Written by Sana Todi
Malcha Mahal, hidden deep inside Delhi's Ridge, is a Tughlaq-era hunting lodge. It was built in 1325 by Sultan Firoz Shah Tughlaq, home to the royal family of Oudh. Many great stories surround them.
People say that the last of the royal family lives here, cut off from the rest of the world . Regardless of the ambiguity caused by the multiple stories regarding them, one thing is for certain- they don't want company. The lodge is surrounded by barbed wire and ferocious hounds roam the property. Signs on the outskirts read " INTRUDERS SHALL BE GUNDOWNED ".
In the early 1970s, a woman claiming to be Wilayat, the Begum of Oudh (Awadh) starts camping at the New Delhi railway station. Demanding that her property be restored. Until then, she would reside in the station. She set up her household in the VIP waiting room. Her two children, Prince Ali Raza- better known as Prince Cyrus and Princess Sakina followed along. They waited for years till the government finally caved in and granted them the Malcha Mahal.
The Begum was an impressive woman, she would drape heavy sarees and would carry a pistol at all times. Her children were submissive and obedient, who would refer to her as "Your highness" and would even refuse to talk to other people and accept things without her permission. They held their mother in high respect and idolized her. Princess Sakina even refused marriage as it would separate her from her mother. The Begum's behaviour was demanding and authoritative, she would only entertain queries if they had been written down and brought on a silver plate, and she also commanded her Nepali servants to walk on their knees. Hidden deep inside a dense forest, the Mahal now lies in dilapidated condition. The 4 seasons sneak in through openings in the exterior. The thicket surrounding the mahal is home to deer, jackals and even leopards. They lived without any water or electricity.
Wilayat Mahal rested her head on her table only to never lift it again. She committed suicide at the age of 62. Consuming crushed diamonds and pearls she brought a dramatic end to her life. The siblings, devastated by her death, slept next to her corpse for 3 days. Princess Sakina was about to follow in her mother's footsteps however, her affection for her brother stopped her. Princess Sakina passed away later leaving her brother all alone in the mahal. He too passed away in 2017 due to dengue.
Recent investigations into their life have revealed how the family were imposters and not indeed royal. Wilayat had actually been the wife of a civil servant and after his death she had been admitted to a mental hospital. She emerged claiming to be the Begum. Her two young children fell into this act and her oldest son, Shahid left for England. From England he would continuously send them money in order to financially support them. Wilayat's stubbornness and consistency helped keep the story afloat for so long.
Comments