Sunder Nursery began its life not as a public park but as a secret garden of the Mughal empire, originally named Azim Bagh or Bagh-e-Azeem, built in the 16th century by the Mughals on the Grand Trunk Road. For centuries, this 90-acre complex lay in the shadow of the nearby Humayun's Tomb, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, serving as a quiet retreat for nobility and a place of experimental planting during the British Raj. The name Sunder Nursery itself derives from the Sunder Burj tomb, a structure that lends its identity to the entire space, while the word nursery reflects its later use under British rule to grow experimental plants and maintain a lake that defined its character. Despite its historical significance, the area was abandoned for decades, allowing nature to reclaim the grounds until a massive restoration project began in 2007, transforming it into Delhi's first arboretum and reopening it to the public on the 21st of February 2018.
Monuments of Sand and Stone
Six structures within the complex have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the Sundarwala Burj, Sundarwala Mahal, and Lakkarwala Burj, each telling a story of architectural resilience and Mughal craftsmanship. The Sundarwala Burj, a 16th-century tomb, was restored using original orange sandstone and white lime mortar, with its red sandstone interior walls featuring entire sections of recreated white Quranic verses that had faded over time. The Lakkarwala Burj tomb now stands in a new rose garden, while the Mirza Muazzafar Hussain's Tomb and the Unknown Mughal's Tomb remain as silent witnesses to the era's artistic legacy. These monuments were not merely preserved; they were brought back to life through meticulous conservation efforts that involved removing over 1,000 trucks of rubble and recreating classical Persian garden features such as fountains and water channels.A Living Arboretum
Today, Sunder Nursery is home to over 280 native tree species, making it Delhi's first arboretum and a sanctuary for rare flora such as the Pink Cedar, the only one of its kind in the city. Using Geographic Information System technology, 4,200 trees have been mapped, creating a living library of biodiversity that includes the Chukka and Carrotwood trees, which are found nowhere else in Delhi. The Bonsai House houses some bonsai specimens over 80 years old, while the garden replicates the four micro-habitat zones of Delhi's original landscape: Kohi (ridge), Bangar (alluvial), Khadar (riverine), and Dabar (marsh). This commitment to preserving native species has turned the park into a vital ecological hub, supporting 80 different bird species and 36 types of butterflies, including the rare Ultramarine Flycatcher, which was spotted in 2014 after not being seen in New Delhi for many years.