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Tombs of Battashewala Complex is an Archaeological Survey of India protected monument in Nizamuddin East, Delhi. The funerary complex, consists of three Mughal period tombs, known as the Bara Batashewala Mahal, the Chota Batashewala Mahal, an unidentified Mughal tomb and arched compound wall enclosures.
The Batashewala Complex, abutting Humayun’s Tomb Complex stands within the World Heritage Site buffer zone. The complex comprises: Bara Batashewala Mahal; Chota Batashewala Mahal; an enclosure wall; and, an unknown Mughal tomb all constructed in the late 16th – early 17th century. These buildings comprise a unique Mughal era Islamic funerary complex unlike any other in India. The Batashewala Tomb Complex is situated next to the Humayun Tomb's enclosure. Access to the tomb is also from the Sunder Nursery.
Tombs of Batashewala complex is an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) protected monument in Nizamuddin East, Delhi, includes two Mughal era tomb-garden enclosures within which stand three tombs, of national importance, and protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
Situated directly opposite Humayun’s Tomb Complex on the historic Grand Trunk Road, Sunder Nursery and Batashewala Complex are the home to a number of superbly restored Mughal-era monuments set within 90 acres of well tended gardens. From within Sunder Nursery, access to the Batashewala Complex is via a path near the south-east corner of the site. They were once a significant part of the 16th century Mughal necropolis adjacent to the Dargah of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, the 14th century Sufi saint who has been revered for over seven centuries.
The Tombs of Batashewala Complex lie in the buffer zone of the World Heritage Site of the Humayun Tomb Complex; the two complexes are separated by a small road but enclosed within their own separate compound walls. The complex has three tombs which are identified as Bara Batashewala Mahal and the Chota Batashewala Mahal, enclosed within a compound wall with arches of 1,000 feet (300 m) length built with stone masonry; and a Mughal tomb of an unidentified person, to the east of the other two tombs, in a separate enclosure. All three tombs are reported to have been built during the late 16th – early 17th century. It is said that such a funerary complex does not exist anywhere else in India.
Since I950’s the Batashewala Complex has been in the ownership of Bharat Scouts for use as a camp ground. After over a decade of persistent requests by conservation groups the ownership was transferred by the Government of India to the Archaeological Survey of India in 2010 thus now allowing the possibility of conservation of the monuments that stand within complex as a whole and in an integrated manner with other monuments that sit in adjacent complexes. Nobody seems to know the reason behind the Batashewala name that is used for some of the monuments and the complex itself. A batasha is a small disc of fine sugar, but what connection these tombs have to a batasha is unclear.
Bara Batashewala Mahal is a 30 m square structure, with five half-domed openings in each one of its four sides, those on the west now collapsed and those on the south inappropriately repaired in the 20th century and now, in order to halt the process of deterioration, requiring partial dismantling prior to repairs.
Chota Batashewala Mahal was originally a domed octagonal tomb, profusely ornamented but has largely collapsed in the second half of the 20th century. Archival pictures, from the 1960’s, and drawings together with a study of the standing portions of the building provide enough evidence of the original to carry out an informed conservation project aimed at enhancing the historical significance of the site and the understanding of the building for visitors.
Described in the 20th-century texts as “Chota Batashewala” standing on a platform some 3’ high. It consisted of a central octagonal chamber, with a surrounding arcade containing an arched opening on each of the eight sides. The central apartment was provided with four doorways, three of which were closed by stone jalli screens. The domed ceiling of the central chamber, as well as the walls inside, is ornamented by floral and geometrical patterns intermingled with Quranic inscriptions in incised plaster”. A rubble masonry wall has been built all along the periphery to provide support to standing portions in lieu of the shallow foundations of the structure. A vaulted tomb chamber was also discovered and the earth in-fill that had been placed inside was removed. The ASI protected monument known as Chota Batashewala seems to have largely collapsed following the leveling of land, by Bharat Scouts and Guides, in its immediate setting in 1989 to build the structures for the Bharatiyam event.
The Mughal Tomb standing at the eastern edge of the Batashewala complex, stood on an elevated stone masonry plinth, giving it a fort like appearance. The plinth, mostly covered with vegetation and partially collapsed, is 100 m long and 60m wide. The planned rebuilding of missing portions and conserving standing portions of the plinth would significantly halt further deterioration and enhance the historic character.
The Enclosure Wall of the Batashewala Complex is similar in style to the garden enclosure wall of the Humayun’s Tomb World Heritage Site and separated only by a narrow street. The profile of the street itself has not changed much in 400 years when it was used by the Mughals to access the river Yamuna. Portions of the wall have collapsed, are covered with vegetation and will need to be recovered and completed on the basis of recently discovered standing portions.
The complex of tombs have been refurbished at a cost of US$750,000, the first of its kind funded under the US Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation Projects (AFCP). The initiative to restore this complex was taken after the visit of President Obama to the Humayun Tomb Complex in 2010. The restoration works have been carried out by the AFCP in association with the Archaeological Survey of India. The restored structures were formally opened to the public on 18 April 2015, which was also observed as the UNESCO declared World Heritage Day. The Ministry of Culture, Government of India, has now plans to pose this tomb complex for inclusion as part of the UNESCO heritage complex of the Humayun Tomb.
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