Hauz Khas

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Hauz Khas is like a medieval dream in the middle of the very modern New Delhi city. It is an urban oasis, and a respite for those who are tired of the grime and grind of city life.

Origin and Restoration of the Hauz Khas Reservoir

Hauz Khas Tank by Saad Akhtar

The heart of Hauz Khas, more than 100 acres of man-made water reservoir (Hauz means a water tank, and Khas means Royal) was built in the 13^th century by the Sultan of Delhi, Alauddin Khilji (ruled 1296-1316), the second ruler of the Khilji dynasty. He was the builder of the city of Siri which would have covered the present day colonies of Hauz Khas (yes, a colony named after this reservoir) and adjoining areas such as Panchsheel Park.

Alauddin Khilji’s contributions, apart from the city and its reservoir, are to be found most famously in the Qutb Minar complex, where he enlarged the mosque, as well as began building a new tower (which he never completed) and his own tomb. The Hauz Khas itself was just a small lake with farming lands around it, and was known as Hauz-i-Alai, after him.

But as was the fate of most cities back in those days, when Alauddin died in 1316 his city was deserted and the next king Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq moved his capital away to Tughlaqabad. The hauz dried up and the canals that brought water to it from surrounding areas became choked with silt. It was only in 1352, when the king Firoz Shah Tughlaq (ruled 1351-1388), the third Tughlaq dynasty king, came to power that this site was restored.

Firoz Shah’s Tomb and Madrasa

Teaching Pavilions by Varun Shiv Kapur

Firoz Shah is known for his great efforts to restore the damaged monuments of his day, among his most important measures being the repair of the Qutb Minar which had suffered heavy damage by lightning. He had the hauz revitalised and ensured its enduring legacy by building a madrasa, an educational institution on its banks. The financial support he provided the madrasa soon made it a prosperous centre of learning that attracted the best scholars, artists and benefactors from not just Hindustan, but some from distant nations as well. Firoz Shah was himself so fond of the place that he had his tomb built there as well.

An Oasis of Tranquillity

The famous Hauz Khas madrasa and reservoir gained fame even among those whose purpose for visiting Delhi was entirely different. The famous conqueror Timur, who in 1398 attacked Delhi in search of loot encamped near the banks of the reservoir. He wrote in his journals of how he was enchanted by the place and didn’t leave its banks even while his soldiers went about their mission. Timur was the ancestor of the Mughals who conquered and settled in Hindustan years later, and it wouldn’t be surprising if their initial impression of Delhi was shaped by Timur’s description of this beautiful settlement.

Hauz Khas is truly an oasis – for the eyes as well as the soul; a spot not remembered for its power or echoes of war, but as a place that nurtured the brightest minds and finer pastimes, and with each waft of the evening breeze one experiences a note of promise.

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Though Hauz Khas may not be priority on your travel itinerary, the boutique shops in the neighbourhood may well be. Spare a half-hour for the monument and you will not be disappointed! Just remember to download the Go!Places Pictoguide to Hauz Khas for free before you go.