Also Known As · Satpula Dam · Sat Pula
New Delhi, Delhi · monument
A weathered seven-arched Tughlaq weir in a quiet ASI park — medieval Delhi's water-engineering and city wall in one austere stone span.
Satpula is one of Delhi's most quietly remarkable monuments — a 14th-century dam and weir that ranks among the oldest surviving waterworks in the city, hidden in a landscaped ASI park near Khirki village in South Delhi. Built around 1343 CE during the reign of Sultan Muhammad bin Tughlaq, it formed an integral part of the fortified southern wall of Jahanpanah, the fourth of Delhi's historic cities. Its very name — 'Satpula', meaning 'seven bridges' or 'seven openings' — refers to the arched sluice bays across its span.
Pure-vegetarian sattvic thali
Pure-vegetarian South Indian dosas
Pure-vegetarian South Indian thali
Satpula is one of Delhi's most quietly remarkable monuments — a 14th-century dam and weir that ranks among the oldest surviving waterworks in the city, hidden in a landscaped ASI park near Khirki village in South Delhi.
entry is free and the unfenced monument is open through daylight hours (roughly sunrise to sunset). There is no ticket counter, guide or restroom, and the medieval stone is uneven, so wear sturdy shoes and visit in daylight, as the park can feel quiet. Nearest metro: Malviya Nagar (Yellow Line), about 1.5 km, or an 8–10 minute walk from Saket / Select Citywalk. Allow about half an hour, ideally in soft morning or late-afternoon light.
Visiting Hours
Entry Fee: Free — a centrally protected ASI monument with no admission charge or ticket counter.
Verified: July 2026
Address
Press Enclave Marg, near Khirki Village, close to Sheikh Sarai and Saket, South Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, 110017
On Press Enclave Marg near Khirki village, close to Saket / Select Citywalk
🚇 Nearest Metro: Malviya Nagar (Yellow Line) — about 1.5 km; Saket is a slightly longer alternative
🚶 Walking from Metro: About 1.5 km from Malviya Nagar metro; or an easy 8–10 minute walk from Saket / Select Citywalk.
Distance from
Parking
street · Free / nominal
Limited street/park parking near Khirki; the metro or a cab is easier.
🚕 Ride Hailing Tip: Autos and cabs reach Press Enclave Marg / Khirki; a short ride from Malviya Nagar metro or Saket.
How to Reach: Satpula is on Press Enclave Marg near Khirki village, South Delhi. Nearest metro: Malviya Nagar (Yellow Line), about 1.5 km, then a short auto/cab; it is also an 8–10 minute walk from Saket / Select Citywalk. Well connected by road via the Outer Ring Road.
History
Satpula is a 14th-century dam and weir built around 1343 CE during the reign of Sultan Muhammad bin Tughlaq, as an integral part of the fortified southern wall of Jahanpanah, the fourth historic city of Delhi.
🏛️ Architect: A stone weir about 79.5 m long with eleven sluice bays (seven main bays at the lowest level plus two higher bays on each side), each water tunnel roughly 14.6 m long and originally fitted with wooden vertical sluice gates worked by rope and pulley, anchored by octagonal bastions at each bank in austere, battered Tughlaq masonry.
Significance
Satpula is one of Delhi's oldest surviving dams and a rare example of medieval Indian water-harvesting engineering combined with military fortification — a single Tughlaq-era structure that served irrigation, defence and education at once as part of the walled city of Jahanpanah.
Family Highlights
💰 Equipment Fees: Free for personal photography.
📍 The Golden Spot: The full run of arched sluice bays and an octagonal end bastion in raking light.
🌅 Best Light Time: Early morning and the last hour before sunset.
🌅 Secret View: The octagonal end bastions once held a madrasa — look for the arched chambers where teaching rooms overlooked the water.
🎯 Crowd Hack: It stays quiet; a weekday morning gives you the whole weir and park almost to yourself.
💎 Secret Fact: Its name means "seven openings"; the dam impounded water for irrigation while its mass doubled as the southern rampart of Jahanpanah city.
⚡ Express Tour
20 minutes — walk the weir and photograph the bastions.
🔭 Deep Dive Tour
Half day — Satpula, then Hauz Khas Complex and Chor Minar.
👕 Dress Code: Comfortable clothes and sturdy shoes for uneven medieval stone; sun protection in summer.
📷 Photography Rules: Personal photography is free; the arched weir and bastions are the draw.
🏧 Nearest ATM: ATMs at Saket / Select Citywalk (within 1.5 km).
Entry is free — it is a centrally protected ASI monument with no ticket. As an unfenced structure in a park it is open through daylight hours (roughly sunrise to sunset), best visited in soft morning or late-afternoon light.
Malviya Nagar on the Yellow Line is nearest, about 1.5 km; take a short auto or cab. It is also an 8–10 minute walk from Saket / Select Citywalk.
It is a 14th-century Tughlaq-era dam and weir (built c. 1343 CE under Muhammad bin Tughlaq) — one of Delhi's oldest surviving waterworks — whose seven-plus sluice bays give it its name, 'seven openings'.
It impounded a seasonal Ridge stream to irrigate farmland during a period of drought, while its masonry mass doubled as the fortified southern wall of Jahanpanah city; its bastions even housed a madrasa.
Yes — it is a quiet, uncrowded heritage stop with striking medieval engineering, easily paired with Saket, Hauz Khas or Qutub Minar; allow about half an hour.
Saket's Select Citywalk nearby has the pure-veg Sattvik and Naivedyam, with Sagar Ratna close by.
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