Ismaili.NET - Heritage F.I.E.L.D.

From botany enthusiasts to social media influencers, everyone agrees Sunder Nursery is Delhi’s go-to spot to escape Covid blues.

Sunder Nursery is teeming these days.

New Delhi, Dec 19 (PTI) Delhi''s iconic Sunder Nursery, a 90-acre garden which was transformed into a horticultural paradise after a decade-long conservation work, is among the winners in the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation this year.
Also, Koothambalam at Guruvayoor Temple in Kerala''s Thrissur has been chosen in the Award of Distinction category.

The market at Nizamuddin basti is bustling with energy on a Thursday afternoon. There are some people chattering in front of a butchershop and children fighting while playing carom. The smell of fresh biryani fills the air as I walk through the winding lanes towards my destination, a kitchen called Zaika-e-Nizamuddin which is run entirely by a group of local women.

An initiative by the Aga Khan Foundation that began in 2012, Zaika-e-Nizamuddin was set up as part of a dual campaign to create employment opportunities for women and tackle the problem of malnutrition in this area.

At a time when many areas in Delhi and multiple cities across the country are facing acute water shortage, Mughal Emperor Jahangir-built baoli at Arab Ki Sarai can become a harbinger of hope for water conservation. It is being revived with the twin purpose of heritage and water conservation.

The Imam of the Shia Ismaili community, the Aga Khan, on Thursday said his Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) will work for the agriculture sector and rural support in Maharashtra.
Lauding the efforts of the state government for tribal development, the visiting spiritual leader said he will consider extending support to finish incomplete irrigation projects in Maharashtra and create livelihood opportunities for tribals in remote areas.

New Delhi: The Aga Khan Foundation on Tuesday partnered with the German embassy, which will provide Rs 41.5 lakh for rebuilding of a traditional ‘baoli (water stepwell) in the Humayun Tomb’s complex here.

It was announced during the signing of a memorandum of understanding by Aga Khan Trust for Culture Chief Executive Ratish Nanda and the German envoy Martin Ney in the Mughal-era Arab Ki Sarai premises.

The Arab Ki Sarai, an Archeological Survey of India (ASI) protected monument, houses an out-of-use stepwell.

New Delhi: InterGlobe Foundation and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) Tuesday announced they would collaborate to conserve and restore Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khanan's tomb in the capital.
Popularly known as Rahim and immortalized through his dohas's or couplets, Rahim was amongst the most important ministers in Akbar's court. He was one of the Navratnas and continued to serve Salim after his accession to the throne as Emperor Jahangir.

According to Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) listing of ancient structures in Delhi, Arab Sarai was built in 1560 by Hamida Banu Begum, who was chief consort of Mughal emperor Humayan, to accommodate 300 Arabs she had brought back from Mecca.

The lofty eastern gateway of a walled enclosure built in the 17th century — which was originally a market built during Jahangir’s reign along side Arab ki Sarai, Nizamuddin East — has been restored to its old glory.

The restorer, Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), began restoration work in January 2017.

Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim
Honourable Vice President of India
Lieutenant Governor of the National Capital of Delhi
Honourable Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs
Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
Excellencies
Distinguished Guests

I am deeply honoured - and so very happy - to share with you in today’s ceremony. I have followed the Sunder Nursery project with keen interest for many years – going back at least to the year 2000, when the Aga Khan Trust for Culture first undertook the restoration of the Gardens of Humayun’s Tomb, just next door.

New Delhi, Jan 17 The Delhi High Court today asked Aga Khan Foundation to develop and carry out landscaping at the historic Amir Khusro Park in south Delhi, from where the authorities have recently removed illegal encroachers.

The court also turned down the submission of the Delhi Waqf Board counsel opposing the idea of allowing the foundation to beautify the park, claiming that the land belonged to the board which can take care of its property.

(Source: Amit Mehra)The 22-metre high Sabz Burj, at the intersection of Mathura Road and Lodhi Road, has led a lonely life. The Sabz Burj has suffered abuse due to its location — there is pollution, traffic and accompanying vibrations,” said Nanda. Surrounded by the cacophony of screeching honks from cars, the sprawling lawns of the 16th Century tomb play host to mostly pigeons. “This project is significant because the monument is in the middle of the city, at a busy intersection… people will see the restoration work, it won’t be hidden,” said Nanda.