History on course

The 10-odd monuments scattered inside the Delhi Golf Club are like pieces of one puzzle. To begin with they are mostly out of bounds and one needs special permission from the Club authorities to enter the premises.

The 10-odd monuments scattered inside the Delhi Golf Club are like pieces of one puzzle. To begin with they are mostly out of bounds and one needs special permission from the Club authorities to enter the premises. Of course knowing a member helps,and this also means that not just tourists,even many Delhiites are unaware of the existence of these medieval structures. Also,the golf course is perhaps the only site where one can see the remains of all the seven cities of Delhi. Most of these monuments are grand but anonymous tombs indicating gaps in the documentation of the citys architectural history.

The only monument where you dont need permission is the Lal Banglaa set of two tombs built in red sandstone right at the entrance of the Club and visible from the flyover. Built in 1779-80,these Late Mughal structures have square rooms at their centre,smaller square rooms at diagonals with oblong halls between them,and domes at the centre of square roofs. The one near the entrance seems older with a square room on a raised platform. Both have the layout of larger tombs around central chamber but are small in size. Nearby is the Late Mughal double storey gateway with a central pavilion and domed chhatris.

Theres a debate regarding who lies buried in Lal Bangla. One possibility is Lal Kunwar,the wife of Aurangzebs grandson Jahandar Shah who ruled between 1712 and 1713. The other is that the two graves inside are those of Lal Kunwar,the mother of Shah Alam II (1759-1806),and daughter,Begum Jahan. The mystery behind the identity of the royal lady has remained a puzzle for the last two centuries. Visible from the clubhouse is Sayyed Abids tomb with octagonal exterior and square interior. The person buried inside was a companion of one of Jahangirs generals,Khan-e-Dauran Khwaja Sabir Nusrat. The tomb was built in 1626-27.

Another octagonal plan tomb an 18th century oneis also visible from the Archbishop Makarios Marg. Known as the Bagichi tomb with towers,chhatris,arches with vaults,red and crème interiors and inside dome decorated in geometric patterns,this is a unique structure where chhatris are imposed on towers. Theres also a brick masonry mosque near this tomb.

Of all the various ruinsfrom Tughlaq to Mughal erathe one that stands out is the Barakhamba. A Tughlaq tomb with unnamed grave,it was built in the 1450s. It is perhaps the only medieval monument that has central bay,vaulted bays with solid monolithic columns,and sloping pillars that support lofty arches.

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Delhi Golf Club