Sunderwala Mahal
Delhi, India
Aga Khan Historic Cities Programme

This early Mughal tomb, together with Sunder Burj, originally stood within an enclosure measuring 740’ by 610’ and was entered through a lofty gateway. By the 1920’s the enclosing walls had mostly disappeared but the gateway still stood – no trace of this survives now. In a good state of preservation until the 1960’s, the tomb, rubble built, was designed to be rectangular in plan, with the corners cut off, with a vaulted underground chamber in the centre. Around this chamber is a verandah which had five arches on each of its four sides. On the south where there is an entrance to the vaulted chamber, are two staircases leading up to the roof. The centre of the latter is occupied by a dais some 10 m square, which could have originally held a cenotaph. Four of the northern arches now remain while severe and rapid deterioration on the other sides has resulted in the partial or complete loss of several of the arches – consolidation with cement mortar has not arrested the decay as the arches were structural elements. The monument requires partial reconstruction to restore the original plan, square with chamfered edges, and also to halt any further decay resulting from the loss of structural fabric.


Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture

Location
Mathura Road, Nizamuddin, South Delhi, Delhi, India
Images & Videos
Documents
Associated Names
Part of Site
Associated Collections
Events
2007-ongoing, retoration
16th century
Style Periods
1526-1858
Variant Names
Sundarwala Mahal
Variant
Building Usages
funerary
funerary
Keywords
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