About 10 km south of our apartment, as urban South Delhi starts petering off on the road to Agra (home of the Taj Mahal), rise these undulating walls of the ruined and forgotten city of Tuqhluqabad. Tuqhluq was one of those sultans who blinded the inheritor of that title in order to confiscate it himself, then was killed in turn by his own son for the same reason.  Delhi's history is peopled generously with these characters - they build their own tombs because they can't trust that their own sons will, and just because they can, they rebuild the 'capital' so they can name it for themselves. A generation later, this place too is abandoned, and from the mid-14th century til now, it has made great grazing grounds for a few goats and cows.   There are scores of ruins within the city limits that repeat this story.



The day we visited, a Saturday, there were less than ten other people there, and amongst these hardly history enthusiasts: a few youth dating away from prying eyes, and a couple of herders.  And the place was incredible: over 6 km of cobbled constructed walls on top of which you could gain an unobstructed 360 degree view.  The cavernous place pictured was the underground market, where according to Karin, our guide through Dehi's history, the harem ladies shopped for their gems and gold.  You can just make out the dark entrances on either side of the alley, where the small chambers are still wonderfully cool. 

In contrast to the utter neglect of poor Tuqhluk's abode, the tombs and gardens of the Lodi dynasty are gorgeously maintained.  This is in the heart of New Delhi, minutes from our home,  famous for being a place of serenity and excellent for making out.  Again,  this past Saturday, a workday for most Delhiwallahs, no lovers nor hardly even tourists were about.  Workers were scaling Muhamed Sayid's mid-15th century octagonal tomb on scaffolding of bamboo of seemingly questionable integrity, while the ladies in their richly colored saris carried crushed stones and water on their heads from across the grounds. 

We could scale them too: there are absolutely no signs telling you to 'watch your step', or 'off-limits', or 'Warning, the wall is crumbling and falling would mean certain death.'  

These buildings are approaching the beautiful proportions of the Taj Mahal, still 150 years away from construction. The Hindu influence is subtle: lotus and bells and column decoration. The filigree of Koranic verse on the interior dome ceilings and walls is gorgeously carved.  The splayed verandah of Sayid's tomb is a vision in the early morning light, when only the birds and a few joggers share the park. It's an oasis to come to regularly.