Gandhak ki baoli, mehrauli

The baoli is about 100 meters south of Adham Khan's tomb in Mehrauli behind the Mehrauli bus terminal.






It is one of the largest step-wells or baolis in and around Mehrauli. 

It was built during the reign of Emperor Iltutmish of the Slave dynasty. 












The baoli is known as Gandhak ki Baoli because of its waters smell like gandhak, which means sulphur.

  

  

Hauz-i-Shamsi, Mehrauli

Hauz-i-Shamsi is a water storage reservoir or tank built by Iltumish of the Slave Dynasty in 1230 AD. It is said that the location was revealed to him in a dream by the Prophet Muhammad. 


It is said that when Iltumish inspected the site the day after his dream, he reported to have found a hoof print of Prophet Muhammad's horse. He then erected a pavilion to mark the sacred location and excavated a large tank  around the pavilion to harvest rain water.




Another version of the legend says that the Holy Prophet appeared in a dream not only to Iltumish but also to the sufi saint Khawaja indicating the same location where the hoof print of Prophet's horse was imprinted. 








Since drinking water supply was acute in the newly founded capital of Iltumish (the first medieval city of Qila Rai Pithora ) a tank was dug at the location indicated in the dream, which resulted in water jetting out from a spring source. 


It was, thereafter, named as Hauz-i-Shamsi, and Khawaja, the saint who divined it, came to be known as Hazrat Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki or simply 'Kaki'. The name Kaki was attributed to him by virtue of this keramat (miracle). 


Jahaz Mahal was built on the eastern edge of the same reservoir during the Lodi dynasty period in the 16th century as a retreat or Inn for use by the pilgrims. 








Also at the edge of Hauz is the tomb of 17th century Persian writer in the Mughal court,Abdul-Haqq Dehlavi. 

Balban's Tomb

Ghiyas ud din Balban (1200 – 1287) was a Turkic ruler of the Delhi Sultanate during the rule of Mamluk dynasty of Delhi (or Slave dynasty) from 1266 to 1287.

His tomb is located in Mehrauli Archeological park.

It was built in 1287 CE.

It was in this tomb architecture that the first true arch made its appearance in India.

To the east of Balban's tomb, lies a ruined rectangular structure said to be the grave of Khan Shahid, Balban's son, whose original name was Muhammad, who died fighting against the Mongols near Multan in 1285.

Mehrauli Archeological Park: Tomb of Balban

Ghiyasuddin Balban (1200 – 1287) was a Turkic ruler of the Delhi Sultanate during the Mamluk dynasty 

(or Slave dynasty) from 1266 to 1287. He was son of a Turkish noble of the Ilbari tribe, but as a child was captured by Mongols and sold as a slave.  he was bought by Sultan Iltutmish who at the orders of his own master, Qutbuddin Aibak, released him from slavery and brought him up in a manner befitting a prince.

Sultan Balban ascended the throne in 1266 at the age of sixty with the title of Ghyas ud din Balban.

His successors were weak and incompetent and the throne was eventually captured by Jalal ud din Firuz Khilji in 1290, bringing an end to the Slave dynasty.