Preservation of Mehrauli’s heritage does not seem to strike a chord with its electorate

NEW DELHI: The historical

legacy of Mehrauli is that it does not only have remnants of Quila Rai Pithora, the fort built by Prithviraj Chauhan but also the resting palace of

last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar.

A city that was built much earlier than Shahjahanabad better known as Old Delhi, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) at 18 has more protected monuments in Mehrauli than in Old Delhi which is at 15. Repeated encroachments, desecration and the lackadaisical approach taken by the authorities have ensured that most of its historical structures have either vanished, desecrated or have been encroached upon.

For a place that is credited with having one of the oldest temples of Delhi, the number of historical monuments just in the 1960s was above 40 which has been reduced to just a handful in number.

Even though the electorate in the old part of Mehrauli express regret, among various electoral issues preservation of Mehrauli's rich past does not seem to be the topmost priority. Speaking to Millennium

Post, party workers of all the three parties Congress, BJP and

AAP claim that steps have been taken by their local leadership to improve the situation.

Not only in Old Delhi but there is also a Jama Masjid in Mehrauli. Sadly the structure that was built hundred years before Jama Masjid in Old Delhi today lay in ruins. Its area and land have encroached upon shops and an illegal colony has come around it.

“We are financially weak people who have not been able to earn so that we can improve our lives. We have been blamed for degrading Delhi but does anyone like to live in slums. I am 40-year-old and from the time of my birth I am residing in the slums,” said Zeeshan.

Just few meters of walking distance are Jahaz Mahal, another ASI protected monument. Despite its historical significance, only a handful of tourists come to the historic spot.

Even though the situation of Jahaz Mahal is better than the other structures, piles of garbage and encroachment has also affected the structure.

Some of the ancient monuments in Mehrauli includes Quila Rai Pithora, Hauz Shamsi, Badaun gate, Lal-kot, tombs of Shah Alam, Shah Alam II, Akbar Shah II, Bahadur Shah and Jamali-kamali.