Hauz Khas Village is an urban village south of New Delhi. Both sides of the road into Hauz Khas are lined with ancient stone monuments, and the entire village is dotted with domed tombs of minor Muslim royalty from the 14th to the 16th centuries.
At the end of the road is the tomb of Firoz Shah Tughluq, who ruled Delhi in the 14th century. Hauz Khas means "Royal Tank," referring to the artificial lake visible from Firoz Shah's pillared tomb. The tank was actually built a century earlier by Allauddin Khilji as a water source for his nearby fort, then called Siri (the second city of Delhi).
Find your way to the gardens near the ruin of a madrassa at the back of the village. The kindly old gentleman often playing cards can sometimes be coaxed into an impromptu Urdu lesson. In the 1980s Hauz Khas was designated an upscale tourist destination, but (perhaps fortunately) the process of redevelopment was never completed, so some of the village character persists.
In the 1980s, Hauz Khas was designated an upscale tourist destination and in addition to the ancient ruins there are art galleries, fashionable restaurants and boutiques.
In Hauz Khas Village, boutiques and shops set in converted old homes up and down narrow alleys sell handicrafts, curios, old carpets and kilims, and designer clothing (both Indian and Western).
Most stores are open Monday through Saturday from 10:30 to 7.
