Barapullah: Mughal-era bridge that lends its name to a busy flyover, key drain

Educationist and reformer Sir Syed Ahmed Khan describes the bridge as “very beautifully constructed and located four miles south of Shahjahanabad on the way to Faridabad near an inn” in his book Asar-us-Sanadid published in 1847.

The bridge is said to have been built by Mihrban Agha, the chief eunuch of the court of Mughal Emperor Jahangir in 1611-12, according to Zafar Hasan’s book Monuments of Delhi. The bridge is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

Commenting on its significance, author and filmmaker Sohail Hashmi tells The Indian Express, “This must have been an important passage in its time as it falls right in the area connecting Nizamuddin area to Mathura.” On the history of the drain, he says, “There used to be around 10-12 streams flowing from the Aravallis, carrying fresh water to the Yamuna. These would join behind Nizamuddin and form the Barapullah drain. Sadly, instead of fresh water, it carries untreated sewage into the river now.”

Congress leader and former mayor Farhad Suri says the area once used to house a canal built by Sher Shah Suri who ruled Delhi in the mid 16th Century.

“The bridge was later built to ease travel from Agra, the then Mughal capital, to Delhi which the emperor used to frequent to call on Humayun’s tomb and Nizamuddin Dargah,” he tells The Indian Express. “In its time, this was considered the most beautiful road in Delhi, lined by trees on both sides. Like a boulevard…. you can say.”

In her book The Forgotten Cities of Delhi, author and historian Rana Safvi writes, “The original bridge had 11 arches and the name came from its 12 (baarah) pillars… It was made of lime mortar and stone, and is now an unkempt market near the Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station. The bridge itself is in poor condition…”

Hashmi says the bridge used to carry traffic on it well into the 1980s before a slipway was built parallel to it to ease congestion.

Now, around 400 years after it was built, the bridge is home to a market selling everything under the sun – from fresh meat to shoes to fruits and vegetables to garments. When asked about the historic bridge, most shopkeepers draw a blank.

The sabzi mandi with a 400-year-old pillar seen in the background. (Express photo by Deepika Singh)

Rameen Khan, founder of City Tales, which conducts heritage walks in Delhi, says Barapullah is “the perfect example of the apathy that we have towards functional heritage structures once they lose their purpose.”

He tells The Indian Express, “Once upon a time, this bridge was so important with a tributary of Yamuna flowing through it. Now, it is surrounded by neglect and apathy. The bridge gives its name to the extremely busy modern flyover. Lakhs use it and still don’t know how it got its name while the defunct Barapulla dies a slow death.”

As hawkers shout “bhindi, taroi, lauki (okra, ridge gourd, bottle gourd)” and patrons nudge the butcher next door to cut them a premium piece, the bridge continues to serve as an object of utility and convenience, hosting a market catering to dwellers of nearby slums as well as upscale residents of Jangpura and Nizamuddin East.