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Apathy rots Shah Jahan-era tower, hunting lodge

The Emperor himself had commissioned the building, along with a Shikargah or a hunting lodge, during his reign in 1650.

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Emperor Shah Jahan’s hunting lodge, minaret Hastsal
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Once, Hastsal must have resembled Paris, with its beautiful tower 'Hastsal ki Laat' visible from all lanes, just like the Eiffel Tower. The structure marked the area where the army of elephants, belonging to Emperor Shah Jahan, were kept.

The Emperor himself had commissioned the building, along with a Shikargah or a hunting lodge, during his reign in 1650.

Today, the 17th century minar is in shambles. Some parts of the minar fell down recently. The shikargah is abandoned and the area around it has been completely encroached upon.

At one point of time, locals used it as a resthouse. The architectural heritage of a glorious bygone era now seems to be on the verge of getting lost. In fact, many residents in the area, some of whom share a wall with these heritage structures, don't even know their names.

"This is Qutub Minar. My father tells me that some Emperor made it," says Ashish Bagri.

"We have been told that this is very old. We used to climb to the top to fly kites. But a few months ago, someone put locks on the minar gate," he says.

There is heavy encroachment around the minar. The vibrant, red sandstone walls have been defaced with graffiti. The shikargah or the hunting lodge, located just a few hundred metres from the tower, now has a small temple built within its premises.

The temple is made of white tile and doesn't match any part of the heritage structure.

A family, which lives next to the shikargah and got the temple built, uses its courtyard as personal space, while permission is required to even enter the building.

"We have been living here for many decades now. Our forefathers were born here," Suresh Saini, a member of the family that encroached upon the space, says.

"We use this space to dry clothes and pray in the temple. It is a good space to sit during the winter. Not many people come here to check the old building," he says.

Locals, most of whom belong to Haryana's Bagri community, have been living in the area for generations and have put photos of Hindu deities inside and outside the complex.

Both structures have not been repaired in a long time. In fact, there used to be a cave connecting the minar and the lodge, which is completely blocked now.

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