Sunday, February 03, 2013

Delhi delights

Hauz Khas Complex (Hindi: हौज़ ख़ास, Punjabi: ਹੌਜ਼ ਖ਼ਾਸ, Urdu: حوض خاص‎) in Hauz Khas, South Delhi houses a water tank, an Islamic seminary, a mosque, a tomb and pavilions built around an urbanized village with medieval history traced to the 13th century of Delhi Sultanate reign

The madrasa (Islamic School of Learning – a theological college) is flanked by the reservoir in the northern front and by a garden on its southern side at the second floor level

The water tank that was excavated during Alauddin Khilji‘s reign (1296–1316) in the second city of Delhi was created to meet the water supply needs of the newly built fort at Siri. It is a beautiful place to take a walk in the late afternoon sun
A lot of young people were here enjoying the spaces provided by the ruins

Firuz Shah, who established his tomb, ascended to the throne in 1351 (inherited from his cousin Muhammad) when he was middle aged, as the third ruler of the Tughlaq dynasty and ruled till 1388

Beautiful view across the lake to the madrasa

All this history is a bit lost on these beaked citizens. There is only one thing going on.......

I walked all the way round and the sun reflecting on the sandstone of the buildings was very beautiful

In the 1980s, Hauz Khas Village, studded with domed tombs of Muslim royalty from the 14th to 16th centuries, was developed as an upper class residential cum commercial area in the metropolis of South Delhi

The ruins still tell their story. Hauz Kaas has moved on to modern times. It is a beautiful place. One you should not miss

The Laxminarayan Temple (Hindi: श्री लक्ष्मीनारायण मन्दिर, also known as the Birla Mandir) is a Hindu temple dedicated to Laxminarayan

The temple, inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi, was made built by B. R. Birla and Jugal Kishore Birla from 1933 to 1939

The grounds are extensive, 7.5 acres, making this vehicle very useful!
This is a statue of B.R. Birla. Baldeo Das Birla was an entrepreneur and philanthropist

The three-storied temple is built in the northern or Nagara style of Hindu temple architecture

Laxminarayan usually refers to Vishnu, Preserver in the Trimurti, also known as Narayan, when he is with his consort Lakshmi

Visitors enjoying their visit to the temple

The Teen Murti Bhavan (Teen Murti House) is the former residence of the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru in Delhi, who stayed here for 16 years until his death on May 27, 1964

It was designed by Robert Tor Russell, the British architect of Connaught Place and of the Eastern and Western Courts on Janpath during the British Raj. Teen Murti Bhavan was built in 1930 as part of the new imperial capital of India, New Delhi as the residence of the Commander-in-Chief of the British Indian Army

You're busted!

Today, Teen Murti houses various institutions including the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library

The grounds are beautiful. It is a fascinating place to visit, full of the history of India's fight for freedom from British Imperialism

This is Khairul Manazil, a mosque and later a madarsa built by Maham Anga
in 1561. Maham Anga was one of the most influential wet nurses of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. It is thought Maham Anga was the foster-mother of Akbar, and ruled the Mughal Empire for some time when Akbar was a boy

It is lovely now but it must have been stunning in its day

These double-storeyed cloisters were used as a madrasa

The main gateway to the East. It is made of red sandstone and stands opposite the Purana Qila, see below

Purana Qila (Hindi: पुराना क़िला, Urdu: پُرانا قلعہ‎, Old Fort), is not only the oldest fort among all forts in Delhi, but the oldest known structure of any type in Delhi

Unfortunately I arrived at the end of the day as people were leaving

I only managed to take these photos of the West Gate, 'Bara Darwaza', the present main Entrance, with its bastion. I will go back there