Hauz Khas combines a 13th-century reservoir and the ruins of a medieval madrasa and tombs with, immediately adjacent, one of Delhi's trendiest urban villages — a dense cluster of boutiques, art galleries, cafes and bars that has grown up around the historic core. The contrast between centuries-old ruins overlooking a still lake and the buzz of the modern village makes Hauz Khas one of Delhi's more unusual heritage-meets-nightlife destinations.
The reservoir itself, originally built to supply water to the nearby city of Siri, is flanked by the ruins of a madrasa established under Firoz Shah Tughlaq, considered one of medieval India's most significant centres of Islamic learning. Evenings here draw a very different crowd than the daytime heritage visitors, as the surrounding village comes alive with Delhi's younger creative and social scene.
The reservoir was originally excavated under Sultan Alauddin Khilji in the 13th century, with the surrounding madrasa and monuments added later under Firoz Shah Tughlaq in the 14th century, making the site a layered record of successive Delhi Sultanate rulers.
October to March; the village is lively into the evening year-round.
Near Hauz Khas metro station on the Yellow and Magenta lines.
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