder Nursery Lake "For centuries, water bodies – baolis, temple tanks – have served as places of social congregation for people. At Sunder Nursery, the five-acre lake is a favourite among families and groups of young friends. Here, screaming wild ducks, red-vented ibis, screeching owls and squaking mynas turn the evenings into a therapeutic retreat," says Ratish Nanda, CEO, Aga Khan Trust for Culture Bhalswa Lake Tucked away in Northwest Delhi, Bhalswa is a vast lake popular for its water sports and peaceful birding spots Bhalswa Lake Purana Qila Lake Adjacent to Delhi's historic fort, this lake is known for its view of the centuries-old fort Purana Qila Lake Hauz Khas Set against the backdrop of medieval ruins, Hauz Khas lake draws crowds for evening walks, jam sessions, photography and chilled-out evenings Hauz Khas
The Hindu
21-05-2025
- The Hindu
A museum that promises a peek into the past but is caught in a legal tangle
The museum building is almost ready, the catalogue of artefacts to be displayed has been prepared, the access and exit are also set. But, the entrance to the interpretation centre of the Qutb Shahi Heritage Park in Hyderabad remains locked up. As the world celebrated World Museum Day on May 18, it was one more year that the museum, financed through Swadesh Darshan grant, and constructed by the Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation with design by award-winning architect Siddhartha Talwar, remains in a limbo. The museum at the Qutb Shahi Heritage Park almost mimics the one at the Humayun's Tomb that was inaugurated recently by Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. Sunk into the ground like the stepwells of Telangana, the museum building does not block the view of the tombs. In Delhi, the Humayun's Tomb World Heritage Site Museum has been receiving rave reviews, including from Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, who now appears keen to get the museum at QSHP up and running. Both have been executed by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture. Listed for display in the museum are the rare artefacts from the collections of the State Museum, never before seen Qutb Shahi manuscripts, textiles, armoury, paintings, stone inscriptions, and inscriptions. The fabulously rich and cultured Qutb Shahis ruled Golconda and Hyderabad between 1518 and 1687. But there is not a single museum that showcases or conveys the grandeur or information about that period. So near yet so far The site photographs juxtaposed with the architect's drawings make the museum appear like the adage 'so near yet so far'. The building's shell is already built and exposed to the rain – raising the fear that the building built at the cost of crores will start to deteriorate. 'We have the catalogue ready. We have the artifacts ready. An interpretation centre is one of the keys to make sense of such a vast heritage site with layers of history and archaeology. I have been promised by the local legislators that they will make the legal hurdles disappear,' informed Ratish Nanda, CEO of Aga Khan Trust for Culture which has worked on the project with the Telangana State Tourism Department.
Hindustan Times
14-05-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Delhiwale: Last Mughal's wives
Delhi is a megapolis of graves. Entire neighbourhoods (including certain super-fancy hotels!) are raised on graveyards. In parts of the city, even ordinary houses are built around graves. Only a minuscule number of these centuries-old graves are privileged with elaborate tombs, belonging to saints and emperors. Most other graves lie in anonymity, their identities lost to time. Exceptions exist, and a few of such lonesome graves belong to figures with notable status. Like the handful of graves that lie in the forgettable passage separating the all-marble Chausath Khamba monument from poet Ghalib's marble tomb, in central Delhi's Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti. Heritage walking tours step out from the former, and step into the latter, without bothering about the seemingly random graves littering the intervening space. Almost nobody is aware that these are actually the graves of the last Mughal emperor's wives. Following the failed uprising of 1857, Bahadur Shah Zafar was exiled by the British to distant Rangoon. Only one of his wives, Begum Zeenat Mahal, was permitted to accompany the unfortunate emperor. Like Zafar, she too died in that far-off land. But the emperor's other wives remained in a turbulent Delhi, fated to be buried in Nizamuddin Basti. This detail appears fleetingly in a tiny passage in Maulavi Zafar Hasan's book Memoirs of the Archaeological Survey of India. An ASI official, he had sourced this precious information from Stephen Carr's book Archaeology and Monumental Remains of Delhi. Today, these graves bear no inscriptions, but per the aforementioned authors, they mark the resting places of Zafar's wives Begum Ashraf Mahal, Begum Akhtar Mahal, and Begum Taj Mahal. Explaining the logic of their burial in this area, Ratish Nanda of Aga Khan Trust for Culture, who authored a two-volume catalogue of more than a thousand Delhi monuments, explains that Chausath Khamba happens to be close to the dargah of mystic Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, the shrine venerated by the Mughals all through their rule. Each of the 18 rulers maintained a connection with this Sufi terrain; either through pilgrimage, architecture or by making the ground their final resting place. (In fact, just before being arrested by the British, Zafar handed over the sacred relics that were in possession of the Mughal emperors to Hazrat Nizamuddin's shrine.) Consequently, Zafar's wives—plus some of his daughters—found their posthumous homes within these sacrosanct acres (Zafar's younger brother Mirza Jahangir was luckier, being buried inside the premises of the aforementioned shrine). This evening, a band of friends are huddled inside the Chausath Khamba monument. On becoming aware of the significance of the stones outside, they sombrely stand around the graves, offering their regards to the forgotten women of the Mughal royalty. See photo.
