Shah Umair, a 27-year-old history buff, explores the monuments of Delhi and the stories that lie behind their stone facades. Here he shares some of the most interesting ones he has come across.

1. Bridge by  Firoz Shah Tughlaq “This structure was built by Tughlaq, who also repaired the Qutub Minar and brought two Ashokan Pillars from Meerut and Haryana to the capital,” he explains.

2. Shalimar Bagh Umair learned that this Mughal garden in the North of Delhi was constructed by one of Shah Jahan’s wives. This was also the place where Emperor Aurangzeb was crowned.

3. Roshan Ara Tomb and Garden Shah Jahan’s daughter Roshan Ara was an important figure in Indian history. “She was powerful and constructed many structures in the city. She built this garden as a pleasure place for  herself.”

4. Kalan Masjid Built in 1387, 300 years before the city of Shahjahanabad was established by Shahjahan, this is the principal mosque of Firoz Shah’s city Firozabad.

5. Rajon ki Baoli “The concept of a baoli is where people can come to drink water. This act of serving people long after you are gone lets you have their blessings. It makes it easier for a person to attain an afterlife,” says Umair.

6. Vasant Vihar The story goes that the tomb complex was encroached upon as a camping place by Partition refugees who’d been living here for more than three generations. During the Commonwealth Games, the property was reclaimed by the Government and revived in the year 2010.

7. Madhi Masjid “Since Mehrauli was in the bordering town of Delhi, it had to be guarded during the Mughal invasion. When one sees the structure, they can notice that the tiles are preserved till today, as is  the paint.”

8. Qudsia Bagh “Qudsia Begum — wife of Muhammad Shah Rangila laid out a beautiful garden complex adjoining the west bank of Yamuna,” says Umair.

9. Tughlaqabad Fort While King Tughlaq was constructing this township of Tughlaq, Nizamuddin Auliya was constructing his baoli. Workers would secretly work at night in an attempt to make the baoli and when Tughlaq found out, he stopped the supply of oil in the area.

10. Tomb of  Iltutmish “Everyone goes to the Qutub Minar,” says Umair. “But even though the tomb is in the same complex, people bypass it. But it is beautiful.” He says every inch of the monument is engraved with Islamic inscription. “In contrast to many tombs that have domes, this one  does not.”

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