Hauz Khas is a urban artist village located next to the
ruins of Khilji Dynasty in Delhi and its filled with boutiques, cafes, antique
shops, studios and restobars. I spent the day exploring the ancient ruins and hanging out in the restaurants and lounges of Hauz Khas
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| Ruins of Hauz Khas with the lake in the background |
The Hauz Khas Complex houses a water tank,
an Islamic seminary, a mosque, a tomb and pavilions
built around an urbanized village with medieval history traced to the 13th
century of Delhi Sultanate reign.
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| The Madrasa building facing he lake now a popular dating spot in Delhi |
Hauz
Khas translates to Royal Tank and was constructed during the reign of Alauddin
Khalji who ruled from 1296-1316. The tanks were used to store water during the
rainy season and used to supply water to the inhabitants of Siri, second medieval
city of the Delhi Sultanate. In the years after Alauddin, lack of maintenance
led to silting up of the channels that fed the tanks and it dried up. During
the reign of Feroz Shah Tughlaq the water supply system to the tanks were
restored. The tanks then came to be known as Hauz Khas or Royal Tanks.
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| The three domed pavilion building adjoining the courtyard |
The purpose of this building is not known but some say that it that it was a tomb with many graves inside, there are no traces of graves now in it. From its size and shape it looks like a meeting place
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| Ruins of Madrasa-e-Feroz |
Feroz Shah also build institutions of higher learning called
Madrasa-e-Feroz around the south western edge of the tank. The Madrasa was a well reputed centre for learning as it had employed a lot of famous scholars to teach the students
Hauz
Khas is really nice place to shop as lot of budding artists and designers have
set up beautiful art galleries and boutiques in the narrow alleyways of the
village.
Must Check Out
Boheme
Roof top restaurant with
rustic ambiance and has the best view of
the lake. Best time to go would be during winter .The only down side is that
they dont serve alcohol.
Social
Unique cocktails and lip smacking food in a grunge setting.
The food and drinks are served in unique fashion and they also offer work space
for freelancers who usually work out of their homes
Imperfecto
One of the first
restaurants you will see while entering Hauz Kas. The restaurant has super
chic interiors and serving Mediterranean cuisine.
Graffiti in Hauz Khas
