Beneath the bustling Modi Mill flyover on Delhi’s Mathura Road, amidst the constant flow of traffic and concrete structures, lies a forgotten ruin that may be the remnants of Sarai Juliana, an 18th-century travellers’ inn constructed by Dona Juliana Dias da Costa. This historical discovery presents an unlikely setting for a building of such significant heritage.
Information was available with The Chenab Times that within a green space maintained by the Public Works Department (PWD) under the flyover, fragments of walls, an arched opening, parts of an old building, and a well still holding water are all that might remain of this lost sarai. Dr. Aqil Ahmed, member secretary of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s (MCD) Heritage Cell, has identified these ruins as the probable remains of Sarai Juliana. The civic body is now planning to officially notify the structure as a heritage site.
Such recognition would lend official status to a monument whose name has persevered in Sarai Julena, an urban village located in southeast Delhi’s Okhla area. For centuries, the sarai itself was believed to have vanished completely. Historical records, specifically the book ‘Juliana Nama’ by former National Museum director Raghuraj Singh Chauhan and archivist Madhukar Tewari, indicate that Juliana constructed the sarai in Okhla in 1720. This construction occurred during the reign of Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah ‘Rangeela’ and was intended as a resting place for European travellers.
The identified location aligns with historical narratives regarding its strategic placement. Long before Mathura Road evolved into a modern urban highway, it served as a crucial segment of the overland route connecting the north-western frontier to the Mughal heartland. This route, initially developed under Sher Shah Suri and known as Sadak-e-Azam, or the Great Road, traversed through Peshawar, Lahore, Delhi, and Agra, ultimately extending towards Bengal, and later formed the foundation for the renowned Grand Trunk Road.
The significance of such routes in the 17th and 18th centuries cannot be overstated. As Dr. Ahmed explained, travellers and caravans journeyed across a vast and interconnected world, moving from the Khyber route towards Peshawar and Lahore before proceeding to Delhi and Agra. Merchants, soldiers, officials, pilgrims, and European travellers all utilized this extensive road network, transporting goods and possessions over distances that now take mere hours but then demanded days of travel. This network was supported by essential infrastructure including wells, trees, kos minars (historic milestones), and sarais.
The necessity of sarais, travellers’ inns, was paramount. “That is why the sarais were built on the main road. People travelling long distances needed a place to stay, and they also needed a place for their animals,” Dr. Ahmed elaborated. He further detailed that Sarai Juliana was likely a substantial establishment, potentially comprising at least 15 rooms, with separate provisions for animals and distinct kitchen facilities catering to both vegetarian and non-vegetarian travellers.
Several elements at the site serve as crucial indicators for its identification. A circular well, situated a short distance from the ruined walls, is considered a vital clue. While its upper section has been repaired with cement and covered with a metal grille, the original lining remains intact, and water is still visible at the bottom. “The well is one of the most important identifying factors,” Dr. Ahmed stated.
The surviving construction also features Lakhori bricks, a distinctive type of small, thin, and flat brick widely employed in Mughal-period architecture, interspersed with irregular stone fragments. Dr. Ahmed observed that the extant masonry and an old arch suggest that the original building was considerably more expansive. “The arch work came from these bricks,” he noted.
This structure was part of a network of important stopping points around Delhi. Prominent surviving examples include Arab ki Sarai, located adjacent to Humayun’s Tomb, and Sarai Kale Khan, which was another significant stop on the southern approach to the city. Azimganj Sarai, now situated within the Delhi Zoo premises, also endures.
Dr. Ahmed differentiated these from other sarais, such as those associated with Lado Sarai and Katwaria Sarai in south Delhi’s urban villages. These, he noted, were situated away from the main arterial route and thus did not hold the same strategic importance as establishments directly on the major thoroughfares. Juliana’s choice of location for her sarai was therefore both practical and strategic, reflecting her growing influence and wealth within the Mughal court.
The origins of Dona Juliana Dias da Costa herself are less clearly documented. ‘Juliana Nama’ presents conflicting accounts regarding her background. One theory suggests her family was among Portuguese prisoners captured at Hooghly following Shah Jahan’s attack in 1632, while another links them to Cochin. A third possibility is that Juliana was associated with a Portuguese surgeon who arrived at the Mughal court.
However, the book strongly establishes the remarkable position she eventually attained. As a Christian Portuguese woman with medical expertise, Juliana provided treatment to women within the royal household and was entrusted with the education of royal children, effectively serving as a liaison between the Portuguese and Mughal courts. Among the princes whose tutelage she oversaw was Muazzam, the second son of Emperor Aurangzeb and the future Emperor Bahadur Shah I. According to ‘Juliana Nama’, Juliana was 17 and Muazzam was 18 when she began his education, with the authors suggesting that “the seeds of a lifelong affair were sown” between them.
Her close proximity to the royal family afforded her significant privileges. ‘Juliana Nama’ records that she became the jagirdar (revenue administrator) of four villages and was granted Dara Shikoh’s residence in Delhi. By the time Muhammad Shah ‘Rangeela’ ascended the Mughal throne in 1719, Juliana had amassed sufficient standing and wealth to establish Sarai Juliana in Okhla in 1720. She passed away in Goa in 1734, but the sarai she built continued to exist, though its history gradually became obscured over time.
Dr. Ahmed recalled an anecdote from 1988 when an MCD employee named Khalil reportedly used the structure to issue birth certificates, reflecting a time when municipal services were decentralized and offered through sub-zonal offices closer to residential areas. The surviving remains of Sarai Juliana are not grand: they consist of fragments of brick, rough stone, a broken arch, collapsed walls, and a well that still holds water. Nevertheless, these elements collectively offer a tangible link to the past, identifying the sarai that lent its name to the village of Sarai Julena and potentially aiding in the monument’s reintegration into Delhi’s historical landscape.
The Chenab Times News Desk