From Shahjahanabad’s Kashmiri Gate, the Grand Trunk Road led (and still leads) north and west through Punjab towards Lahore. Just north of Kashmiri Gate, the route was dotted with many pleasure gardens and traveller’s serais. The ruins of some of these still exist throughout north Delhi, most dating back to Mughal times.

The sequence of monuments as shown in this post is from closest to Kashmiri Gate to furthermost. These photos are also in a flickr collection.

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Qudsia Bagh

All that remain of this 18th c. garden, located just north of Kashmiri Gate, are a gateway and mosque in an attractive late-Mughal style.

Mosque at Qudsia Bagh

The springing line for the central dome inside the mosque is unusually rectangular, instead of circular

Remains of rooms attached to the back and side of the mosque

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Qudsia Bagh gateway

A later (colonial era) structure in Qudsia Bagh

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Roshanara’s Tomb

The tomb of Roshanara Begum (17th c.) is in the central pavilion of what was a charbagh garden layout. The grave at the center of the pavilion only has earth for cover, much like the grave of Roshanara’s brother Aurangzeb (who is buried in Khuldabad, Maharashtra). A small opening has been made to the roof of the pavilion above the grave so that it is open to the sky.

The pavilion containing Roshanara’s grave

Protective screen around the grave

Roshanara’s grave

“Skylight” over Roshanara’s grave

Looking out from the pavilion

Gateway to the erstwhile charbagh garden around the pavilion

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Tripola

Tripola is a set of two gateways that face each other and were once part of a rectangular walled compound that possibly contained a market. The size and number of openings (three – which is how the monument gets its name) in these gateways sets them apart from the gateways of nearby gardens or serais, indicating that perhaps the main grand trunk road passed through these gates.

Tripola gateway

Gateway interior

Looking from one gateway towards the other

The second of the two gateways

Gateway to a once-existing garden just south of Tripola

This gateway, also originally leading to a garden, lies between the two Tripola gates and has seen a lot of modification over the past few decades

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Badli Serai

Just the gateways remain of this serai along the road. Badli Serai was the site of one of the Delhi battles during the Revolt of 1857.

Badli Serai gateways

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Shalimar Bagh

Shalimar Bagh was a 17th c. garden set a little distance away from the grand trunk road. All that remains now is the Sheesh Mahal pavilion, and the remains of another pavilion and an adjacent pool.

Sheesh Mahal pavilion

The water channel connecting the succession of pavilions in the original design can be seen in front of the building

Decorative work in Sheesh Mahal’s arches

Another ruined pavilion with a pool in front

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Maqbara Paik

Maqbara Paik is a 16th c. tomb situated along the grand trunk road.