Delhi - Green Park & Hauz Khas Complex

On Sunday, 10 July 2011 Vikas took me to Deer Park (also known as Green Park) to jog. It’s located about 3km from our guest house in Safdarjung Enclave, South Delhi. According to Vikas, there’s a plentiful of things that I can snapped inside (since I like photography-thats what he assured me). Though I have not seen any deer while entering but there's a lot more amazing thing awaited inside. It was slightly above 5.30am when I discovered about the Hauz Khas Lake that is part of the Green Park itself. The swans and the ducks are among the attractions to visitors. It was like I was in heaven being surrounded with these historic natures within the cosmopolitan city.

So peaceful to watch, the swans, the dead trees and the sunrise, Subhanallah

The park is one of the largest green areas in Delhi and are collectively called "the lungs of Delhi" because they provide very fresh air in the otherwise polluted hustling bustling mega metropolitan Delhi. It is popular with morning walkers but you may encounter few group of yoga's exerciser in here. According to Wikipedia, “ the park being it is called Deer Park because it actually houses a large number of deer inside the park. There is a large enclosure in the park for deer to roam around, play with each other, have an occasional friendly fight and provide learning and entertaining experience to the visitors especially the children. Entry to the Deer Park and the surrounding green park is free and it is open every day from 5:00 AM to 7:30 PM during summer and 5:30 AM to 6:30 PM during winter”. Though there's no deer, I instead saw peacocks everywhere I turn.

The 1st peacock that was walking lazily, look so friendly yet so difficult to go nearer for better shot

In the beginning, I was chasing small them (peacocks) walking freely in the garden. The chased continued till the end (below photo), before we were about to leave the Rose Garden. The place is below photo are planted with colorful roses which would be an interesting places to visit during spring time.

The chase continue until I discovered a beautiful Rose Garden.. I did not return during spring time!

Walking further, I was speechless when I discovered about the Hauz Khas Complex, after overly excited with a little girl, the sunrise, the lake and the swan. The complex, houses a huge man made water tank, an Islamic Seminary, a Mosque, a Tomb and pavilions built around an urbanized village with medieval history traced to the 13th century of Delhi Sultanate reign. Apparently the park was part of Siri, the second medieval city of India of the Delhi Sultanate of Allauddin Khilji Dynasty (1296–1316).

A little girl sitting by the lake, her eyes sparkle enjoying the swans and the ducks being fed by morning joggers

The large water tank or reservoir was first built by Khilji to supply water to the inhabitants of Siri. The tank was desilted during the reign of Firuz Shah Tughlaq (1351–88). Several buildings (Mosque and Madrasa) and tombs were built overlooking the lake. Firuz Shah’s tomb pivots the L–shaped building complex which overlooks the tank. I didn't go there as Vikas promised to take me some other time from another entrance. *He did not. In the 1980s, Hauz Khas Village, studded with domed tombs of Muslim royalty from the 14th to 16th centuries, was developed as an upper class residential cum commercial area in the Metropolis of South Delhi, India. It is now a relatively expensive tourist cum commercial area with numerous art galleries, upscale boutiques and restaurant.

The Yoga's group

Siri Fort had a number of administrative buildings within, apart from the palace and the living quarters of the Khilji royal family. As subsequent rulers of Delhi carted off much of building material from this fort, one can hardly find any substantial architectural remains of important buildings of that time. The most famous structure within the Siri Fort was the 1,000-pillar palace of Ala-ud-din, called Hazar Sutun. It is here in Hazar Sutun, Ibn Battuta spent a great deal of years (7 years) working under an employment of the fiery Sultan Muhammad ibn Tughlug. At present days, the only major surviving building of Siri is what I found here in Hauz Khas where Ala-ud-din built a vast 50-hectare reservoir called Hauz-e-Alai for the benefit of the people of Siri.

Firuz Shah Tughlaq (1351–88) built the Mosque and the Madrasa, facing the lakes

The water tank or reservoir that was excavated during Alauddin Khilji‘s reign in the second city of Delhi to meet the water supply needs of the newly built fort at Siri, was originally known as Hauz-i-Alai after Khilji. But Firuz Shah Tughlaq of the Tughlaq dynasty re-excavated the silted tank and cleared the clogged inlet channels. The tank was originally of about 50 ha area with dimensions of 600 m width and 700 m length with 4 m depth of water. When it was built, its storage capacity at the end of each Monsoon season was reported to be 0.8 Mcum. Now the tank size has substantially reduced due to encroachment and siltation but is well maintained with water pump to circulate the water.

Vikas captured my photo waited to enter the ruin Madrasa complex. I bet, Ibn Battuta had also been where I stood, 678 years ago. 

The famous Feruz Shah who ruled from his new city called the Firozabad (now known as Feroz Shah Kotla), the fifth city of Delhi, was an enlightened ruler. He was known for “his keen sense of historical precedent, statements of dynastic legitimacy and the power of monumental architecture”. He is credited with construction of new monuments (several mosques and palaces) in innovative architectural styles, irrigation works and renovating/restoring old monuments such as the Qutub Minar, Sultan Ghari and Suraj Kund, and also erecting two inscribed Ashoka Column, which he had transported from Ambala and Meerut in Delhi. At Hauz Khas, he raised several monuments on the southern and eastern banks of the reservoir.

You said you want to grow old with me, now you are here with me.. and the quarrel continues darling!

Vikas was a bit unhappy for not being able to do his regular routine exercise at 4am in the morning. Hence, after I satisfied myself with enough collected photos, we exercised. Svenendu too had joined us after he finished his rounds. Anyway, it was very kind of them to taught me using the facilities provided in the park, partly just to show-off this old lady.

Vikas & Svenendu showing-off...grrr. Anyway, we fill the purpose of doing some exercise here!

However, I really thankful to them both and I gladly accepted the term that 17 July would be without the camera. Thank you guys for a wonderful trip!

Well, evidenced that I too had some stretching in yoga pose of which the boys are unable to do..hehe 

In October 2012, my colleagues took me for dinner at Hauz Khas. Walking along the many shop really impressed me that the many shops were restored from the old Siri Fort buildings. I bought an elephant book holder from the Kashmir wood furniture shop. Everything in the Kashmiri shop are all nice thing to bring back. There were also other several high-end shops and designer boutiques. Kept walking the lane and at the end of the lane was something more interesting. It was a huge complex of monument that was connected to the green park that I went with Vikas. Then, I realized that the shopping and dining areas are connected to the Delhi Green Park and Hauz Khas Complex within the ruin Siri Fort. It was a glory days and an example of Tughlaq architectural splendor and the heart of Battutian city, Hazar Sutun, the Hall of a Thousand Column, part of Sultan Muhammad Shah ibn Tughluq palace.

Having a dinner overlooking the the Hauz Khaz lake with a great friends that night, truly a joyful moment to cherish, though without Vikas.