Shah Alam’s Tomb
The tomb of Shah Alam, a renowned saint who lived during the reign of Feroze Shah Tughlaq (1351 – 1388), can be seen in the Wazirabad locality. It is situated at the intersection of the Outer Ring Road and Loni Road near the banks of the Yamuna River. A little beyond the Timarpur area, after crossing the Najafgarh drain or nullah, one reaches some rubble built structures of the mid-14th century. These include the square tomb of Shah Alam and a three-domed mosque.
The structures belong to Feroz Shah Tughlaq’s period and are believed to have been erected by him. Timur the Lame is also said to have camped in a nearby area in 1398, and is said to have crossed the Yamuna River at this point.
The main attraction among the remaining structures is the mosque, which has a two-bay deep prayer chamber, pierced by five arches. There is also a small chamber in the mosque. It was probably built for the use of the fairer sex, and is covered with intricately carved screens or jalis. The enclosed square tomb of the saint is also situated in the courtyard of the mosque, which rests on twelve pillars.
The nine-arched bridge built over the nullah also dates back to Tughlaq’s era. It is the oldest bridge of Delhi, which is still in use. Built of rubble, the bridge has been designed to prevent the Yamuna River’s backwater from entering the drain. Hats off to the builders, the bridge has beautifully withstood the depredations of age.
