Monument Battles Delhi's Temperature Extremes
- A new monument in Delhi stands as a symbol against the city's extreme heat and cold. - It highlights architectural innovation to combat rising temperatures in the capital. - The feature showcases local efforts to address climate challenges.hindustantimes.com
At Delhi’s Tughlaqabad tomb complex, a smaller 14th-century chamber is drawing attention for how it softens both summer heat and winter cold through stone, shade and airflow. (hindustantimes.com) Hindustan Times reported on April 21 that the structure, believed to be the tomb of Zafar Khan, sits inside the enclosure of Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq’s better-known mausoleum in south Delhi. The paper said the smaller tomb predates Ghiyasuddin’s 1325 monument and is wrapped by a narrow corridor around its central chamber. (hindustantimes.com) The cooling trick is simple: thick stone walls block the worst of the sun, while long wall openings admit light and push air through the passage. Hindustan Times described the effect as a chamber that stays relatively cool in hot months and less freezing than the open air in winter. (hindustantimes.com) Delhi is a city built for weather swings. Its landlocked position leaves it exposed to scorching summers, winter cold waves and wide seasonal temperature variation, according to climate summaries cited by regional weather reporting. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) Those swings have become harder to ignore in recent years. In late May 2024, Delhi’s heatwave pushed multiple stations near or above 49 degrees Celsius, and the India Meteorological Department later said the widely cited 52.9-degree reading at Mungeshpur was caused by a faulty sensor with a roughly 3-degree positive bias. (ndtv.com) This month brought the opposite surprise: on April 9, 2026, Delhi logged its coolest April day in about 11 years at 28.2 degrees Celsius after a western disturbance, India Today reported, underscoring how abruptly the capital can swing even within one season. (indiatoday.in) The larger site has its own place in Delhi’s history. Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq, founder of the Tughlaq dynasty, built Tughlaqabad as a new fortified capital in the early 14th century, and his tomb complex still stands opposite the fort. (britannica.com ) (hindustantimes.com) The Archaeological Survey of India lists preservation of monuments as part of its mandate, and Hindustan Times has previously reported that Ghiyasuddin’s tomb complex is maintained by the agency. The smaller Zafar Khan chamber offers a different lesson from the grand mausoleum beside it: older builders in Delhi were already designing for heat, glare and moving air 700 years ago. (asi.nic.in) (hindustantimes.com)
