Speaking Archaeologically™

Peeking through the ruined gateways, a seemingly plain tomb fell into the notice of a teenager while making her occasional visit at the Kali Bari in Lodhi road. Interest piqued, a barrage of questions following later, her curiosity got sated when she finally stepped into its enclosure bright early in the morning. That fateful day, I got to know that this was the tomb of Mirza Najaf Khan, a Persian Noble, but in whose court I couldn’t seem to care less about it. This kind of behaviour was quite unusual on my account. I was so spellbound by the sheer simplicity of the tomb that all my thoughts had flown out of the proverbial window. Gaping like a fish in front of the tomb, I allowed myself to get drunk in its beauty. I explored the maximum tomb area and some parts of the garden enclosure which I could with my brother and cousin in the limited amount of time we had in our hand. Casting a few longing glances back at the tomb while exiting the enclosure, I made a promise to visit this tomb ...

Hyderabad surely is a city of many charms and not many people outside know about the rich heritage of this city has to offer. Beyond the scrumptious Dum Biryanis and kebabs , the historic Char Minar or the Golconda Fort , Hyderabad has a lot more to offer. For a person coming here for the first time, its streets and alleys present a unique medley of a past which is never too distant and a present which makes one feel nostalgic. Such is the heritage of this city where one can enjoy a plate of Biryani while sitting in a shop and wondering about its history and to some extent, even experiencing it.  In one such locality of the old town, amidst a maze of buildings and collapsing structures of a bygone time- but very much alive with the sounds of kids playing, goats bleating, chickens clucking, loud horns of bicycles and cars and people going about their businesses- rest the tombs of the Paigah nobles. Paigahs were one of the most powerful and influential families of the princely stat...

Anubhav Preet Kaur Nirankari is a student of Archaeology at Deccan College, Pune Tee Off on a trail of history: The entire city of Delhi is engulfed with the relics of mighty empires and ruins which bear testimony to an age of glory. It houses nearly 84 known monuments and 24 localities of historical importance, out of which the medieval era heritage sites have always been of great interest to me. It is not rare to come across some lesser known monuments in Delhi while on a shopping spree or a casual visit to any locality. But who knew a casual breakfast session would become such a mesmerising experience!  One of the most exquisite places in Delhi, The Delhi Golf Club, is frequented by a number of visitors daily. But little do they know that amidst the famous “Lodhi Golf Course” lie a large number of Mughal archaeological remains, one of which is the famous Lal Bangla. While sipping coffee in the cafeteria of the golf course, this domed structure caught my eye. The usual cur...