This monument was the residence of the descendants of the Nawab of Awadh. (Bryan Denton/The New York Times) Caged inside a forest, far away from civilization and yet resting in the heart of the national capital, is Malcha Mahal. There is mystery shrouding this Tughlaq-era hunting lodge, which has hardly seen visitors in many years.
But now, the Delhi government is considering bringing this 14th century monument — located in the central ridge — for tourists, taking away its obscurity after renovating it.
The heritage structure is basically located in the Chanakyapuri area, next to Delhi Earth Station of the Indian Space Research Organisation. It was built in 1325 by the then Sultan Firoz Shah Tughlaq and was, for long, used as a hunting lodge.
It later became the residence of the descendants of the Nawab of Awadh. It is said that it came to be known as ‘Wilayat Mahal’ after Begum Wilayat Mahal of Awadh, who claimed that she was a member of the royal family of Oudh. She was given the palace by the government in 1985.
When she died by suicide in 1993, it came into the ownership of her daughter Sakina Mahal, and son Prince Ali Raza (Cyrus), who died in 2017; his sister passed away some years before that.
According to a PTI report, the monument is not ASI-protected and, therefore, no attention was paid to it in all these years in order to conserve it. But now, sources have revealed that there is a proposal being prepared to restore Malcha Mahal and make it into a place that may lure history enthusiasts.
Per the report, the restoration work may start in the next five-six months.
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