Lodhi Garden

Lodhi Gardens is a park in Delhi. It is at Lodhi Road near the Safdarjung's Tomb and Connaught place. It is set in the heart of the one of the best residential districts of Delhi. Spread over 90 acres, this garden is now modified as a Park. Established in the 15th-16th century by the Sayyids and Lodis (a Pashtun dynasty which ruled much of Northern India during the 16th century) this is famous among the joggers of the Delhi city.

The original name of Lodhi garden was 'Lady Willington Park' which later renamed as 'Lodhi Garden' after Indian Independence in 1947. In 1968, this garden was re-landscaped by Garrett Eckbo and JA Stein, the architect of the India International Centre.

Now this site is protected by the Archeological Survey of India (ASI).

The garden contains the mellow stone tombs of the Lodi rulers like Mohammed Shah, Sikander Lodi, Sheesh Gumbad and Bara Gumbad and architectural works ranging from Sayyid and Lodi to Mughal.

In the middle of the garden facing the East entrance from Max Muller Road is Bara Gumbad (Big Dome) the mosque built in 1494. A few meter north of the Bara Gumbad is the Sheesh Gumbad (Glass Dome) built on a raised incline with glazed blue tiles, painted floral designs and Koranic inscriptions, a typical Lodi architecture.

The tomb of Mohammad Shah (1450), the third Sayyid ruler is an octagonal plan with eaves and lotus patterns on the ceiling. The Sikander Lodi's tomb, surrounded by a garden, at the corner of the park, was built by his son in 1517 and is also an octagonal plan decorated with Hindu motifs. The Mughals in later period innovated the structure to a double dome.

There are several water body and fountains which enlarge the beauty of park that also attract birds like Babblers, Parakeets, Mynahs, Kites, Owls, Kingfishers etc.

The Lodi Gardens have many species of trees, a Rose Garden with more than 200 varieties of roses, and a Green House, where plants are stored . Some of the prominent varieties of trees in this garden are neem, eucalyptus, chinar, chir, deodar and others.

Besides these, there is an Athpula (Bridge of Eight Piers), built in the 16th century by a nobleman at Akbar's court named Nawab Bahadur, is used to enter the garden from north east.

Inside the garden, there are relics of a watercourse linking the tomb of Sikander Lodi and Yamuna River can also be found.