India Habitat Centre

Habitat Library & Resource Centre

IHC Walk: July 29th, 2007, 7:00 a

Lodi Garden Tree Walk

Location How to Reach Attractions Timing New Delhi, near Safdarjung Tomb Take an auto or cab or disembark at Central Secretariat Metro station Bonsai and Tombs Anytime, weeklong, referably during the s ring season

The !odhi garden was established by the erstwhile !odhi sultanate in Delhi around their tombs" #n the later years of history it was re$christened !ady %illington &ark by the British" !odi 'arden is located on the main !odi (oad, about a mile east of Safdarjung tomb" This garden has been beautifully landsca ed with the hel of Belgian grass and flowers" Numerous fountains and water bodies bisect these" The !odhi garden is immensely o ular across all the class and age grou in Delhi" )rom snobbish bureaucrats to fretting Colonels, from co*y lo+ebirds to casual on$lookers, e+erybody flock to this garden to s end ,uality time" !odi garden was later re$landsca ed by -A Stein and 'arrett .ckbo in /012" !ater in the early se+enties, a Bonsai &ark was added towards its eastern corner" Bonsai is a -a anese art of miniature lantation that is e3tremely o ular in the Asia$&acific region" The !odi ark has an im ressi+e collection of bonsais" Besides, it has lots of tombs of Sayyid and !odi eriods around which the garden was re$laid in the year /041" 5ou can find nearly e+ery +ariety of lants and trees here" #t includes among others, Chir, Deodar, Chinar, Neem and .ucaly tus trees" The !odhi 'arden has a rose garden too that boasts to ha+e at least 677 +arieties of roses" The garden is at its best during the months of )ebruary and March, when winter flowers are in full bloom" The water bodies of !odhi garden are no less im ressi+e" #t has no dearth of )auna" These small lakes are the habitat of numerous birds that includes Babblers, &arakeets, Mynahs, 8ites, 9wls, and 8ingfishers among others" 5ou will also find :ornbills if you +enture towards ridge" The !odi 'arden is a o ular icnic destination and attracts large crowd including school children" 5oga classes are organi*ed e+ery morning in the ark

for the regular walkers" The ark is e,ually acti+e at night" Street lam s along the aths and jogging track ensure the route is well lit" htt ;<<www"hotels$new$delhi"com<tourist$attractions<garden$ arks<lodhi$ garden"html .stablished in the /=th and the /1th centuries by the Sayyids and !odis, the +ast grounds of !odi 'arden are famous among the joggers of the nearby areas" Carefully ke t gardens and the medie+al monuments lend a charm to these gardens" #n /012, - A Stein and 'arrett .ckbo re$landsca ed these gardens gi+ing them their resent beautified forms" The se+eral tombs situated in the garden belong to the !odi and Sayyid era and include Muhammad Shah>s Tomb and Sikander !odi>s tomb" Muhammad Shah ?/@4@$@@A was the third ruler of Sayyid dynasty" :is tomb has been built in a ty ical octagonal attern with a central octagonal chamber, +erandahs, three arched o enings on each side and a slo ing buttress at each angle of the structure" #ns ired by Mubarak Shah>s tomb, this tomb has a more com act lan, high dome, matching chhatris and better ro ortions" 9ther tomb known as Bara 'umbad or the Big Dome is a s,uare tomb with an im osing dome" #ts facades look as if it is double storied" #t has turrets on corners, arches and stuccowork and ainting ornamenting the interiors" #t is belie+ed that the tomb belongs to an officer of high rank who ser+ed Sikandar !odi" Besides this tomb is the Bara$'umbad mos,ue built with ashlar stone" #ts rectangular rayer$hall has fi+e arched o enings and is a fine e3am le of the early Mughal mos,ues" The ta ering minarets built in the Tughlu, style, colored tiles and Buranic inscri tions ornament this mos,ue" Built in /@0@, this mos,ue was constructed during the reign of Sikandar !odi" Shish 'umbad built as usual in the s,uare attern with a >double$storeyed> a earance looks much like Bara 'umbad" #ts ceiling has incised lasterwork with floral atterns and Buranic inscri tions" 9ne can still see the traces of the blue tiles that once adorned it and ga+e it the name of > gla*ed dome>" There are se+eral gra+es inside it" Sikandar !odi>s Tomb is built in the octagonal tomb attern, much like Muhammad Shah>s tomb" The chhatris o+er its roof are no more to be seen" Nawab Bahadur built >Ath ula>, a bridge of eight iers forming se+en arches during Akbar>s reign" Besides these tombs, one can also +isit the

National Bonsai &ark de+elo ed here, which has a delightful collection of miniature +ersions of se+eral trees and lants" They look beautiful at sunset under soft light" htt ;<<www"e3 loredelhi"com<gardens<lodi$garden"html Lodhi Gardens: Adjoining the India International Centre is this garden built around the tombs of Sayyid and Lodhi rulers. This garden is very well planned with artificial streams. The architectural style of the tombs was later used in the construction of the Taj Mahal. The beautiful and serene Lodhi arden was designed over two dynasties by the Sayyids and Lodhis in the !"#!$th century. The par% wor%s as a breather from the hustle and bustle of the city& especially in the early mornings and early evenings& when fitness enthusiasts come for bris% wal%s or to jog through the manicured gardens against a bac%drop of much#graphiti'ed medieval monuments. (uring the )ritish times& the garden was re#christened Lady *illingdon +ar% but the original name was reverted to after India,s independence. In !-$.& the gardens were spruced up and re#landscaped by /A Stein and arrett 0c%bo. htt ;<<delhitourism"nic"in< ublic age< arks"as 3 For more information on Delhi, please visit our special Delhi Documenta section in the HLRC:

Habitat Library & Resource Centre !HLRC" India Habitat Centre

IInd Floor, Convention Centre, Lodhi Road New Delhi, Ph: 2468 2001-09 Extn: 2081-83, Fax : 2468 2011, E-mail: hlrc@indiaha itat!"r#, $e %ite: www!indiaha itat!"r#