Unprotected Heritage Monuments Notified

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Delhi government's Department of Archaeology has notified 13 more historical buildings in the city for protection. This is the second list of unprotected monuments to be notified by the state government, taking the total number of state-protected monuments to 33. The government is planning to bring a total of 92 unprotected structures under its umbrella in the coming months to showcase them during the Commonwealth Games.

Earlier, the state department of archaeology had just six monuments under its protection including the northern, southern and central gateways of Badarpur and three kos minars. According to heritage experts, this number was appalling considering there were over 1,200 heritage buildings listed in the capital and just 173 were protected by the Archaeological Survey of India(ASI). It took the government 15 years after the first notification to wake up and bring more buildings under its purview.

The structures identified for protection are:

  1. Tomb of Muhammad Quli Khan, Ladha Sarai, Archaeological Park, Mehrauli
  2. Horse Stable, Ladha Sarai, Archaeological Park, Mehrauli
  3. Mosque, Ladha Sarai, Archaeological Park, Mehrauli
  4. Tomb, Ladha Sarai, Archaeological Park, Mehrauli
  5. Tomb, Ladha Sarai, Archaeological Park, Mehrauli
  6. Mosque, Ladha Sarai, Archaeological Park, Mehrauli
  7. Tomb, Ladha Sarai, Archaeological Park, Mehrauli
  8. Tomb, Ladha Sarai, Archaeological Park, Mehrauli
  9. Enclosure, Ladha Sarai, Archaeological Park, Mehrauli
  10. Baghichi ki Masjid, Ladha Sarai, Mehrauli
  11. Chaumachi Khan’s Tomb, Mehrauli
  12. Tomb, Lado Sarai, DDA Park
  13. Mosque, Lado Sarai Village
  14. Tomb, Lado Sarai Village
  15. Haji Langa's Tomb, RK Puram;
  16. Domed building, RK Puram Sector IV;
  17. Tomb of Shaikh Ziyauddin,
  18. Kalu Sarai near Azad Apartment;
  19. Tomb (Gumti), Humayunpur Village;
  20. Baradari Mosque, Sadhna Enclave;
  21. Tomb, Sadhna Enclave;
  22. Munda Gumbad, district Park Hauz Khas;
  23. Tomb of Shaikh Usman Saiyah, Khirki Village;
  24. Tomb, Greater Kailash I;
  25. Tomb of Sheikh Salahuddin Darwesh, Sheikh Sarai Village;
  26. Tomb, Sheikh Sarai Village;
  27. Tomb, Sheikh Sarai Village and Majilis Khana, Sheikh Sarai Village.
  28. Northern Gateway, Badarpur
  29. Central Gateway, Badarpur
  30. Southern Gateway and enclosure remains, Badarpur
  31. Kos Minar, Badarpur
  32. Kos Minar, Badarpur Border (Village Tajpul)
  33. Kos Minar, Village Kotla Mahigirim (Near Apollo Hospital)  

According to an agreement with INTACH Delhi Chapter, these monuments will now be conserved and then each will boast an official board declaring its protected status. "Increasing awareness about heritage is very critical. We want to showcase as many heritage structures, apart from the better known and popular monuments, for visitors. We will also utilise the space around the monuments situated at strategic locations for purposes like illumination," said a senior official for the state department of archaeology.

Senior officials told that the list of 92 monuments has been prepared as per their size, significance and location. Among the latest to be notified, the 14 century tomb of Shaikh Usman Saiyah in the heart of Khirki Village often loses out to its more famous neighbor Khirki Masjid. Experts said there was a threat of demolition to this building owing to new structures coming up all around it. Shaikh Usman Saiyah was a contemporary of Roshan Chiragh in Delhi and a well known figure. Another Tughlaq-period structure is Haji Langa's tomb in RK Puram which has shown signs of serious deterioration and encroachment in recent years. Rated B in terms of archaeological value by INTACH Delhi Chapter, the tomb has a domed structure which originally had four entrances on each side but entry is now allowed only from the north side.

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