Wazirabad’s wonder

I was on my way to the Yamuna Biodiversity Park in the national capital from Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh and was looking for a non-highway route. I zigzagged through villages and old settlements with generations of stories to share. Just before crossing the Wazirabad barrage in a corner of northern Delhi, as I turned towards the old Wazirabad village, I was greeted by vendors, chaiwalas and e-rickshaws. By the time I could adjust to the hustle-bustle, I was at a vintage bridge. It only needed scratching the surface to realise what lay before me — an architectural wonder, the old bridge of Wazirabad, built 700 years ago.

This bridge was built by the third Sultan of the Tughlaq dynasty, Firoz Shah Tughlaq (1351-1388). It connected Delhi with UP and Punjab and provided connectivity across the Yamuna. Primarily built for caravans, horse carts, animals and daily walkers, it has survived the onslaught of time for one simple reason: it was built by a ruler whose heart and soul lay in carefully-planned buildings and conservation.

Firoz Shah, who ascended the throne after the death of his infamous cousin Muhammad bin Tughlaq, was a prolific builder. Several projects of public welfare were built during his regime, from canals to rest houses and hospitals, from creating and refurbishing reservoirs to digging wells. He built the towns of Firozabad, Jaunpur, Hisar and Ferozepur, hundreds of villages and five major canals, including one connecting Hisar, historically known as Hisar-e-Firoza, with Sutlej and Yamuna. He also built the massive Firoz Shah Kotla in Delhi.

During the medieval period, most invaders tried to attack Delhi through this route. Founder of the Timurid Empire, Timur or Tamerlane, came through the Wazirabad bridge. Legend has it that Sultan Allaudin Khilji (1296-1316) beheaded a large number of invaders, especially from Mongol, who had entered via this route and got them buried in Siri Fort. He managed to restrict the Mongol invaders, until Timur came and destroyed Delhi. There is evidence that this route was also used during the time of Emperor Ashoka. However, at that time, wooden bridges were in use. Interestingly, this was the only land route that led to Punjab, Kabul and further up, Central Asia. In 1857, during the First War of Independence against the British, the revolutionaries from Meerut had used this, along with the Salimgarh bridge, to enter the Red Fort.

During Firoz Shah Tughlaq’s reign, the entire area was a dense forest and the crystal clear Yamuna, with a picturesque view, attracted his wazir (prime minister), who frequently visited it to rest with his soldiers and horses. This is how it came to be known as Wazirabad.

Today, the Yamuna no longer flows beneath the bridge. Instead, filth and overgrown shrubs are all you can see. For centuries, very little has been done to maintain it, but the bridge still looks formidable. With its arches, colonnades and screened windows, it was an engineering marvel when it was constructed in the 14th century. Like most other Tughlaq-era buildings and monuments, the Wazirabad bridge is also made of local quartzite rubble.

While not many villagers are sure of this heritage in their midst, myths abound. They believe there is a tunnel underneath the bridge that opened up near “a fort”. Some say there is a staircase going into the water! Unfortunately, filth and overgrown grass are what we could see.

Praveen Singh, Superintending Archaeologist of the Delhi Circle of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), says the bridge is an ASI-protected monument and that its historical and archaeological importance is unparalleled.

“Tughlaq’s buildings reflected the ‘batter’ system of construction, which had sloping walls. These distributed the weight of the building evenly, providing strength and solidity to the structure,” he says.

The entire area is now known as the Wazirabad complex. There is a tomb of Sufi saint Shah Alam, who rose to prominence during Firoz Shah’s time; it has been repaired and restored.

Despite its heritage status, Wazirabad bridge lies in a dilapidated condition; except for its occasional tarring, not much has been done. For long, vehicular movement was allowed, causing traffic jams on the main road and threatening the structure. It was stopped only last year. Today, e-rickshaws, two-wheelers and small goods vehicles ply on the bridge.

Praveen Singh agrees that the heritage importance given to bridges in other parts of the world, especially in Europe, and more specifically in Italy, is way more than in India. Punte di Realtao of Venice attracts millions of people from around the world and has generated economic benefits for the people.

If the Yamuna Biodiversity Park at Wazirabad gets its share of the prominence that it deserves, and that is extended to this iconic bridge, this part of New Delhi might see sustainable tourism as well.

— The writer is a journalist and author