Jahaz Mahal

Jahaz Mahal is a palace giving an impression or an illusion of a ship because of its reflecting feature amidst a surrounding water reservoir. This edifice is located next to Hauz-i-Shamsi in Mehrauli in the north eastern part of Delhi City. Because it resembles a ship it is called Jahaz Mahal, Jahaz meaning a ship in Persian language.

This palace of heritage importance is said to have been raised during 1452-1526 AD, the period of Lodi Dynasty.

Jahaz Mahal is also known for its annual festival called Phool Walon Ki Sair, held every October, when the florists start a procession with a bedecked pankhas (fans) from Mehrauli at the outlet of the tank, stopping at Yogmaya temple for offering flowers, proceeding further to Hazrat Qutbuddin Bakthiar Kaki dargah for presentation of the fans and chaddar. This festival, initiated by Emperor Akbar Shah II in 1820 and nurtured by Emperor Bahadur Shah II, was forgotten for sometime after 1942 till 1961, when on efforts by Pt Jawaharlal Nehru got restarted. This is a very colorful festival representing the Hindu-Muslim composite culture which is enjoyed by all the participants.

History

Jahaz Mahal was constructed as a place of retreat and was raised mainly to cater to the needs of travelling pilgrims from Afghanistan, Iran, Arabia, Morocco, Iraq and Turkey. Basically it was an inn or Sarai for the travelers making religious pilgrimages. There is also another version about the origin of this palace that it was constructed as a summer resort for the families of Emperors Akbar Shah II and Bahadur Shah II. The date of establishment of this retreat is however known to be during the period 1451AD and 1526AD.

A voluntary organization was initiated in 1984, under the banner The Conservation Society, Delhi,(CSD), for preservation of the environmental aspects of Delhi as well as its architectural heritage. This organization has identified Jahaz Mahal as one of the monuments to be brought under preservation activities.

Architecture

Jahaz Mahal is a two storied building with rectangular structure having 3 ft thick walls. There is a six gothic arched opening in eastern side as its entrance, the arched openings separated by chhajja (awning) held by stone brackets. Three large halls are laid in the ground floor, with corridors in between and small rooms in the ends.

There is a domed pavilion above the central gate which is decorated with blue tiles. The palace also houses a small mosque alongside the west wall.

A number of fountains are installed in the palace premises, the cascade effect of which makes the environment more beautiful. The reflections of the palace in the reservoir water surface enhances the total ambience of the location.

Visitor Information

Visitors are permitted to visit this heritage monument throughout the week, on all days.

How to Reach

The location of Jahaz Mahal has its nearest railway station in Hazrat Nizamuddin. The Chhatarpur metro station on the Yellow Line is the nearest metro point. The nearest airport to this place is Indira Gandhi International airport at Delhi.

Bus transport is available to Mehrauli from all the areas of Delhi, while it would take about a 45 minute drive from the ISBTs to which locations long distance bus services operate from all important destinations of the nearby States.

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