Safdarjung Tomb

 

Picture credit- Gautam Kumar

Name of the place- SAFDARJUNG TOMB

Timings : 7am to 5pm

Visit duration: 1-2 hours

Located in the heart of Delhi the Safdarjung tomb also known as 'Safdarjung ka maqbara' was built in 1754 by Nawab Shuja-ud-daula (safdarjung's son) in the memory of his father. The tomb of safdarjung is inspired by Humayun's tomb and is one of the last monuments of mughal architecture. The safdarjung's tomb is located on Lodhi road in South Delhi. Travellers which are intellectually curious about the downfall of mughal's era come from across the world to see the Safdarjung tomb.

History of Safdarjung tomb

Safdarjung was born in Persia in 1708 AD and his birth name was Muhammad Muqim-in-Khurasan . In 1722 AD, he came to Bharat (India). He became the Subadar of Oudh that's the ruler of the state of Oudh or Awadh province on 19 march in the year 1739, succeeding his maternal uncle turned father Burhan ul Mulk Saadat Ali Khan I, ostensibly bribing Nadir shah with the amount of twenty million rupees. He served the position throughout his life. Emperor Nasir-ud-Din Muhammad shah gave him the title of “Safdarjung”. 

 Following the death of the King, his son Ahmad monarch Bahadur took the position of the new Mughal Emperor in 1748. The most powerful and resourceful statesman Safdarjung, who proved his courage as an worthy administrator shifted to Delhi where he was made the Wazir ul-Mamalik-i-Hindustan or Prime Minister of Hindustan. From 1750 to 1754 he remained the Subedar of Assam. He was co-jointly made the governor of Ajmer. However as a result of court politics he was dispersed in 1753 and expelled from Delhi. In December 1753 he came back to Awadh. On October 5, 1754, he deceased in Sultanpur. The Mughal Emperor allowed his son Nawab Shujaud Daula to construct a mausoleum of his father in Delhi which establishment completed in 1754.

Architecture of the tomb

Safdarjung Tomb was one of the last tombs of the Mughal architecture which deign was inspired by the Humayun’s Tomb. The tomb has the feature of char bagh concept where the tomb is surrounded by 4 gardens on each side with a courtyard and a 3 domed mosque. On the entrance there is an inscription written in Urdu language which can be translated to When the hero of plain bravery departs from the transitory, may he become a resident of God’s paradise.
The tomb has high arched walls with maze-like carvings, the cenotaph is placed on the central chamber which is in square shape , and the dome is on top of the terrace. The underground chamber of the memorial houses the graves of Safdarjung and his wife. The tomb is built with red and buff stones, the interiors of the tomb are covered with rococo plaster work. There are four towers made with marble on the corners of the tomb from outside. The back side of the monument has a library and several rooms and on the right side there is a mosque.
The design though following the style of Mughal architecture clearly lack the precision of a professional architect. The structure appears unbalanced because the dome is more broaden, and the four minarets are attached to the main monument, unlike the Taj Mahal where the minarets are detached. The marble used in the construction is not completely ‘white’ and the quality of materials used was rather ‘poor’. Most studies conclude that the fort is a significant example of the declining Mughal kingdom.

 

 How to reach Safdarjung Tomb

The Safdarjung's tomb is located on Lodhi road and is well connected by buses, metro and rickshaw. The nearest metro station is Jor bagh which is located on the yellow line of Delhi metro it is a 3 minutes of walk from there to the Safdarjung tomb. The best time to visit during summers is in the morning or evening to avoid the heat and high temperature of Delhi. The tomb is open on all days from 7 am to 5 pm. It normally takes 1-2 hours to explore the tomb of Safdarjung and the entry fee is 15rs per person and 200 for foreigners.