ScarlettNicholso at 12:50, 15 March 2026

2026-03-15T12:50:44Z

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{{Short description|Hunting lodge in New Delhi, India}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2017}}
'''Malcha Mahal''', also known as '''Wilayat Mahal''', is a [[Tughlaq dynasty|Tughlaq era]] hunting lodge in the [[Chanakyapuri]] area of [[New Delhi]], [[India]] next to the Delhi Earth Station of the [[Indian Space Research Organisation]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.sunday-guardian.com/news/the-prince-takes-his-bicycle-to-buy-meat-for-his-dogs|title=The prince takes his bicycle to buy meat for his dogs|website=www.sunday-guardian.com|access-date=2016-11-15|archive-date=11 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111182221/http://www.sunday-guardian.com/news/the-prince-takes-his-bicycle-to-buy-meat-for-his-dogs|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|last=Malcha History|title=Malcha Mahal|date=2014-10-12|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WuyRpWET44|access-date=2016-11-15}}</ref> It was built by [[Firuz Shah Tughlaq]], who reigned over the [[Delhi Sultanate|Sultanate of Delhi]], in 1325.<ref name=":1" /> It came to be known as ''Wilayat Mahal'' after the self-proclaimed "Begum Wilayat Mahal" of [[Awadh]], who claimed to be a member of the [[Nawab of Awadh|Royal family of Oudh]] and was reportedly given the place by the [[Government of India]] in May 1985.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-06-30-mn-68-story.html|title=India's Depot Princess Finally Gets Her Palace|last=MILES|first=JAMES|date=1985-06-30|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US|issn=0458-3035|access-date=2016-11-15}}</ref> On 10 September 1993, Wilayat died by suicide at the age of 62.<ref name="nyt" /> The Royal House of Awadh (descendants of Wazid Ali Shah in Lucknow) claims that the family engaged in fraudulent activities,<ref>{{cite news | url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/descendant-of-wajid-ali-shah-challenges-lineage-claim/articleshow/61632380.cms | title=Descendant of Wajid Ali Shah challenges lineage claim | newspaper=The Times of India | date=13 November 2017}}</ref> having been cited by an investigative journalist for the [[New York Times]].<ref name=":4">{{cite web| title = The Jungle Prince of Delhi|newspaper=The New York Times| url = https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/22/world/asia/the-jungle-prince-of-delhi.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage |author=Ellen Barry|date=22 November 2019| access-date = 2019-11-22}}</ref>
[[File:Malcha Mahal.jpg|thumb|Malcha Mahal]]

The building is now mostly in ruins. After Wilayat's death, it continued to be inhabited by the Begum's daughter Sakina Mahal, and son Prince Ali Raza (aka Cyrus). Cyrus died in late 2017; his sister died some years before him, though the exact date is unknown.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/stories-41861843|title=The lonely death of Delhi's jungle prince|last=Rowlatt|first=Justin|date=2017-11-05|work=BBC News|access-date=2017-11-05|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/descendent-of-awadh-nawab-dies-a-pauper-in-abandoned-14-century-delhi-lodge/story-mkLR1etCcyuaqP55K7obTN.html|title=Reclusive Awadh prince dies a pauper in decrepit 14-century Delhi lodge|date=2017-11-07|website=Hindustan Times|language=en|access-date=2019-05-04}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/fyi/story/prince-ali-raza-royal-family-oudh-malcha-mahal-chanakyapuri-death-begum-wilayat-1081153-2017-11-07|title=Prince Ali Raza, last descendent of Oudh's royal family, dies a lonely death|date=7 November 2017|website=India Today|language=en|access-date=2019-05-04}}</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2">{{cite web | title = Heritage: In isolation at Malcha Mahal| url = http://www.hindu.com/mp/2005/06/20/stories/2005062000740200.htm| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20050628074740/http://www.hindu.com/mp/2005/06/20/stories/2005062000740200.htm| archive-date = 28 June 2005|date=20 June 2005 | work = [[The Hindu]]|access-date = 2014-03-12 }}</ref><ref name=":1">{{cite news | title = This Royal Family's Palace Is No Taj Mahal: Lizards and Bats Overrun Decrepit 600-Year-Old Monument in New Delhi | url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-12-12-vw-2459-story.html |date=12 December 1986|author=Elizabeth Bumiller (The Washington Post)| access-date = 2014-03-12 | newspaper = Los Angeles Times}}</ref><ref name="nyt">{{cite web |title=New Delhi Journal; Bats in a Dreary Lodge Where Life Imitates Poe|author=Barry Bearak|work=The New York Times|date=20 November 1998 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/11/20/world/new-delhi-journal-bats-in-a-dreary-lodge-where-life-imitates-poe.html |access-date=2014-03-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title = Royal siblings reflect struggle of India's modern aristocrats | agency=Associated Press | url = http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/world/2004-06-05-royal-ruination_x.htm|date=5 June 2004| newspaper=USA Today | access-date = 8 January 2019 }}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=http://www.deccanherald.com/content/403039/cut-off-forlorn-malcha-mahal.html|title=Cut off and forlorn in Malcha Mahal|website=Deccan Herald|date=29 April 2014 |access-date=2016-11-15}}</ref>

==History==
''Malcha Mahal'' is located in Malcha, one of the historical villages around [[Raisina Hill]]. Malcha, along with Raisina, Todapur, Aliganj, Pillanji, Jaisinghpura, and Kushak villages were moved by the [[British Raj|British]] during the construction of capital [[New Delhi]] in the 1920s, especially the Viceroy's House, which is now known as the [[Rashtrapati Bhavan]].<ref>{{cite web| title = From rocks & ridge rose a New Delhi|newspaper=Hindustan Times| url = http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/newdelhi/from-rocks-amp-ridge-rose-a-new-delhi/article1-646426.aspx | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140314133344/http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/newdelhi/from-rocks-amp-ridge-rose-a-new-delhi/article1-646426.aspx | archive-date = 14 March 2014 |author=Avishek G Dastidar |author2=Nivedita Khandekar |date=5 January 2011| access-date = 2014-03-12}}</ref>

==Inhabitation by Wilayat Mahal==
{{Main|Mahal family}}
[[File:Malcha mahal gate 2014-03-09 11-28.jpeg|thumb|The gate of Malcha Mahal in 2014]]
Begum Wilayat Mahal, self-proclaimed great-granddaughter of the last [[Nawab of Awadh]], [[Wajid Ali Shah]], was reportedly allotted the Mahal in May 1985, following the intervention of the [[Prime Minister of India]], [[Indira Gandhi]] in 1984. Begum Wilayat Mahal had been protesting for nine years by living in a waiting room at the [[New Delhi railway station]], demanding compensation for the loss of her ancestral property in [[Awadh]] which was seized when Wajid Ali Shah's kingdom was annexed by the [[British Raj|British]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" /> Begum Wilayat Mahal died by suicide in October 1993 and was survived by her two children.

On 22 November 2019, the New England Bureau Chief of ''[[The New York Times]]'', [[Ellen Barry (journalist)|Ellen Barry]], published a lengthy piece of investigative journalism in which she said she had discovered that Wilayat, in fact, had no connection to the Royal House of Awadh. Rather, she was the widow of the former Registrar of Lucknow University, Inayatullah Butt. Barry found her oldest son, Shahid Butt, living in the UK and he had told her the true story.<ref name=":4" />

==Possibility of restoration==
In late October 2019, it was reported that [[INTACH]] has proposed to undertake restoration of Malcha Mahal.<ref>{{cite web| title = Delhi's mysterious Malcha Mahal ruin to be restored|newspaper=Financial Express| url = https://www.financialexpress.com/lifestyle/travel-tourism/delhis-mysterious-malcha-mahal-ruin-to-be-restored/1725693/|date=3 October 2019| access-date = 2019-11-22}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Teen Murti Bhavan|Kushak Mahal]], another hunting lodge of Feroz Shah Tughlaq in Delhi
* [[Hastsal]], the hunting lodge of Shahjahan in Delhi

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book|author=Abha Rani.|title=Tughluq Architecture of Delhi|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-K9NAAAAYAAJ|year=1991|publisher=Bharati Prakashan}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-12-12-vw-2459-story.html 1986 Los Angeles Times Report after Begum moved in Malcha Mahal]
* [https://www.nytimes.com/1998/11/20/world/new-delhi-journal-bats-in-a-dreary-lodge-where-life-imitates-poe.html 1998 NYT report after Begum died]
* [https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-41861843 BBC 2017 story on the residents of Malcha mahal]
* [https://www.indiatimes.com/news/the-jats-who-owned-lutyens-delhi-and-a-104-year-old-wait-for-compensation-274993.html The story of other disadvantaged and displaced Malcha residents: Jats of Malcha after 104 years still await compensation for their Rashtrapati Bhawan land]
*[https://pandareviewz.com/malcha-mahal-delhi/ The Story of Malcha Mahal]
* {{Cite web|last2=Andre|first2=Aletta|first1=Abhimanyu|last1=Kumar|date=2020-01-07|title=The Many Lives of Delhi's Jungle Palace|url=http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/malcha-mahal|access-date=2020-07-18|website=Atlas Obscura}}

{{Coord|28.609595|N|77.181104|E|display=title}}

[[Category:Buildings and structures completed in the 14th century]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Delhi]]
[[Category:Oudh State]]
[[Category:Architecture of the Tughlaq dynasty]]

Malcha Mahal - Revision history

ScarlettNicholso at 12:50, 15 March 2026