Tomb of Safdarjung

Safdarjung's tomb is a sandstone and marble mausoleum which is located in Delhi, India. It was built for Nawab Safdarjung in the year 1754 and has an Indo-Islamic architecture design which epitomizes the Mughal Dynasty. The glory of the capital city of Delhi lies in all the ancient architectural elegance it carries, and Safdarjung's Tomb is among them. It was Mughal ruler of that time, Ahmad Shah Bahadur who dedicated the tomb to his court's prime minister, Safdarjung. The place has a garden and a mausoleum too. The tomb and the mausoleum are also remembered very rich in history as they are one of the last structures built under the Mughal Empire; the downfall of Mughals had already begun towards the beginning of the 1700s, with the death of Aurangzeb.

Safdarjung was a Persian native and the ruler of Awadh serving as the viceroy of Muhammad Shah of the Mughal empire. After his death, he moved to Delhi and became the prime minister when Muhammad Shah Ahmed Shah ascended the throne of the Mughal empire in 1748. Later on, when the king got drowned in wine and opium life, Safdarjung over exercised his power and tried to take everything in his control, when the King’s family took the help of their Hindu Maratha confederacy to drive him out of Delhi and seize the control back in their hands in 1753. Safdarjung did not live much longer after that and died in 1754. Nawab Shuja-Ud-Daula, his son pleaded the Mughal empire to allow him to erect his father’s tomb in Delhi.

The Safdarjung's tomb was made in juxtaposition with the greatest tomb of Humayun’s. The tomb is surrounded by an enormous courtyard garden running for 280 meters per side. Apart from the garden, the enormous garden tomb also holds a mosque with three domes. The entire structure is carved out of yellow/brown coloured sandstone and uses of various pieces from another mausoleum of Abdul Rahim Khankhana has been done too. Speaking of the entrance to the tomb, it is massive and a view from here vividly captures the entire structure. A variety of chhatris, chambers, and kiosks shaped in rectangular, polygonal and octagonal shapes reside inside the tomb which makes the structure breath-taking. The tomb also has an underground chamber where the graves of Safdarjung and his wife lies.

The garden area around the Tomb of Safdarjung is a spitting image of a number of Mughal architecture style throughout the country. The water canals that rest inside the tomb work their way through the garden into various regions of the tomb including 'Jangli Mahal' and 'Badshah Pasand' among others. All in all, the architect of Safdarjung's tomb is well crafted and magnificently executed.

The Tomb of Safdarjung is open all days of the week from 7am to 6pm. The tourists are charged with an entry fee of Rs. 15 from Indians and Rs. 200 from foreigners. No fee is charged for taking pictures inside but for videography one has to pay a nominal amount of Rs. 25.

• Carry a sunscreen for protecting your skin from the scorching heat of Delhi.
• Wear comfortable shoes and clothes.
• Carry a scarf with you to save yourself from the heat.
• Take an extra water bottle with you to stay hydrated during your entire tour.
• Don’t litter the garden.
• Carry mosquito repellent cream with you for avoiding insect bites.
• Take shades and goggles with you to save yourself from the sun’s baking rays.
• Keep that umbrella handy in case of sudden rainfalls.
• Take anti-pollution masks in case of a sudden change in the environment.

The quickest and most convenient way to reach Safdarjung's Tomb from Indira Gandhi International Airport is via metro. Visitors can get down at Jor Bagh from where the tomb is merely at a walking distance. However, visitors can also opt for various other means of transport such as rickshaw/auto that will drop them directly to the grand gates of the tomb. This can take up to 30 minutes. Bus service is also available and visitors can take tickets for Jor Bagh bus stop from the airport.

The best time to visit the Tomb of Safdarjung is during the winters when the weather is not too harsh and there’s no scorching heat. The evening time between 4pm to 6pm when sun is favourable to spend a quality time with friends and family at the Safdarjung Tomb.

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