The 7 Best Overlooked Heritage Spots In Delhi

This tomb and mosque complex sits inside Mehrauli Archaeological Park, adjacent to the Qutub Minar complex – walking distance, really. Since it's so deep inside the park, getting there feels like a bit of a hike through an unkempt urban forest – so that’s definitely a plus if you're after some peace and quiet. Built in the 1500s, both the mosque and the tomb are undeniably understated in their beauty – the mosque's usually empty, and I've spent many an afternoon sitting inside, below its high, vaulted ceilings, completing ill-fated college assignments. Jamali, the Sufi poet, is buried inside the tomb, alongside a grave that's rumoured to belong to Kamali, whose identity has always been a bit of a question mark. Wife? Brother? Disciple? Historians are certain, though, that Kamali was male, and Delhi’s oral tradition remembers him as Jamali’s lover, which means that this sixteenth-century monument might also be one of the city’s earliest queer landmarks. Locals often tell ghost stories about the place, but really, it's just calm and quietly beautiful. 

Time Out Tip: Since the complex is buried deep inside leafy Mehrauli, it’s actually one of the few monuments you can comfortably visit in peak summer.

Daily. 6am-10pm

Roshanara Begum, Mughal emperor Shah Jahan’s daughter, built this place in the 1600s as her tomb, and perhaps as a quiet retreat for her last years (and possibly more, given the rumours that the place might be haunted). The garden is sprawling but again, refreshingly unmanicured, and her simple tomb sits right in the centre; around it are vast lawns, often populated by locals. Families lounge, kids play cricket, and couples hold hands – it all feels very family-friendly and wholesome, and that's part of the charm, because it's one of the few Mughal spaces in Delhi that still feel consciously inhabited instead of being ticketed and fenced off. If you’re after a slow afternoon with a side of history, you’d love this. 

Time Out Tip: Enter through Gate No. 3. Watch out for bats! They hang out in the trees over on the far side of the lawn sometimes. 

Daily. 5am-8pm

You’ll need to have your Maps on, because it’s that easy to miss. Built in the Lodhi era between the 1450s and 1520s, this tomb complex – five tombs, two mosques, and a little stepwell – feels like you’ve stumbled into a secret level in a video game. The site isn’t too overgrown – in fact, it’s fairly manicured compared to some of the other entries on this list – but it’s got a natural feel to it that offsets the careful symmetry of the architecture. It’s tiny, and can be covered in under an hour, but it’s peaceful enough to linger, especially in good weather. The lawn gets lots of sunlight (that’s either a pro or a con, depending on the weather), and since it’s not very touristy, the tombs are open – you can go in and take a look. There’s no entry fee, either, so all you’ve got to do is walk through the iron gate.

Time Out Tip: There’s not a ton of documented history here. If you love a bit of mystery, that’s part of the charm, but hardcore history buffs might find it possibly disappointing.

Daily. Open 24 Hours

Commissioned by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan's third wife and built in 1653, this monument had practically disappeared from the public's memory, and even now, after a glow-up thanks to recent restoration work, it's pretty low-key. It had been built in an attempt to copy the much more famous Shalimar Bagh in Kashmir, so it's got all the features of a typical Mughal garden: water channels, fountains, pavilions, and of course, the main monument. The restoration work's been extensive and done a great deal in terms of reviving the charm of what it must've looked like in the 17th century, with extensive signboards and information. The aim of the government is to very much reintroduce the spot to the heritage circuit, but for now, it's still secluded, quiet, and undiscovered. Historians believe controversial Mughal emperor Aurangzeb was crowned here at the end of a long, bloody battle of succession – but you’re going to have to open your history books for that story.

Time Out Tip: It’s better to walk or take a three-wheeler up to the main site, since the lead-up is pretty narrow. Though there’s a café inside, it’s closed, so your best bet for a snack is the street food stalls outside (you’re allowed to bring food in). 

Daily. 9am-5pm. Free

This place is a bit different from the others I've listed, because it's not much of a picnic site. The structure itself was built in the late 1200s, and houses the grave of Balban, an earlier Sultan of the Delhi Sultanate. Even though it's mostly in ruins, you're able to tell right away that the architecture back then was very rough-and-tumble, with little of the elegance seen in the later Indo-Islamic sites in Delhi. What you can brag about, though: this is the first Indian structure where the Islamic arch shows up, along with the earliest traces of a dome. Both are mostly rubble today, but the outlines are still faintly visible. The site itself is huge, though, located deep within the Mehrauli Archaeological Park – and is so overgrown it feels more like stumbling on a ruin in the wild than visiting a heritage spot. Truthfully, this one’s mainly for downright nerds – it’s worth a stop just to see how time has been let loose on stone.

Time Out Tip: If you’re really ready to brave the overgrowth, wear something that covers your legs and walking shoes – and carry bug repellent. 

Daily. Open 24 Hours. Free

If you’re willing to take a quick detour on your way to get either drunk or stoned at Hauz Khas Village, you’ll come across a pair of tombs nicknamed ‘Dadi-Poti’ (grandmother and granddaughter). Built in the 15-16th century, no one’s really sure where they came from, but the larger ‘Dadi’ tomb displays all the features of typical Lodi-era architecture, while the smaller ‘Poti’ tomb is simpler. They’re encased inside a sort of park – which feels very opulent, given that it’s home to two ancient monuments. If you’re down for a bonus, there’s also the Bara Khamba (not to be confused with the site bearing the same name near Connaught Place), a domed structure with twelve pillars, likely used as a pavilion or tomb chamber. Neither is a monumental landmark – just a friendly reminder of how Delhi casually scatters her history on the side of the road. 

Time Out Tip: This is a great place for a date. Speaking from personal experience. 

Daily. 5am-8pm

Perched on the North Ridge near Kashmere Gate (a beautiful, forested area), the Mutiny Memorial was built by the British in 1863 to commemorate the colonial service soldiers who died in the Revolt of 1857. The whole affair caught quite a bit of flak back in the day, because the original plaques only honoured the British-allied soldiers, declaring the Indian freedom fighters the ‘enemy’. This was remedied after Independence, with a fresh plaque, with the monument being renamed to Ajitgarh, or Place of the Unvanquished. It’s built in Gothic style, but in red sandstone, and to the eye, it seems a strange mash-up of British and Indian architecture. If you climb the steps, though, you’ll be rewarded with one of the nicest views of the Ridge and all the biodiversity it contains.

Time Out Tip: Beware of the monkeys! They’ll steal your food if you’re not careful. 

Daily. 9am-5pm