विश्व धरोहर दिवस अथवा विश्व विरासत दिवस, (World Heritage Day) प्रतिवर्ष 18 अप्रैल को मनाया जाता है। इस दिवस को मनाने का मुख्य उद्देश्य यह भी है कि पूरे विश्व में मानव सभ्यता से जुड़े ऐतिहासिक और सांस्कृतिक स्थलों के संरक्षण के प्रति जागरूकता लाई जा सके। संयुक्त राष्ट्र की संस्था यूनेस्को की पहल पर एक अंतर्राष्ट्रीय संधि की गई जो विश्व के सांस्कृतिक एवं प्राकृतिक धरोहरों के संरक्षण के हेतु प्रतिबद्ध है। यह संधि सन् 1972 में लागू की गई। प्रारंभ में मुख्यतः तीन श्रेणियों में धरोहर स्थलों को शामिल किया गया। पहले वह धरोहर स्थल जो प्राकृतिक रूप से संबद्ध हो अर्थात प्राकृतिक धरोहर स्थल, दूसरे सांस्कृतिक धरोहर स्थल और तीसरे मिश्रित धरोहर स्थल। वर्ष 1982 में इकोमार्क नामक संस्था ने ट्यूनिशिया में अंतर्राष्ट्रीय स्मारक और स्थल दिवस का आयोजन किया तथा उस सम्मेलन में यह बात भी उठी कि विश्व भर में किसी प्रकार के दिवस का आयोजन किया जाना चाहिए। यूनेस्को के महासम्मेलन में इसके अनुमोदन के पश्चात 18 अप्रैल को विश्व धरोहर दिवस के रूप में मनाने के लिए घोषणा की गई। पूर्व में 18 अप्रैल को विश्व स्मारक तथा पुरातत्व स्थल दिवस के रूप में मनाए जाने की परंपरा थी।
अभी तक भारत में 40 विश्व विरासत स्थल है भारत का जनवरी 2021 तक में यूनेस्को में शामिल अंतिम स्थल कच्छ के रन में स्थित धौलावीरा है, जिसे जनवरी 2020 में शामिल किया गया था। यह हड़प्पा कालीन एक नगर था।
Evenings at Adham Khan’s tomb are an affair more for the elderly, who make use of the octagonal pathways in the monument for leisurely strolls. Lamenting at the ignorance surrounding the structure Santosh Kumar said, ‘I come here to relax and see the intricate work of that time. Sometimes I roam here with other old people like myself. Such amazing workmanship that it is still standing today. Though I do not know the history but it intrigues me. The sad part is people do not seem to appreciate it enough.
The monument then saw multiple uses – as a police station, a post office and later simply as a guest house. Surrounded by the dense forests of the Lal Kot, the monument’s current name can be traced to tales of a wedding party that took refuge in the monument and mysteriously vanished overnight. It was the eventual action of Lord Curzon that Adham Khan’s tomb was restored to its original location, while Maham Anga’s has been lost to time.
Situated between the Qutub Minar and the Mehrauli Bus Terminal is a 16th century structure, one of few standing today from the reign of Akbar. The tomb of Adham Khan is a mausoleum to Akbar’s foster brother, executed by the emperor on charges of murder and betrayal. Ensuing centuries have woven lore around this monument, now simply known to most visitors as Bhool Bhulaiya.
This building stands in contrast to the Mughal architectural style, opting instead for an octagonal chamber, low towers and peripheral walls in line with earlier Lodi and Sur dynasties, considered betrayers by the Mughals. The monument was later taken over in the 1830s by a British civil servant known as Blake of Bengal Civil Services who razed the tombs of Adham Khan and Maham Anga to accommodate his dining hall.
A view of a city landmark — the Qutub Minar — from one of the mausoleum’s archways. Like many of the city’s medieval monuments, Adham Khan’s mausoleum stands with its original intent and identity replaced by a newer, colloquial one in the minds of most locals and visitors, much like the ever changing city of Delhi.
A remnant of the medieval Jahanpanah city, the Khirki Masjid, dwarfed by matchbox like buildings now jostles for space and attention from locals and visitors alike to the vibrant locality that surrounds this monument.
Just another ‘qila’ or fort in the minds of the few locals who seem aware of the monument’s existence, centuries of weathering has clearly taken a toll on the Khirki Masjid where the north-east section of the domed roof has caved in, leaving it further exposed to the elements.
The current state of the Khirki Masjid, crept upon by dense foliage is one of obscurity. A fence has been put up to keep peole from adjacent buildings from throwing garbage into the compound. Once frequented by children from the neighbourhood, the monument now sits vacant apart from the ASI guard posted at the site.
The Khirki Masjid was commissioned in the 1350s by Khan-i-Jahan Junan Shah, the Vazir or Prime Minister of Feroz Shah Tughlaq. The mosque derives its name from the rows of windows that surround the upper floor of this quadrangular structure built on a raised platform.
The mosque is slotted in ‘Grade A’ by the Delhi chapter of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) and was also in the list of 43 monuments listed for restoration by the ASI before the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Restoration work came to a halt after the lime plaster being used in the process began turning the monument pink instead.
The open courts provide the mosque with light and ventilation to the prayer area. The mosque has an internal arcade consisting of 180 square stone columns which divide the building into aisles.
The site’s claimed dual-purpose is reflected in a number of architectural decisions that make the Khirki mosque stand apart. It is one of North India’s most unique mosques with a courtyard that is mostly covered and a roof embellished with 81 small domes instead of a large central structure. In place of minarets the mosque is flanked by tapering towers topped with turrets on all four sides as well as the entrances.
A stone’s throw away from Select Citywalk –one of Delhi’s most frequented shopping malls, in the narrow bylanes of Khirki village stands a Tuqhlaq-era structure, constructed in the 14th century to serve as a house of worship and also a fortress. Hidden from view and the city’s memory, this crumbling monument is the Khirki Masjid.
Unlike the lavish structures of the Mughals that followed the Sultanate dynasty, the Khirki Masjid is a far more elementary site in comparison. Built in the rubble masonry style with the exterior once plastered, the interiors lack embellishment or intricate carving, making do instead with exposed stone, save for the latticed windows that give the mosque its eponymous feature.
This unnamed tomb is located in the residential area called Sadhna Enclave in Panchsheel Park. Identified as a tomb from the Lodi era due to its architectural similarities to buildings from that time period, this piece of history has been nearly been claimed by the settlement around it.
Despite a lack of awareness about its history, Adham Khan’s tomb draws visitors by its mere presence as a tranquil island in contrast to the commotion of its busy surroundings. The young take to its always open entrance as an easy getaway from the road which is always buzzing with the din of passing vehicles. Some use it to kill time after school, while others consider it a playground fit for cricket, football and apt to its legend- hide and seek.
Adham Khan’s tomb was built along the ramparts of the 12th century Qila Rai Pithora or Lal Kot, following his execution for the murder of Ataga Khan, one of Akbar’s generals in 1562. The emperor had Adham Khan thrown off the walls of the Agra Fort twice for this betrayal. The mausoleum also contained the tomb of his mother Maham Anga (Akbar’s wet nurse) who died soon after in despair.
Although a designated protected monument by the Archeological Survey of India, there is a distinct lack of any signs in this direction, with no guards present at the site, its walls vandalised and the location an apparent free for all. Sagar Sharma, a visitor said, ‘We come here to rest. We workers even eat our food here sometimes. It’s our usual meet up spot. When there is no work, I take afternoon naps here. But we do not stay here at night because people say it’s unlucky as ghosts visit at night.’
At Adham Khan’s tomb, one finds locals walking about its hallways, children playing in the courtyard, groups engaged in card games, people napping, stray animals and even young couples tucked away in its many corridors.
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