Traces of the yore

As the dark frail bodies took a dive, the splashing water drew a wide smile across their faces. Not caring much about the filth, the little ones would take a leap into the water and emerge out of the adjacent well with beaming faces.It is probably the grandeur of Qutub Minar which stands magnificently at Mehrauli, that Gandhak ki Baoli and Adam Khan’s tomb, situated just at the rear of the tower, are not known by many. The only visitors are these little kids from the nearby areas. Interestingly, even the auto drivers are not familiar with the baoli’s name and often confuse it with Rajon ki baoli.The largest step well in Delhi, Gandhak ki baoli, was built by Emperor Iltutmish, the founder of the slave dynasty. It was built for Khwaja Sayed Muhammad Qutb-ud-din Bakhtiar Kaki, a renowned sufi saint whose dargah is not more than a minute’s walk from the baoli. It is believed that the emperor was a religious follower of the saint.
The dargah witnesses the Phoolwaron ki Sair (Festival of flower sellers) every autumn. Aiming to bridge the gap between Hinduism and Islam, people offer sheets of flowers at the dargah and the close by Yogmaya temple.Enclosed in an area no larger than one of the little parks in your localities, Gandhak’s baoli is likely to escape your eyes, but the tales that the people around have to tell are worth a share.The baoli has a circular well at its south, and the water in the baoli is believed to come through this well.  While one might conspicuously feel that it is the municipal corporation that fills up this well with water regularly, people believe it is “magic”.  “There have been times when the baoli remained dry for years, but nobody knows where the water comes from,” said Raju who was perched upon the highest wall of the six tiered step-well, with his friend Ghalib, watching the kids bathe in water.“Two years back the baoli was filled with water only till the second storey, and before that even lower.  This year the water has risen an extra storey,” said Ghalib. Adding to this list of fables, he said, “The water dries out when somebody drowns in the baoli.”“When the water dries up, people go to the Rajon ki baoli to bathe. It is said that the two baolis have never had water together,” he added. Dismissing the repelling filthy water and vindicating its name, the water in this baoli is believed to have sulphur and therefore healing properties. Ignorant of this fact, Raju fascinatingly informed, “People often develop the skin rashes other ailments during summers, but a single dip in the water cures all of them. Nobody knows how, but this really happens.” Believed to have witnessed a lot of diving and swimming competitions in the past, this historical structure stands neglected amidst a dilapidated neighbourhood. Apart from the Pahalwan dhaba, located infront of the baoli, there is absolutely nothing to attract visitors.  About 100 meters from the baoli, stands another unattended evidence of Indian history, Adam Khan’s tomb, which is locally known as Bhool Bhulaiyan. It is often talked about as the tomb from where Qutab Minar can be seen clearly, but the intricate art work on the ceiling has been seldom appreciated. Poor maintenance, however, is likely to make it invisible to the eyes very soon.On a summer afternoon, one is likely to find several people within the tomb which is erected opposite the Mehrauli Bus Terminus, but none of them, to your surprise, is likely to be a visitor. “Most of them come inside the tomb for shade, as they wait for their buses,” said Sudhir Kumar, security in charge of the tomb.  Although he said that young people do visit the tomb in the evenings, it is hard to believe with the structure standing like an abandoned pile of rocks and nothing more.    (Published in The Pioneer)