SA Site Cover: The Lal Bangla of Delhi by Anubhav Preet Kaur Nirankari

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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 curious me went out to look around the structure.




 

Situated near the entrance to the Delhi Golf Club on the Dr. Zakir Hussain Road, are these two domed mausoleums constructed entirely out of red and yellow sandstone. They consist of a square room in the centre, small square rooms at the diagonals and oblong halls between them.

One of the mausoleums contain two graves believed to be that of Lal Kunwar, mother of Shah Alam II and Begum Jan, his daughter. The other mausoleum seems to be of an earlier date and consists solely of a square room standing on a raised platform. It contains no grave. The mausoleums are constructed on the same architectural plan. The tomb chambers have jaalis on two opposite walls and entrances on the other two. But it does not house any Mihrab or a place to offer daily prayers. 

Unlike many structures, the staircase to the dome was open. Covered under a huge Pipal tree, it is a huge bulbous double dome of late Mughal style, with a pinnacle at the top. The arched entrances to the tombs, made of yellow sandstone, are engraved with beautiful indigenous floral motifs. 


Unlike many Mughal era monuments, Lal Bangla bears no intricate designs and is constructed in great simplicity. Yet, it does not fail to remind one of the glory with which the Mughal emperors ruled India.



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