Monday, January 05, 2009

LODI (OR LODHI) GARDENS

DELHI - FEBRUARY 2008

The vast grounds of Lodi Gardens were established between 1444 and 1517, around four monuments of the Lodi dynasty. It seems that two historic villages were surrounding the surviving monuments - Mohammed Shah's Tomb, Sikander Lodi’s Tomb, Sheesh Gumbad and Bara Gumbad - when, in 1936, the villagers were relocated in order to create the present day gardens. They were landscaped by Lady Willingdon, wife of Governor-General of India, and named the «Lady Willingdon Park» upon its inauguration on April 9, 1936. In 1968, J.A Stein and Garrett Eckbo re-landscaped the gardens giving them their current form.


"GREEN - Lodi Gardens are a green haven, famous among the joggers of Delhi"



"MUHAMMAD SHAH TOMB - Muhammad Shah (1434-44) was the third ruler of Sayyid dynasty and his tomb, the earliest in the gardens, was built in 1444 by Ala-ud-din Alam Shah. Inspired by Mubarak Shah's tomb, it has a typical octagonal pattern with a central octagonal chamber, verandahs, three arched openings on each side and sloping buttress"



"SHEESH GUMBAD - This tomb is built in the usual square pattern, with a 'double-storied' appearance. One can still see the traces of the blue tiles that once adorned it and gave it the name of «Glazed dome». There are several graves inside it"


"BARA GUMBAD - Bara Gumbad or the Big Dome, constructed in 1494 during the reign of Sikandar Lodi, is an apparently two storied square tomb with an imposing dome. It has turrets on corners, arches, stuccowork and painting ornamenting the interiors. It is believed that the tomb belongs to an officer of high rank who served Sikandar Lodi"


"BARA GUMBAD MOSQUE - Besides the tomb, there is a mosque. Its rectangular prayer-hall has five arched openings and is a fine example of the early Mughal mosques"




"DECORATIONS - Quran inscriptions ornament this mosque"


"CEILING"



"GARDENS -The watercourse used to be linked to the Yamuna River"



"SIKANDAR LODHI'S TOMB, constructed by Ibrahim Lodi in 1517, is also built in the octagonal tomb pattern, like Muhammad Shah's tomb. The chhatris over its roof however, are no longer seen"


"ATHPULA BRIDGE - Named «Eight Piers Bridge» as it rests on eight piers, forming seven arches, it was built by Nawab Bahadur in the 16th century, during Akbar's reign"

57 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi everybody! Thanks for your visits and comments. As always that’s a great incentive to keep posting, even in the difficult circumstances of time that will return this week... Hope to survive the busy work, much far from the beauty and calm of the Lodi Gardens... Enjoy!

Ron said...

Wonderful looking place. I really like the bridge and the water, so serene. The big dome is amazing. I am enjoying your vacations.

lv2scpbk said...

The Gardens look like a wonderful place to take a walk or just sit and relax or read a book.

Jen Laceda | Milk Guides said...

this is much too beautiful, Gil!

by the way, Folie a Deux was nominated as a finalist at the 2008 Weblog Awards. Vote for me here if you think I deserve it.

thanks for your support,
jen

Lakshmi said...

Its always wonderful to see India through your eyes Gil ..looking forward to more India posts

Steve Buser said...

So I keep expecting to get a flyer in the mail any day saying you are in the tour guide business. My guess is that the other tour guides would pay to keep you out of the competition.

As always, lovely shots and explanations.

Olivier said...

une architecture magnifique, tous ces temples, on se croirait dans un conte indien. j'adore

Voegtli said...

Beautiful sights- The "éclairaige publique" on the first picture makes me smile.

alicesg said...

Lucky you being able to visit so many countries and enjoying their histories and cultures.

Venksh said...

wow wow u r real luck to visit those place...
awesome picture's, post some picture of yours also.
keep them coming.

Kven
http://kollywoodmoviereview.blogspot.com/

Unknown said...

awesome post Gil :D
YOu are so lucky you have a beautiful model everytime, make sure you tell your wife I said that...

I love those islamic writtings on the building. We have lots of mosques and building with Islamic writtings (population is 65% Muslims here), but the ones I see here are just beautiful.

Thanks always for sharing Gil, you inspire me all the time.

Cergie said...

Formidable ! Quatre bâtiments ou plutôt monuments et autour qui les relient un parc qui me fait penser au Golden Gate Park où on chemine de De Young Museum en Japanese Garden en passant par le Conservatory of Flowers. C'est merveilleux car le summum du luxe est l'espace et le temps pour transiter et profiter de l'un à l'autre.
J'aimerais bien aller à Dehli sur vos pas...

Cergie said...

Une bonne et heureuse année à toi, Gil, et à ceux que tu aimes !

lyliane six said...

Qu'elle végétation! et cette écriture, pas facile à reproduire dans la pierre, beau travail.Quand on pense à l'âge de ces monuments! ils n'ont pas été trop endommagés.

Anonymous said...

Should I be so lucky to travel as you do but for now I live my life thru your travels. Gorgeous post Gil and Happy New Year to you and yours! (off the dentist now..ugh! ) ~ Lynn

S-V-H said...

It's a joy to travel India trough your picture, Gil!


Sue's Daily Photography

alok said...

Beautiful pictures!!! I already have started counting your India trip pictures :)

Light and Voices said...

Your blog is so interesting because you include an explanation of each picture. I loved the Lodi Garden, the Tomb, and the decorations. My favorite picture was of your wife and the pond as background. She looked so peaceful and serene standing there. Ahhh, the seven arches is amazing....what lovely images.
Joyce

Rakesh Vanamali said...

Great pictures Gil. For me these come as a big treat since I missed these fantastic places despite my 3year long stay in Delhi.

Thanks for sharing!

Thérèse said...

Bonne année à vous et à votre famille, par dessus-tout à l'abri de tout gros souci.
Les jardins sont toujours un havre de paix, indispensables.

Anonymous said...

Gil, Bom ano de 2009, cheio de viagens maravilhosas para nos dares o privilégio de ver esse mundo fascinante que existe fora destas portas...
Já me tinha esquecido que tinhas um blog, imperdoável! Encontrei-o por acaso nos meus favoritos quando procurava outro.

Muito bom ano de 2009 para ti, Guida e Diana
Rosinha

Neva said...

Hi Gil. I hope all is well with you...your pictures of India are awesome. My daughter is currently traveling in India with my 88 y/o MIL...her grandmother...they LOVE India.....I am enjoying your photos. I hope you have a happy and healthy New Year. I love your visits and your travel destinations!

lyliane six said...

Je vois qu'il fait froid aussi à Lisbonne! Ici j'ai eu -13°, mais les belles photos des palmiers de l'Inde nous réchauffent.

PeterParis said...

What magnificent tombs - and park! If you consider when these tombs were built, it's interesting to compare with constructions in other cultures! In Europe we were still in renaissance, with beautiful buildings as well, but more austere.

Mariposa said...

wow interesting!! I love the designs =)

Lori said...

How magnificent! You are lucky to have seen so many of the world's wonders. I wonder if there's a destination on your list where you haven't been yet? I always love to learn about the world through your posts. Hope you have a relaxing weekend!!

Ashira said...

I love how the buildings are untouched - they have such a wonderful old feeling about them! Hope things at the office get better for you :)

Rhonda Hartis Smith said...

The Lodi Gardens are just lovely, the buildings are very interesting.
Thanks for stopping by my blog!
Rhonda

Indrani said...

I had been to the Gol Gumbaj in Bijapur, Karnataka, recently. The architecture looks so similar. You have presented fabulous shots of the monuments. Enjoying the virtual Delhi trip thoroughly.

Raghu Ram Prasad said...

Very beautiful photographs...when you visited Delhi..If you come next time please visit me

My Unfinished Life said...

hi gil
the lodhi gardens is one plc where i have often visited....have been regular jogger there for quite some time...and its beauty has been quite healing to me at one point of my life when i was going thru lot of pain...
i just absolutely love the plc......
i have posted twice on this plc....
check out the latest post by me on lodhi gardens... http://culminationofthoughts.blogspot.com/2008/12/day-of-unison-at-park.html

Joy said...

Hi Gil! This places just feels really ancient. Lots of ghosts from the past. I'd love to explore the gardens.

Thanks for visiting Norwich Daily Photo and leaving your comments. Have a great weekend!


joy
A Pinay In England
Your Love Coach
I, Woman

Anonymous said...

Gil, what fantastic monuments! I like the gardens and the bridge too. I enjoyed very much this wonderful and attractive post.
Have a great weekend!

Azer Mantessa said...

massive tombs they are. love the picture with the bridge.

have a nice weekend :-)

Dsole said...

Gil! it worths all the effort in you job if that makes you possible to go and visit these beautiful places!
Yesterday Madrid was a chaos, you were right! we're not prepared to snowfalls! but everything was beautiful... I've posted a photo today, if you want to come and see it, you're invited!
Have a great weekend... and rest your self a little!

Maria Verivaki said...

very nice photos - it shows the grandness of the place

NormanTheDoxie said...

Looks beautiful....and so different from NYC!

Rune Eide said...

I can understand that people fall in love with India. A magnificent sight. I myself fell for the last picture with the reflections in the water. A great structure and photo.

Lilli & Nevada said...

Hi Gil,
These are such fabulous photos and history, the dome is fabulous, i wonder if anyone would ever try to restore it? Amazing that these architects have with stood so many yrs.

Anonymous said...

Wonderful buildings, especially the ones with the writing on it. That looks like wonderful ornaments. Have a nice weekend to relax.

Emery Roth said...

I think I am now caught up on all your most recent postings. These last few on the monuments of India are among my favorites. Lovely photos and commentary. You're very lucky to get to all these places.

Louise said...

Love this. I would have never guessed these incredible structures were tombs.

indicaspecies said...

Every visitor to India comes back with their own set of pictures and it's a pleasure to go through yours. Gil, thank you for a peek into the Delhi Sultanate times with these photos.

Missy,Mrs and Mum said...

Just wonderful, hope you are well and happy new year to you

Anonymous said...

Hi Folks! Glad to see you here once again! Some joy in the middle of the busy days... and nights! ;) Thanks!
After a first experience, India may become an addiction; unfortunately, it seems things aren’t that clear now for another incursion. Anyhow, I also don’t have time to try it again; but one day I’ll visit what I’ haven’t seen in Rajasthan and the rest... Hopefully!

Ron,
Delhi is amazing; we can probably say that the city is a large conglomerate of «islands», and some of them have some paradise «islands» on their territory!

Barb,
Sit, relax and read a book looks a great programme, but I’ve seen more joggers than readers... ;)

Jen,
Unfair result on that voting!!

Lakshmi,
There will be many more, though the visit was quite short!

Steve,
I also think I should have been travel guide; maybe after retirement... ;))

Olivier,
Un conte de fées... ;)

Pete,
You got it! Amazing lamp... ;)

Alice SG,
I wouldn’t call it luck. But you have to make choices: save or spend... ;)

!Ky,
I’ll try to keep posting; but first I need to keep travelling... ;)

M.Kate,
I told her; she’s flattered... ;)
Most of those writings are inscriptions of the Qur’an, I think, though I can’t read!

Lucie,
C’est vrai qu’ils ont bâti le parc autour des monuments; mais il semble qu’un vieux quartier a dû être démoli pour ouvrir la voie à la beauté verte… ;))~

Lyliane,
Elles ont bien résisté, les pierres… ;)
Et toi aussi, tu as résisté les moins -13º. Je me rappelle une fois la fin de l’année à Time Square, New York, décembre 1996 : moins -14º ; terrible…

Lynn,
Hope the dentist wasn’t too painful; it’s always painful… ;)

Sue,
A great joy is to see you book. A true pearl!!

Alok,
I’m counting the deleted… ;))

Joyce,
It’s a lovely place indeed; so calm and quiet in the bustle of Delhi…

Rakesh,
Three years in Delhi and you missed it? OK, that’s the difference between a resident and a tourist!! But sometimes one must be tourist on his own town… ;)

Thérèse,
Contre les prévisions, peut-être l’année ne sera si mauvaise qu’on attend… ;))

Rosa,
Olá. Obrigado! Cada vez é mais difícil arranjar uns diazitos para viajar… ;))

Neva,
Travelling India is already an adventure; but travelling it at the age of 88 looks a bit surreal!!

Peter,
I think that by that time, or even a bit earlier, Europe also had some wonderful buildings; not tombs, but churches and also some «palazze»…

Mariposa,
No wonder; they’re wonderful… ;)

Lori,
You know, it’s not such a small world; there are so many places I would love to visit and simply can’t get time to make it… :-(

Ashira,
Getting better? Doesn’t seem so… It’s Murphy’s Law… ;))
At least the pictures show some beauty!!

Rhonda,
You would make some great paintings at Lodi…

Indrani,
Karnataka! Another mythical destination. Maybe one day… ;)

Raghu,
When I manage to get there again, I’ll let you know… Didn’t know your basis was in Delhi!

Shooting One,
I wonder whether you were one of the healthy joggers I saw in the gardens… ;) It would have been a great coincidence…
I’ve seen your Lodi; great pictures indeed!!

Joy,
Didn’t see any ghost, but admit they must have been around… ;))

Pietro,
The bridge isn’t the Ponte Vecchio, but anyhow… ;)

Azer,
Great to see you back! And always in great shape!!

Dsole,
Well, jobs are a way of living, but tour guide or traveler writer would have made it much easier… ;))

Maria,
The Mughal heritage is awesome!!

Lisa,
It’s quite different from NYC!!!

Rune,
It may become an addiction; at least that’s how I’m feeling re-visiting all these pictures: the posted and the deleted… ;))

Lilli,
Restoring isn’t a piece of cake; but some of the old monuments have been carefully refurbished and look in a much better shape than some years ago!!

Ingrid,
They usually make quotes of the Qur’an as an ornament on the mosques walls; quite impressive carvings!!

Ted,
I would say that luck is to live in NYC!!!
Anyhow, India is huge and Delhi is an interesting city; but there are so many other beautiful places and time is so short!!!

Louise,
Then I should have made a Quizz… ;))

Celine,
Some of the places are your responsibility; you named it, I went there… ;)

Missy,
Wow! Great to see you back here! Hope you had a great holiday season and wish you a fantastic 2009!!

angela said...

Catching up...I've fallen in love with that bridge. How incredibly beautiful. I could look at that everyday and not grow tired of it.

Anonymous said...

Angela,
It's true that the bridge is one of the great highlights of the gardens!!

Daniel Chérouvrier said...

It's difficult to choose the best pic out of so wonderful spots !
Quel beau travail, le tien et celui des architectes,sculpteurs, jardiniers...

Anonymous said...

Daniel,
I just take pictures, they created the wonder!! ;)

kuanyin333 said...

Are ya going to take a rest anytime soon? LOL You have incredible stamina! Just looking at these photos makes me wonder how much you walk per day, month and year!

Anonymous said...

Kuanyin,
The problem is that I only walk when I'm abroad, and I'm abroad less and less... ;))

adelynne said...

since i most probably will not be able to go to india (not enough $$$!), i find it awesome that i can see india through YOUR eyes, gil :) of course it would be nice to see them through my own, but since i can't... your pictures are beautiful. :)

Anonymous said...

Addy,
Never say never... There is always a chance! Anyhow, thanks for the comments!

A Lady's Life said...

It looks so pretty there and no pollution. I expected a lot more from what people tell me in Delhi.

Trotter said...

Lady,
Lodi is a heaven in Delhi as there is a very high degree of pollution there...

Unknown said...

Lodi garden is famous for its adventurous look. A visit at this place you will remember in your whole life and the stay at Lodi Garden restaurant is really luxurious.

GMG said...

Rajvinder,

Thanks for the visit and comment!