Safdarjung Tomb set for restoration next month

In an attempt to restore it to its former glory, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI is set to start restoration work at Delhi's Safdarjung Tomb by the second week of December, according to officials.

- Aheli Das

Bricks are being procured from Rajasthan to replace broken parts of the structure.

(RAJ K RAJ/HT PHOTO)

According to AST's book ‘Delhi and its Neighbourhood’ (2001), the monument built in 1753-54 is the tomb of Mirza Mugim Abu'l Mansur Khan. He was the viceroy of Oudh (Awadh) under Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah (1719-48), who gave him the title ‘Safdar-Jang,’ and under whom he was later a prime minister.

Located at the intersection of Safdarjung Road and Aurobindo Marg, it is one of the last structures that use the garden-tomb-style layout in the city, which began with the tomb of Mughal emperor Humayun in Nizamuddin East. It was built by Safdar-Jang’s son, Nawab Shuja'u'd-Daula, according to an inscription over the eastern entrance of the mausoleum.

The double-storey structure of primarily red sandstone and buff stone stands in the centre of the charbagh (quadrilateral garden) ona high platform. The garden is further divided into four square sections with pathways and water channels that lead onto the peripheries of complex.