via timesofindia.indiatimes.com – NEW DELHI: A team from the Aga Khan Trust for Culture engaged in conservation work at Sunder Nursery has stumbled upon a lotus pond there which dates back to the 16th century. Concealed by dirt, the pond was earlier believed to be a well. Once the layers of earth were carefully set aside, it was found to be just over a meter in depth. Its edge was crafted in the shape of eight petals,” said a senior Trust official.
“The shallow depth and nine depressions on the base of the tank are signs that this 9m-diameter foliated tank was used by Mughals to grow and display lotuses,” said an expert.
The Trust team is currently engaged in landscaping the area and upgrading the nursery. It is busy working on the pond, expected to become a major tourist attraction by 2015 once the renovated nursery is ready to receive visitors.
“Works include consolidating crumbling masonry and rebuilding collapsed portions of the pond with quartzite,” said an official. The ground has been raised to create an impression of greater depth. It will be ready to receive lotus plants soon.
Officials said that until the early 20th century Sunderwala Mahal and Sunderwala Burj within the Sunder Nursery complex stood inside an enclosed garden. A century of activity during which a nursery was established by the British on the site has obliterated most of the garden.
via 16th-century lotus pond found in Sunder Nursery – The Times of India.
Ismailimail 