Lodi Garden Delhi History and Interesting Facts

Lodi Garden Quick Facts

Lodi Garden Overview

Lodhi Garden is a beautiful garden situated in the south-central area of ​​Delhi city. It is situated on Lodhi Marg, 1 km east of Safdarjung's tomb. In the middle of the garden here are the tombs of the Lodhi dynasty. The garden was originally a village with monuments from the Sayyid and Lodi dynasties of the 15th-16th centuries. The British resettled this village in 1936. The extension of this garden area is about 90 acres, apart from this garden there are many ancient monuments of the Delhi Sultanate period.

Lodi Garden History

The History of Lodi Gardens is traced back to 1444 AD, the tomb of Mohammad Shah, the ruler of the Sayyid dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate, was built here by his son and the last ruler of the dynasty, Ala-ud-din Alam Shah. An important tomb located in the Garden belongs to Sikandar Lodi from the Lodi dynasty, built by his son Ibrahim Lodi in 1517. Many other structures were also built here during the rule of Sayyid and Lodi. When Emperor Akbar took over the throne of Delhi, he used the Lodhi Garden area as an observatory and stored records in a library built for the purpose.

After some time areas around tombs developed into villages. In 1936, when the British were in power, they renovated the garden by removing the villages. Lady Willingdon, wife of the Marquess of Willingdon desecrated the area and turned it into a charming garden. The garden was officially inaugurated in 1936 and was named Lady Willingdon Park to honor her efforts. Hence it was earlier also known as Lady Willingdon Park.

When the country got Independence in 1947, its name was changed to Lodi Garden. In 1968, the garden was renovated by Joseph Stein, an American architect, who also installed a glass house in the garden.

Lodi Garden Interesting Facts

1. There are many historical places in Lodi Garden which include Tomb of Muhammad Shah, Tomb of Sikandar Lodhi, Bada Gumbad, Sheesh Gumbad, Athpula.
2. The tomb of Mohammad Shah, the second last monument to the emperors of the Sayyid dynasty, is the oldest of the garden tombs, built in 1444 by Ala-ud-din Alam Shah as a tribute to Mohammed Shah
3. Lodi Garden is covered over an area of ​​more than 90 acres.
4. The tomb of Muhammad Shah is known as Mubarak Khan-Ka-Gumbaz
5. The tomb of Mohammad Shah is a unique example of Islamic and Hindu architectural styles. It is built with eight small domed structures or chatris, and is adorned with a lotus petal, ornate pineapple at each corner, a massive central dome and an octagonal chamber.
6. Built in the Indo-Islamic style, its central dome is an octagonal design. The tomb stands as an enclosed building with a domed entrance and has Mughal architectural designs on its walls. It is believed to be the first enclosed garden tomb in India.
7. There is a beautiful 16th century stone bridge, known as Athapula or Eight Pier Bridge, which was constructed during the reign of Emperor Akbar, and consisted of seven arches and supported by eight pillars .
8. The New Delhi Municipal Council has attached QR codes to 100 species of trees in the gardens. So that any plant can be prevented from cutting.
9. Inside the Garden is the tomb of Mohammed Shah, the last of the rulers of the Sayyid dynasty, the first tomb in the Garden, built by Alauddin Alam Shah in 1444 AD as a tribute to Mohammed Shah.
10. In Lodhi Gardens since 2005, INTACH and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) organize heritage walks for students and general public within the park area.
11. Lodi Garden is the oldest structure of the gardens as well as it is also a fine example of the combination of Hindu and Islamic styles in architecture.