Narration : Gopika Santosh
Co-traveller : Rakesh Unni
Editing/Script/Camera : Pramod Ayarpully
Audio : Funk City by Reatch
• THE TERM JAHAZ MAHAL WHICH IS AN URDU WORD IMPLIES SHIP PALACE AND THIS NAME IS INSPIRED BY THE PLACEMENT OF THE MONUMENT NEAR A LAKE KNOWN AS HAUZ-I-SHAMSI.
• THE REFLECTION OF THE MONUMENT IN THE LAKE HAUZ-I-SHAMSI LOOKED LIKE A BEAUTIFUL SHIP SAILING ON A SEA
• IT IS BEEN INFERRED THAT THE JAHAZ MAHAL WAS BUILT DURING THE LODI DYNASTY PERIOD (1452–1526).
• IT IS BELIEVED THAT ONE REASON FOR BUILDING THE JAHAZ MAHAL WAS TO PROVIDE TRANSIT ACCOMMODATION AS INN FOR THE PILGRIMS FROM AFGHANISTAN, ARABIA, IRAN, IRAQ, MOROCCO AND TURKEY WHO CAME TO DELHI TO VISIT THE MANY MUSLIM SHRINES
• IT IS ALSO BELIEVED THAT THE REAL REASON BEHIND THE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS MONUMENT WAS FOR CREATING A COMFORTABLE SUMMER RESORT FOR THE ROYAL MUGHAL RULERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
• THE HAUZ-I-SHAMSI IS A MASSIVE WATER TANK AT MEHRAULI IN SOUTH DELHI WHICH WAS DUG OUT BY THE THEN EMPEROR SULTAN ILTUTMISH IN 1230.
• THE JAHAZ MAHAL IS SITUATED ON THE BANKS OF HUAZ-I-SHAMSI AND THE REFLECTION OF THE PALACE FALLS ON THE RESERVOIR WATER THE STRUCTURE LOOKS LIKE A FLOATING SHIP ON A VAST WATER EXPANSE.
• THE JAHAZ MAHAL IS ALSO THE VENUE FOR THE ANNUAL FLOWER EXHIBITION NAMED “PHOOLWALON KI SAIR” ON OCTOBER MONTH
• A PROCESSION OF FLOWER BEDECKED PANKHAS (FANS) MADE AND CARRIED BY THE FLOWER VENDORS STARTS FROM MEHRAULI, FIRST THEY STOPS AT THE YOGMAYA TEMPLE FOR THE FIRST OFFERING OF THE FLOWER FAN AS MARK OF REVERENCE, THEN MOVES TO THE JAHAZ MAHAL AND FINALLY ENDS AT THE FAMOUS DARGAH OF HAZRAT QUTBUDDIN BAKHTIAR KAKI FOR THE PRESENTATION OF THE FANS AND CHADDAR.
• THIS PHOOLWALON KI SAIR WAS INITIALLY STARTED BY EMPEROR AKBAR SHAH IN 1820 AND LATER POPULARIZED EMPEROR BAHADUR SHAH II.
• IT MARKS THE SYNCRETIC HINDU-MUSLIM COMPOSITE CULTURE
• THE COURTYARD, ORIGINALLY IN A RECTANGULAR SHAPE NOW SEEN IN ‘U’ SHAPE, IS IN THE CENTER OF THE PALACE.
• THE PALACE HAS CARVED IMPRESSIVE SQUARE CHHATRIS OR TOWERS IN THE CORNERS AND THE CENTER, ORNAMENTED WITH BEAUTIFUL SQUINCHES IN DIFFERENT CHAMBERS AND WALLS
• THE DOMED PAVILION OVER THE CENTRAL GATE IS DECORATED WITH BLUE TILES.
• A SMALL MOSQUE IS ALSO LOCATED WITHIN THE PALACE
• JAHAZ MAHAL IS ONE OF THE MONUMENTS IDENTIFIED BY CONSERVATION SOCIETY, DELHI WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1984 AS A VOLUNTARY ORGANIZATION FOR PRESERVATION OF DELHI'S ENVIRONMENT AND ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE WITH THE MAIN OBJECTIVE OF CREATING AWARENESS AMONG THE PUBLIC OF DELHI'S HERITAGE.
• ALTHOUGH A FEW PARTS OF THIS STRUCTURE ARE IN RUINS NOW, YET JAHAZ MAHAL CONTINUES TO IMPRESS AND LEAVE ITS VISITORS WITH ITS ELEGANCE AND CHARM.
