Lal Gumbad Malviya Nagar – The Red Tomb of Shaikh Kabir-ud-Din Auliya

Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has listed 174 monuments of national importance in Delhi.  If you read my blog regularly, you must have known that my love for Delhi is endless and this is one of the few Indian cities where I can never get bored. Full of culture, heritage, history and story, Delhi is my first love. I usually roam around in the city on weekends or whenever I get time and explore its hidden gems. And I come across marvelous architectures, monuments and stories. One such monument I came across recently while just randomly roaming was Lal Gumbad of Malviya Nagar. It was a Sunday and I was staying at a hostel in Malviya Nagar.

I have a list of some not so famous yet historically important monuments of Delhi and Malviya Nagar’s Lal Gumbad wasn’t in my list. It came as a surprise and I felt happy that I got to explore this ancient monument without even knowing about it. Most of the times, I read about a monument and then I go there to visit and explore it. But since I had never heard of Lal Gumbad before ever, I had no information about it and it was a new addition to my list of monuments to explore in Delhi. That’s that best thing about Delhi that you can come across a monument anytime when you roam around in the capital city.

The area of Malviya Nagar has several other monuments. This was the place where Jahanpanah city was formed. Last year in 2020, I got to explore Begumpur Mosque which is located in Begumpur village near Malviya Nagar Metro Station. Next to this ancient mosque is Bijay Mandal. Lal Gumbad in Panchsheel Park was the third monument of Malviya Nagar that I explored. There are still more historical sites in this area which I haven’t covered yet and I will be visiting them in future.

History of Lal Gumbad – The 14^th Century Red Tomb in Malviya Nagar

Lal Gumbad is the tomb of Shaikh Kabir-ud-Din Auliya who was a Sufi saint. Kabir-ud-Din was a disciple of the famous Sufi saint Shaikh Chirag-i-Roshan who belonged to the Chishti order. Lal Gumbad was constructed in 1397 and contains the mortal remains of the Sufi saint. There isn’t much known about this place like who built it yet these are some sketchy facts. The saint is said to have lived during the rule of Muhammad-bin—Tughlaq. If you compare this tomb with the Tughlaq tomb located next to Tughlaqabad Fort, you will find clear resemblance in the architecture of both the monuments.

Architecture and Design of Lal Gumbad

Lal Gumbad of Malviya Nagar is also known as Raqabwala Tomb. The tomb is known as Lal Gumbad because of the use of red sandstone as the chief construction material (Lal means red and gumbad means tomb). The tomb’s walls, façade, etc. everything is built with red sandstone. This tomb is built in square shape with a plastered dome. The walls have been frayed as there is no regular maintenance of the monument. There is another unnamed tomb-like structure next to this tomb.

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You will find 9 tombstones inside Lal Gumbad, out of which one belongs to the Sufi saint which has a name plate on it. The tomb had golden finials which thieves stole later. The western wall of the tomb has iron rings which the thieves used to steal the gold.

Where is Lal Gumbad located and how to reach there?

Lal Gumbad is located in Malviya Nagar area. The nearest metro station is Panchsheel Park on magenta line. The monument can be approached via outer Ring Road which leads to Malviya Nagar. There is no entry ticket for Lal Gumbad. It is among those monuments of Delhi where you can visit without any entry ticket. You can visit the monument from 9AM to 5PM. There is a security guard at the gate.

Delhi is a land of monuments. Some of them are well maintained and attract visitors from all across the city while some monuments struggle to survive. Lal Gumbad is one of them. This place is a hangout place for people who come here, sit, smoke, etc. Kids play cricket and the vicinity of Lal Gumbad is full of trash dropped here by the locals and people who come here to hangout. It is sad to see the conditions of such monuments.