The 90-acre heritage park and landscape marvel whose extensive renovation work took around a decade unveils the forgotten tombs. By Kritika Dua
A kite basking in the afternoon sun near Sundar Burj, the first mausoleum which gazes right at you as soon as you enter the newly-restored Sundar Nursery, catches your eye simply because you seldom see its kind resting in the city, usually soaring in dizzying swirls. But then that’s what this new oasis, revamped by the Aga Khan Trust, has done, added a new biodiversity hotspot around the legacy of monuments. Abundant spring flowers, enormous lush gardens, natural water bodies, a garden amphitheatre, a rose garden and lotus pond garden adorn and circle six forgotten monuments — lakkarwala Burj, Sundar Burj, Sunderwala Mahal, Mirza Muzaffar Hussain’s Tomb, Chotta Batashewala and the Unknown Mughal tomb.
Did you know that Sundar burj was built in the 16th century as a retreat for the dead and by extension, a silent communion space with NatureIJ It had four arches which housed four wooden doors and had cutouts in the wall, six inches deep. The ornamental chamber, comprising intricate incised plasterwork, a band of inscriptions around it and geometrically splayed stars on the domed ceiling, reflects the detailing of old Persian designs, which were recreated on every surface, from fabrics to walls. The conservation works included restoring the missing lattice screens and repairing the roof to ensure preservation of the ornamental ceiling.
For those of you who are unaware, Sunder Nursery was earlier known as Azim Bagh (the Great Garden) and it came into being in 1913. The Britishers created it for plantation of numerous varieties of plants and trees in the imperial capital. The nursery stands tall on a road which was referred to as the Grand Trunk Road and houses significant monuments from the 16th century. However, gradually the space lost its charm as the monuments crumbled and people encroached upon an open space that had fallen into disuse and had generally been abandoned by public memory.
Through a conservation-based approach and sensitive site planning, the Agha Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) in collaboration with the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), Archaeological Survey of India and the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) recreated the 90-acre city park that was once a green lung.
“Creating green spaces in urban areas constitutes a significant improvement in the quality of the environment and people’s living conditions. They are leisure spaces and meeting places for people of all age groups and all social categories, encouraging different sectors of the population to mix and integrate. And they have proved to be a catalyst for economic activity and a source of employment, both directly and indirectly, particularly through the services provided for the visitors,” said prince Karim Aga Khan.
The prolonged conservation process of around a decade involved restoration of monuments, which the visitors can understand through a series of before and after shots of them, improved entry and roads, cleaning up and recreating each relic and redevelopment of nursery areas.
The renovated nursery also covers the first Arboretum of the city and a 20-acre micro-habitat zone which has around 300 tree species of the ridge, riverine, and marshy landscapes to attract the attention of visiting school children. There’s more — a Garden House which will hold plants from tropical and southern parts of the country; a Bonsai House which hosts exquisite species of bonsai, some of which are over 80 years old and were donated by a renowned botanist in the 1950s; a Central Axis, inspired from traditional Mughal gardens and Persian carpet patterns that is now a stately walk with water fountains and spouts.
“Water is a reminder that it is a divine blessing,” said Khan. The AKTC is also planting trees and shrubs that would attract a flock of birds. Officials working to restore the park claim that ever since the truckloads of construction rubble were removed and 20,000 saplings planted, the area has drawn over 80 species of birds to the site and many more are expected to perch here once the water bodies are full. Sixty species of butterflies have already made it their home.
In 2009, earthworks revealed a 16th century lotus pond that would have stood within the enclosed garden of Sunder Burj and Sunderwala Mahal. Though dilapitated, the lotus pond has been carefully restored and once again lotuses can be seen blooming here.
The environmental and conservation efforts are coupled with a major socioeconomic effort aimed at improving the quality of life for the residents of neighbouring Nizamuddin basti, by improving building standards, creating economic opportunities, and providing education, vocational training, health, and sanitation infrastructure.
The picturesque garden has been designed by landscape architect late M Shaheer. The three components — heritage, productive nursery and an ecological forest — have been combined to provide the visitors with an evocative user experience which is not just recreational but also tells the people about the history of the city. Now, the challenge is of maintenance in order to retain the standard quality — formation of strict rules so that there is proper hygiene and cleanliness standards, decent sanitation facilities, prohibition of vendors inside the garden premises and keeping amorous couples away from professing their love on monuments and trees. For if the lodhi Garden makes you feel too hemmed in, this is a place to feel free.
Photos: Pankaj Kumar