Facts for Prelims (FFP)
Source: HT
Context: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is set to begin conservation works at Zafar Mahal in south Delhi’s Mehrauli, which was once the summer palace of Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal emperor.
About Zafar Mahal
| Attribute | Description | |
Zafar Mahal |
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| Location | Mehrauli village, Southern part of Delhi | |
| Purpose and built by | Summer palace for the Mughal family. It was built by Emperor Akbar Shah II and completed by Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal Emperor in the 18th and 19th Century | |
| Dedicated to | Hazrat Khwaja Qutubuddin Bakthiar Kaki, a renowned Sufi saint to whom almost all the Mughal Emperors were disciples | |
| Components | Palace or Mahal, and entrance gate (Hathi Gate) | |
| Legacy | The Mahal is where Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal emperor, wished to be buried, but his grave lies empty. The exact burial place of Bahadur Shah Zafar’s sons and grandson, who were executed by the British, is unknown. | |
| Nearby | Dargah of Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki | |
| Cenotaphs | Contains cenotaphs (“empty tombs”) of later Mughal Emperors | |
| Festival | The annual festival or procession known as Phulon ki Sair starts from Zafar Mahal and was started by Khawja Bhaktiyar Kaki as a protest against the British. | |
