21 Sep The Tomb of Sultan Garhi
The Oldest-Known Muslim Tomb in India
In the middle of Vasant Kunj’s smart residential compounds is a small scrub covered hill, where goats graze unhurriedly and little children gather firewood. On this secluded hill stands the atmospheric Sultan Garhi, the oldest-known Muslim tomb in India. It is a beautiful well-hidden gem, little known and little visited.
It took me some time to find Sultan Garhi, navigating through Vasant Kunj and its many markets. Though it is of high historical significance, there are no signposts to point the way. My auto driver was as clueless as I was, and after making many enquiries we were guided on to the kuccha road that leads to Sultan Garhi. I left the auto on the main road and walked up a mud track for about five minutes until I came upon the impressive Sultan Garhi, built like a small fort.
Sultan Ghari, Though a Tomb, Looks like a Small Fortress
Temple-Style Pillars Support the Open-Air Courtyard with Lotus-Shaped Columns
The Chattris outside Sultan Garhi
The chattri (cenotaph) one sees outside Sultan Garhi is the tomb of another of Iltutmish’s sons. We know that apart from Nasiruddin, two more sons, Ruknuddin Feroze Shah (died 1237 AD) and Muizzudin Bahram Shah (killed in 1241 AD) were also buried under nearby chattris. One of the two chattris is restored, which is the one you see; the other has been destroyed.
The Story of the Ticket Booth
How to get here:
- Closest Metro : Chattarpur
- Open from sunrise to sunset
- No toilet facilities
- No wheelchair access
- Parking available
- Spear, Percival. “Delhi Its Monuments and History” (Delhi; Oxford India Paperbacks 1994)
- Kumari, Savita Kumari. “Tombs of Delhi Sultanate Period” (Delhi; Bharatiya Kala Prakashan, 2006)
- Archaeological Survey of India, “Monuments of Delhi” (Delhi, ASI, 2010)