In Mehrauli, this 19th-century monument is testament to an empire in its dying days

Moti Masjid was built by Aurangzeb’s son Bahadur Shah I. (Express Photo by Deepika Singh)

Narrating the story behind the place, writer-filmmaker Sohail Hashmi says: “Mirza Jahangir, the son of Akbar Shah II, was imprisoned in Allahabad fort for two years after he attempted to attack the then British Resident. On his release, his mother decided to walk barefoot to the (Mehrauli) shrine from Shahjahanabad to express her gratitude. The flower sellers of Delhi would have none of it, a Mughal queen putting herself through so much pain, and decided to cover the entire path with flowers for her to walk on with ease. This gave birth to phoolwalon ki sair, a fair that soon became an annual week-long affair. Since, during this period, the entire court would shift to Mehrauli, Akbar Shah II decided to build this palace here.”

By the latter half of the century, Akbar Shah’s successor Bahadur Shah Zafar II built an imposing gate leading to the palace. Soon, the palace began to be called Zafar Mahal.

According to Hashmi, the structure is, among other things, a symbol of the country’s inclusive tradition. “As the queen was headed to the dargah of the Sufi saint, the flower sellers requested her to make an offering at the Yogmaya temple as well. She readily obliged and, this way, it became a rare occasion of a Hindu deity and a Muslim saint being celebrated together,” he says.

The gate built by Bahadur Shah Zafar. (Express Photo by Deepika Singh)

Adds Safvi: “Zafar Mahal’s history is rich with the syncretic culture of the phoolwaalon ki sair and the accompanying ceremonies.”

According to Asif Khan Dehlvi, a long-time Mehrauli resident who has been conducting heritage walks at Zafar Mahal for 13 years now, the monument is also home to structures from different centuries, including those that predate the Mughal empire.

“There is a tomb belonging to the Delhi Sultanate period. Then there are Mughal-era structures like Hathi Pole (gate for elephants), dalaan (courtyard) and pillars. You can also spot a fireplace here, which is clearly a marker of British influence. I like to call this place a gathri (bundle) of scores of structures.”

Haathi Pole (Express Photo by Deepika Singh)

A striking part of the complex is a mosque built from white marble. “This is the Moti Masjid, built by Aurangzeb’s son Bahadur Shah I. It has a divine feel to it, perhaps due to its proximity to the dargah of Kaki,” points out Dehlvi.

It is this proximity to the dargah that explains why the premises is home to several graves, a number of which belonged to Mughal kings, including Akbar Shah II. “If you notice, most kings preferred to be buried next to revered Sufi saints. A case in point is Humayun’s Tomb, situated close to the Nizamuddin Dargah. Zafar Mahal is no exception and, hence, you find all these graves here belonging to members of the Mughal royalty,” says Hashmi.

The empty spot between two graves was reserved by Bahadur Shah Zafar for his own burial. (Express Photo by Deepika Singh)

But, the most prominent among these graves is the one which was never built. Says Dehlvi: “As you make your way deep inside the complex, right before the mosque, you will spot an enclosed space housing three graves. There is a clear space between the second grave and the third. This is where Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal king, wanted to be buried, right next to his father’s grave. But that was not meant to be…”

In 1857, in the aftermath of the Sepoy Mutiny, Zafar was exiled by the British to Rangoon (now Yangon) in Myanmar. Cognizant of the fact that his last wish would remain unfulfilled, the poet-king summed up his helplessness in a couplet that remains his most famous verse to date: “Kitna badnaseeb hai Zafar dafn ke liye, do gaz zameen bhi na mili koo-e-yaar mei (Oh, how unfortunate is Zafar that he could not find even two yards of land for his burial in the streets where his beloved lives)”.