UpdateBot at 10:29, 17 April 2022

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{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2018}}
{{Infobox religious building
|building_name= Barakhamba
|image=Barakhamba Monument.JPG
|caption= Barakhamba Monument
|location={{Flagicon|India}} [[New Delhi]], [[India]]
|map_type = India New Delhi
|map_size = 250
|map_caption = Location of Barakhamba in Delhi
|coordinates = {{coord|28|35|28.7|N|77|14|30.5|E|display=inline,title}}
|religious_affiliation=[[Islam]]
|rite=
|province=
|territory=
|district=
|consecration_year= 14th century
|status=
|leadership=
|website=
|architect=
|architecture_type=Tomb
|architecture_style=[[Islamic architecture|Islamic]]
|facade_direction=Open on four sides
|year_completed=
|construction_cost=
|capacity=
|length=
|width=
|width_nave=
|height_max=
|dome_quantity= Four Domes
|dome_height_outer=
|dome_height_inner=
|dome_dia_outer=
|dome_dia_inner=
|minaret_quantity=
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'''Barakhamba''', also known as '''Barakhamba Monument''', is a 14th-century tomb building from the [[Tughlaq dynasty|Tughlaq]] period that is located in [[New Delhi]], [[India]]. Barakhamba means '12 Pillars' in [[Urdu]] and [[Hindi]] languages.<ref name=great>{{Cite web| url= http://www.delhilive.com/page/barakhamba-monument-great-tourist-attraction-delhi-200903303944| title= Barakhamba monument -- a great tourist attraction in Delhi| access-date= 2009-04-11| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090401192503/http://www.delhilive.com/page/barakhamba-monument-great-tourist-attraction-delhi-200903303944| archive-date= 1 April 2009| url-status= dead| df= dmy-all}}</ref> The name has also been used for an upscale modern metro road named the "Barakhamba road" in [[Connaught Place, New Delhi|Connaught Place]] at the heart of the city.

Barakhamba monument is a tomb of an unknown individual, a high nobleman. It is located in the Nizamuddin heritage area at the entrance road to the [[Nizamuddin Auliya]] and is under restoration.<ref name=great/>

==Monument structure==
The tomb has twelve [[Column|pillar]]s and has three arched openings on each face. The [[verandah]] (passage), laid around the central chamber, has four [[dome]]d apartments at each corner. The structure is located in an open park and is easily visible and accessible to public.<ref name=great/> It lies on the opposite side of 7th Hole of the [[Delhi Golf Club]] course and on the main road from Subz Burz circle or Nizamuddin circle to the World Heritage Monument – the Humayun tomb.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.indiainfoweb.com/delhi/mosques/hazrat-nizamuddin-auliya-dargah.html |title=Bara-Khamba |access-date=2009-04-11 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080609034448/http://www.indiainfoweb.com/delhi/mosques/hazrat-nizamuddin-auliya-dargah.html |archive-date=2008-06-09 }}</ref>
[[File:Pillared view of the Monument.JPG|thumb|left|200px|Pillared View of Barakhamba Monument]]

==Restoration==
The monument was neglected and subject to occupation by [[squatter]]s until recently. It was also defaced by spit of [[paan]] (betel leaf) and [[graffiti]] on the walls by vandals. The squatters have been removed and the area has been made more secure. Efforts are being made to restore the monument to its original glory. There are also plans for the park and the garden around the tomb to be redone. As a first step, the [[Archaeological Survey of India]] (ASI) has started removing the stains and scars on the defaced faces of the monument using chemical treatment using an application of a special paste called multani mitti pack on the monument several times to erase marks and to restore the original appearance. The next stage of restoration involves structural conservation work on the monument.

Barakhamba is one of the 46 monuments under restoration in Delhi. The restoration work was expected to be completed before the [[Commonwealth Games]], which were held in New Delhi in 2010.<ref name=great/><ref name = india>{{Cite news|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-03-30/delhi/28058894_1_monument-barah-khamba-asi|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024054329/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-03-30/delhi/28058894_1_monument-barah-khamba-asi|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-10-24|title= Face lift time for Barah Khamba |access-date =2009-04-03|date=2009-03-30|first1=Richi|work=[[The Times of India]]|last1=Verma}}</ref>

==Features==
It has been inferred that the twelve pillared square monument may have been a tomb chamber with arcades around it, originally intended as [[Chausath Khamba]]. The Lalmahal, now in ruins and partially demolished, is a red sandstone monument behind Barakhamba.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aqqBPS1TDUgC&dq=Barah+Khamba&pg=PR14|work=The Barah Khamba|title=Delhi, the capital of India|access-date=2009-04-03|author=Anon|publisher=Asian Educational Services|page=84|isbn=978-81-206-1282-2|year=1997}}</ref>
;Lalmahal

This heritage monument also called Kushak Lal was built by [[Balban]] the [[Mamluk dynasty (Delhi)|Slave Dynasty]] ruler, between 1266–1286 during the rule of Sultan [[Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah]]. This red [[sandstone]] structure had prominent [[chhatri]]s which have been demolished.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=&id=ad10e328-6ce4-454b-8951-8b7460b77a0f&&Headline=Lal+Mahal+demolition+row+hots+up|title= Lal Mahal demolition row hots up|access-date=2009-04-11|newspaper=Hindustan Times|date=2008-11-07}}{{dead link|date=August 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://lalmahal.blogspot.com/|title = Lal Mahal|access-date=2009-04-12}}</ref>

==Sabz Burj==
[[File:Sabz Burj in Delhi 03-2016.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Subz Burg at Nizamuddin Circle]]
This impressive tomb made of blue tiles (though Subz means ''green'') and stone is located at a circle opposite to the entrance gate to the Barakhamba, on the eastern enclosure wall of the Nizamuddin complex. The [[Sabz Burj]] tomb is believed to be for Fahim Khan who died in 1626 A.D. He was an attendant to Abdur Rahim Khan during Jahangir’s reign.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_whs_humayuntomb_complex.asp|work= Nila Gumbad|title =World Heritage Sites|access-date=2009-04-10|publisher=Archological Survey of India| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090410105015/http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_whs_humayuntomb_complex.asp| archive-date= 10 April 2009 | url-status= live}}</ref>

==Heritage status==
Delhi’s heritage has 2,000 years of history and includes more than 1,000 tombs, [[forts]], [[havelis]], [[baoli]]s, and [[darwaza]]s. The city received the title of a 'World heritage city'. To achieve that status, [[Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage]] (INTACH), a nationwide non–profit organization founded (by former [[prime minister]] [[Rajiv Gandhi]]) in 1984 to protect the common national heritage, Delhi Chapter, signed a MoU with the Delhi government with the objective of ensuring urban development in congruence with the architectural monuments of the city. In this context, [[William Dalrymple (historian)|William Dalrymple]], an [[Indophile]], states that "only [[Rome]], [[Istanbul]] and [[Cairo]] can even begin to rival Delhi for the sheer volume and density of historic remains".{{Dead link|date=July 2009}}<ref name=thai>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/india-news/intach-to-sign-mou-with-delhi-government-to-develop-a-world-heritage-city_10067120.html.|title= INTACH to sign MoU with Delhi Government to develop a World Heritage City|access-date=2009-04-11|publisher=Thaindian News|date=2008-07-02}}</ref><ref name=mayank>{{Cite web|url=http://thedelhiwalla.blogspot.com/2008_07_01_archive.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101016145324/http://thedelhiwalla.blogspot.com/2008_07_01_archive.html|url-status=live|archive-date=2010-10-16|title=Special: Will Delhi Wake Up to its Heritage?|access-date=2009-04-11|author=Mayank Austen Soofi|author-link=Mayank Austen Soofi|publisher=The Delhiwalla blogshot.com|date=2008-07-04}}</ref> To achieve this goal, 46 historical monuments have been selected by the ASI for renovation work and the Barakhamba monument is one of them, and INTACH Delhi Chapter has categorised it under Grade "A" in terms of heritage value.<ref name=great/> The restoration works of this heritage structure in the strategic Nizamuddin heritage complex is slated for completion before the commencement of the Commonwealth Games in 2010.<ref name=delhi/>

==Details==
In the context of the Barakhamba, the number 12 (twelve) in the monument, an observation recorded is that the [[Mughal people|Moghul]]s were fond of [[motif (visual arts)|motifs]] of [[Mysticism|mystical]] figures on their buildings as evidenced in [[Delhi]], [[Agra]], [[Lahore]] and elsewhere. Figure seven (7) and figure 12, in particular, seem to have mystical significance to real time events such as 12 hours in the day and 12 in the night, 12 months, 12 [[Apostles in the New Testament|apostles]], 12 signs of the [[zodiac]], 12 tribes, 12 branched candlesticks and 12 kinds of men and women and so forth. Similarly, the twelve–pillared buildings are stated to be a common feature during the ancient and medieval periods. As an example, it is mentioned that the [[Mausoleum of Mausolus]], (since then the word Mausol has become an eponym in the word [[Mausoleum]] for all stately tombs), regarded as one of the [[Seven Wonders of the Ancient World]] in [[Turkey]] had 36 (thirty–six) slim columns (pillars), which is three times 12. In North India many cities have Barakhambas, like the one in Delhi. The Hazrat Nasiruddin tomb in Delhi is also said to be a 12 pillared square chamber.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thehinduretailplus.com/thehindu/mp/2003/03/03/stories/2003030300380200.htm|title=Many tales of Delhi's Barakhamba|access-date=2009-04-11|work=The Hindu|date=2003-03-03|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120913091744/http://www.thehinduretailplus.com/thehindu/mp/2003/03/03/stories/2003030300380200.htm|archive-date=13 September 2012|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

==Barakhamba Road==

Barakhamba Road is one of the premier roads of Delhi that connects Mandi House circle, near Sahitya Akademi and Doordarshan Kendra (Television Centre), with [[Connaught Place, New Delhi]] also called Rajeev Gandhi Chowk. On both sides of the road many commercial complexes and several other landmarks are located. Some of the notable landmark buildings are the [[National Museum of Natural History, New Delhi]], Embassy of the [[Islamic Republic of Iran]], Vijaya Building, New Delhi House, Gopal towers, Sapru House, the prestigious [[Modern School (New Delhi)]] and many more. The [[Delhi Metro Rail Corporation]] (DMRC) has operationalized the [[Delhi metro]] link, the rapid transit system called the [[Blue Line (Delhi Metro)|Blue Line]] of {{convert|32.1|km|mi|abbr=on|1}} length from Indraprastha via Barakhamba Road to [[Dwarka Sub City]], Asia's largest residential colony in South West Delhi District. A ‘Control Centre’ of the Metro is located at the Metro Bhavan on Barakhamba Road.<ref name=delhi>{{Cite web|url=http://www.delhilive.com/page/barakhamba-monument-great-tourist-attraction-delhi-200903303944|title=Barakhamba monument -- a great tourist attraction in Delhi|access-date=2009-04-11|publisher=Delhi Live.com|date=2009-03-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090401192503/http://www.delhilive.com/page/barakhamba-monument-great-tourist-attraction-delhi-200903303944|archive-date=1 April 2009|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.delhiscoop.com/story/2009/3/29/231750/503|title=DMRC Opens Second Control Centre At Barakhamba Road|access-date=2009-04-12|publisher=Delhiscoop|date=2009-03-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120222181503/http://www.delhiscoop.com/story/2009/3/29/231750/503|archive-date=22 February 2012|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

The name tag Barakhamba of this famous road is credited to a twelve pillared (Bara Khamba) house of a noble man, stated to have been built during the rule of Sultan [[Muhammad bin Tughluq|Mohammad Tuglaq]], originally erected on this road, now demolished (with hardly any traces). An artist’s reconstruction of the house (see external link) shows it as a three storied house with a high [[tower]] and terrace with a chabootara (a sit out) to get a scenic view of the city. A high wall surrounds the open courtyard of the house.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.boloji.com/architecture/00019b.htm|title= The Tuglaq Years -3: The Bara-Khamba|access-date=2009-04-15| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080624075732/http://www.boloji.com/architecture/00019b.htm| archive-date = 24 June 2008}}</ref>

==Vanishing old bungalows==
Recently, the "{{convert|48|C|F|abbr=on|1}} festival" was organized by a biologist on the Barakhamba Road to highlight the heritage loss due to the fast vanishing bungalows of old architectural style (with a stately air) located on the road that were replaced by large modern office complexes.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/barakhamba-under-art-attack-to-celebrate-last-bungalow/401033/|title= Barakhamba under art attack to celebrate 'last bungalow'|access-date=2009-04-12|author= Neha Sinha|publisher=Indian Express|date=2008-12-21}}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Humayun's Tomb, Delhi, India 2019.jpg|Humayun’s Tomb, Delhi, India
File:Nizamuddin circle.jpg|Night view of the Nizamuddin Circle and Sabz Burj
File:Blue Gumbad.JPG|Sabz Burj at the Nizamuddin Circle
File:Brakhamba twelve-pillared monument.jpg|Front view of the Barakhamba Monument
</gallery>

== See also ==

* [[Jahanpanah]] was the fourth [[medieval]] city of [[Delhi]] established in 1326–1327 by [[Muhammad bin Tughluq|Muhammad bin Tughlaq]] (1325–51), of the [[Delhi Sultanate]].
*[[Khairul Manazil]] or Khair-ul-Manazil (lit. 'the most auspicious of houses') is a historical [[Mosque|masjid]] built in 1561 in [[New Delhi]], [[India]].

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Bara Khamba}}
*[http://maps.google.co.in/maps?hl=en&q=Road+map+of+barakhamba+road+delhi&um=1&ie=UTF-8&split=0&gl=in&ei=dV_hSbr1HcyAkQX03Z3XCw&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1 Google map showing Barakhamba Road in central Delhi]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20100114070102/http://boloji.com/architecture/00019.htm An artist's view of Bar Khamba House (now demolished)on Barakhamba road]

[[Category:Indo-Islamic architecture]]
[[Category:Mausoleums in Delhi]]
[[Category:14th-century establishments in India]]
[[Category:Monuments of National Importance in Delhi]]

Barakhamba - Revision history

UpdateBot at 10:29, 17 April 2022