Hauz Khas Complex: Exploring the Hidden Gem of Delhi
Delhi is one of the oldest cities in the world and it is full of national treasures, like the ones in Hauz Khas Complex. This is one of the most perfect cultural sites for a visitor to explore, especially in the first days of being in Delhi. It’s what I call a soft landing! Delhi can be overwhelming, but this is a great place to get acclimated.
Hauz Khas Complex is in a quiet area of Delhi, tucked away in a gentrified urban village called Hauz Khas Village. It’s a lovely historic site abutting Deer Park, one of Delhi’s largest green spaces. The monuments here date back to the 13th century, and even include the mausoleum of Firoz Shah Tughlaq, ruler of the Delhi Sultanate. After exploring the complex, you can meander around the village which is full of cafes and boutiques.
How to Visit Hauz Khas Complex
First of all, try to buy your tickets online in advance through the Archeological Survey of India website. Every time I go there and try to pay cash it is problematic. There’s a QR code to scan for electronic payment at the ticket booth, but it doesn’t always work. If you are planning to go, buy your ticket online before you head out. It will also be INR 50 cheaper.
Getting to the complex is easy once you’re at Hauz Khas Village. Only authorized vehicles are allowed inside the village (residents or business owners), so you’ll have to walk from the village entrance, but it’s not far. Just keep going down the main road to the very end. The complex is there.
Just an fyi, Hauz Khas Complex is very often referred to as Hauz Khas Fort. They’re the same place. Interestingly, there was never an actual fort here. The complex comprises a madrassa, mosque, pavilions, tombs and mausoleums.
Also, Hauz Khas Complex is not mobility impaired friendly. There are reasonably even walking paths around the ruins, and it is possible to see quite a lot from the paths, but exploring the ruins themselves involves steep, uneven stairs with very few guardrails.
Hours and Cost at Hauz Khas Complex
Hauz Khas Complex is open 7:00 am – 7:00 pm, every day except Sunday when it is closed. Tickets are INR 300 for foreigners if bought there, and INR 250 online. Children under 15 are free.
Exploring the Ruins at Hauz Khas Complex
The ruins at Hauz Khas Complex were built as part of the second medieval city of Delhi, Siri. In case you don’t know, Delhi is the site of 8 medieval cities, and these ruins belong to the second of those.
The name Hauz Khas means ‘royal tank.’ It was named for the giant reservoir built during the reign of Alauddin Khilji (1296 – 1316). The reservoir is still there, it’s often referred to as Hauz Khas Lake. You can easily see it from the complex, and walk around it from one of Delhi’s best picnic spots, Deer Park.
As soon as you enter the complex you will see the six pavilions on the grassy lawn with chhatris (open domes), some built over tombs. Chhatris are typical of Indo-Islamic architecture, and these ones are rectangular, hexagonal and octagonal.
Tomb of Firoz Shah Tughlaq
One of the most prominent monuments at the Hauz Khas Complex is the tomb of Firoz Shah Tughlaq.
He was the third ruler of the Tughlaq dynasty and ruled the Delhi Sultanate from 1351 to 1388. The Delhi Sultanate is the Islamic empire which at its height (as it was during Firoz Shah’s time) included almost all of the subcontinent.
He is considered by many to be the greatest of the Tughlaq rulers and known as a reformer king. He expanded the kingdom, and was responsible for many building projects around India including reservoirs (like the one at Hauz Khas Complex), canals and hospitals.
There are four graves inside the tomb, that of Firoz Shan, his son, grandson and the fourth is unknown. Make sure you look up at the domed ceiling. If you look closely, you’ll see verses from the Quran inscribed in the decorative medallions.
Madrasa
The Firoz Shahi Madrasa is the largest of the historic structures at Hauz Khas Complex. It stretches from one end to the other. At the time it was the largest madrasa in Delhi and the most important Islamic seminary in the eastern world.
Visitors have full access to the madrasa and can roam all over, but be careful as some of the steps are very steep and many lack hand rails.
Mosque
The mosque is at the far side of the complex (on your right if you are facing the ruins). It’s gated off and you can’t walk through it, only around part of the exterior.
For the best views, go to Deer Park after, and walk around the reservoir on the walking path. You’ll get some pretty good views of the mosque from there.
The mosque has some beautiful features, like the chhatri over the qibla, and steps down to the reservoir. You can see these details from the walking path in Deer Park.
While walking toward the mosque, you’ll pass an open structure with many columns and a three-domed roof. This was used as an assembly hall or meeting rooms.
How to Get to Deer Park to See the Views of the Mosque
Unfortunately, there is no direct entrance to the walking path around the reservoir from Hauz Khas Complex. You’ll have to exit the complex and go all the way back up the main lane of Hauz Khas Village to the entrance. The entrance to Deer Park is just on the left. I would definitely do this, the views are great.
Deer Park is one of the largest green spaces in Delhi. It’s a favourite park of locals, and has some spectacular historic monuments of its own. It is open sunrise to sunset and admission is free. Sometimes there are musicians playing music in the largest tomb.
How to Get to Hauz Khas Complex
The Hauz Khas Complex is very central and easy to get to. The best way to get there depends on how far away you are to start with.
If you’re not already in south or central Delhi, then the best way is by metro. Delhi has an excellent metro system. You can read my guide on how to use the Delhi metro, but it’s very user friendly and safe. I honestly can’t praise the Delhi metro system enough. It’s cheap, efficient, clean and it goes everywhere.
The nearest metro stations to Hauz Khas Complex are Green Park (Yellow line), exit Gate 4 and IIT (Magenta line), exit Gate 3.
It’s a bit of a walk to Hauz Khas Complex from both metro stations, but you can always grab an auto rickshaw. There will be lots outside the metro exits. It should not cost more than INR 80.
If you’re already in south or central Delhi, you can use Uber or take an auto rickshaw. Both are cheap and widely used in Delhi. Just remember the drivers can only take you as far as the entrance gate at Hauz Khas Village. You’ll have to walk the 400 metres to the complex from there.
❗Important: Don’t confuse the neighbourhood and market of Hauz Khas with Hauz Khas Village (where Hauz Khas Complex is located). They are 1.7 km apart. If you are taking an auto rickshaw, make sure you are very clear with the driver that you are going to Hauz Khas Village.
Hauz Khas Village and Deer Park
Hauz Khas Complex is located in Hauz Khas Village, which abuts Deer Park. Both are worth exploring. Hauz Khas Village is one of Delhi’s urbanized villages, and you have to walk through it to get to the ruins.
When Delhi expanded rapidly post-Partition, many villages were incorporated into the municipality. These villages got special status and were exempt from many by-laws. They are densely populated neighbourhoods characterized by narrow lanes and a lot of unstructured, ad-hoc building.
Hauz Khas Village is Delhi’s most gentrified of these. It has an eclectic mix of shops, cafes, bars and homes (many of which are Airbnbs). If you explore the back lanes you’ll come across residences, a mosque and some interesting street food options!
Deer Park is one of the Delhi’s largest and nicest parks. It is home to several historic monuments from the Tughlaq and Lodhi periods, the most impressive being the Bagh i Alam Ka Gumbad, built in 1501. This part of south Delhi is very historic, and there are many ancient mausoleums, mosques and dargahs scattered over this section of the city.
Hauz Khas Village is a favourite night time destination for Delhiites. There are a lot of bars (many restaurants switch over to night club mode around 10:00 pm), and it’s a pretty busy spot on the weekends.
Where to Eat on Your Visit to Hauz Khas Complex
The best restaurant for seeing the ruins in Hauz Khas Complex is Social. There’s an outdoor terrace with wonderful views of the historic monuments. The food is also good, and they have an extensive menu with something to please everyone. Actually, this is one of Delhi’s most famous restaurants, it’s been features in Bollywood movies. Social is a very popular hang-out spot at night.
Coast Cafe and Naivedyam are also really excellent, but you won’t get those incredible views. They are at the top of the main lane in Hauz Khas Village.
Where to Stay Near Hauz Khas Complex
Hauz Khas Complex is in South Delhi, an excellent area to stay in for exploring the city. This is also a greener and generally nicer part of Delhi.
I really like these hotels and guest houses that are close to Hauz Khas Complex:
Hyatt Regency Delhi – 5 star luxury hotel with the best hotel bakery in Delhi
Thikana Delhi – luxury bed and breakfast in one of Delhi’s most exclusive neighbourhoods
Let’sBunk Poshtel & Suites – mid-priced minimalist hotel located in Hauz Khas Village, two minutes walk from Hauz Khas Complex (not my first choice, but it is the closest to Hauz Khas Complex)
Prakash Kutir B&B – the best budget bed and breakfast in Delhi
There are a lot of Airbnbs in Hauz Khas Village and it can be a great option, but keep in mind Hauz Khas Village is busy with partygoers on the weekends. There are a lot of bars in the village. Traffic up and down Hauz Khas Road on a weekend night can be very backed up (speaking from experience).
In fact, I started staying in Green Park (just around the corner from Hauz Khas Village) because it’s quieter.
I’ve stayed in several Airbnbs in Hauz Khas Village, but these are my favourites:
Sarai Khaas 4 @ Hauz Khas Village (room with ensuite)
Sunbeam @ Hauz Khas Village (1 bedroom apartment)
What Else to See Within Walking Distance of Hauz Khas Complex
There are several noteworthy sites you should check out while you’re in the area. All are an easy walk from Hauz Khas Village and absolutely free.
Jagganath Mandir (Shri Neelanchal Seva Sangh)
This is a unique South Indian temple, beautifully carved in marble. It’s dedicated to the Hindu god Jagannath who is an avatar of Lord Krishna, one of the most important Hindu gods. Inside the shrine effigies of Lord Krishna and his brother and sister are dressed daily, including jewelry.
During the festival of Rathyatra (usually in July), the statues are taken from the temple and placed in grand chariots for a ceremonial parade through the streets, and the temple is completely covered in marigolds.
The temple is on Hauz Khas Road, about a 10 minute walk from Hauz Khas Village. Everyone is welcome, but shoes must be removed.
Tombs of Green Park
Green Park is the name of the neighbourhood around the corner from Hauz Khas Village. It has six gorgeous tombs from the 15th century. At that time, this whole area was full of mausoleums, and these are the few that remain. You probably passed the small Chote Gumti and Sakri Gumti on your way to Hauz Khas Village – they are right on two corners of Hauz Khas Road and the main Green Park road.
There is no entry fee for any of these, and apart from the Dadi Poti tombs, I have never seen a guard at them. For a small tip the guard at the Dadi and Poti tombs let me up on the roof of the Dadi tomb, and I got some great views. He was also happy to take my photo – the guards come in handy sometimes! The tombs are relatively close to each other, and you can easily walk to them all.
Click here for a map of the Green Park tomb locations.
Green Park Market
This is the main market of the neighbourhood called Green Park, and it has practically everything in a pedestrian friendly setting. There’s coffee shops like Starbuck and Tim Horton’s, clothing stores, pharmacies, fruit and vegetable stands, tailors, and some really good casual restaurants like A2B, Evergreen Sweet House, Veg Gulati and Haldiram’s. If you didn’t eat in Hauz Khas Village, this is the perfect place to have lunch or dinner.
There’s several better beauty salons in Green Park Market. So if you want a pedicure, manicure, haircut or colour, this is the place. I always go to Looks Salon, my hairstylist Vineet is a genius.
The Wrap-up on Hauz Khas Complex: Exploring the Hidden Gem of Delhi
Spending a day exploring the ruins of Hauz Khas Complex, having lunch in Hauz Khas Village, checking out the view from Deer Park, and then walking over to Green Park Market for coffee while checking out the tombs along the way, is about as perfect a day as you can get in Delhi.
Put on comfortable shoes, grab a bottle of water and have a wonderful day visiting these lesser known gems of Delhi.
Don’t forget travel insurance! It’s always a good idea to carry travel insurance just in case something goes wrong. I really like and use SafetyWing
