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 The
Red Fort
The Red Fort, with a
circumference of
over 2.2 kilometers,
was laid out by the
banks of the Yamuna
river in the 17th
century. The Mughal
emperor Shajahan
built it with the
ambition of
concentrating the
Mughal power in one
monument. Monument
is perhaps not the
right word. A
mini-city is more
like it.
Unfortunately for
the emperor, before
he could move his
capital from Agra to
Shahjahanabad in
Delhi, he was taken
a political prisoner
by his son
Aurangazeb. The fort
is a delight to
one's imagination.
Imagine the Naqqar
Khana (Drum room)
also called Naubat
Khana (Welcome
Room), where once
drums loudly
heralded the arrival
of the emperor and
the Diwan-e-Am (Hall
of Public Audience)
resounded with the
incantations of the
people. Amazing,
isn't it? There's
more to see - Mumtaz
Mahal, Rang Mahal
(Palace of Colours),
Khas Mahal
(Emperor's Palace),
Diwan-e Khas (Hall
of Private
Audience), the
Hammam (bathing
area) and Shah Burj.
The fort has two
main entrances -
Delhi Gate and
Lahore Gate. The
latter get its name
from the fact that
it faces Lahore in
Pakistan. It's
entrance leads to
Delhi's most crowded
bazaar, Chandni
Chowk. A must see!
There is a Light and
Sound Show every
evening.
Summer timing:
Hindi - 7 pm to 8
pm, English - 8 pm
to 9 pm
Winter timing:
Hindi - 6 pm to 7
pm, English - 7 pm
to 8 pm |
 Purana
Quila
In 1538, the Mughal
emperor Humayun laid
the foundations of
his city named
Dinpanah, or the
Refuge of the
Faithful. The inner
citadel of this city
is today called
Purana Qila or the
Old Fort. An old
fort, it is! One can
almost smell the
ancient stories
oozing from the
corners of the fort.
The site of the fort
was also Indraprasta,
the capital of the
famed warriors of
the Mahabharata, the
Pandavas.
Excavations near the
eastern wall of the
fort reveal that the
site had been
occupied since 1000
B.C. Archaeologists
found painted grey
ware pottery and
other remains, which
date back to the
Mahabharata. The
Purana Qila has
three gates -
Humayun Darwaza,
Talaqi Darwaza and
Bara Darwaza. The
present entrance is
the Bara Darwaza, an
imposing red
sandstone gate on
the western wall.
Inside the Purana
Qila is the Sher
Mandal, a
two-storied
octagonal pavilion
in red sandstone,
built by Sher Shah.
Humayun used it as a
library after he
captured the fort.
However, the Mandal
is tragic, since it
was here where the
emperor is said to
have tripped on its
tortuous stairs and
tumbled to his death
in 1556. Timings: 6
am to 6 pm
Tickets:
Available at the
site and Delhi
Tourism office |
 Qutub
Minar
The highest stone
tower in India, the
Qutub Minar was
built by Qutbuddin
Aibak, the viceroy
of Mohammed Ghori in
1192. It was built
to celebrate Ghori's
victory over the
Rajputs. The tower
and the victory are
very significant,
because both
heralded the birth
of a new dynasty -
Slave Dynasty. And
it laid the
foundations of the
Delhi Sultanate. And
the rest, as one
would put it after
witnessing this
monumental tower,
was history.
The Minar is a
five-storey building
with a height of
72.5 metres. The
first storey of the
Qutb Minar was
completed in the
lifetime of
Qutbuddin. His
son-in-law and
successor, Iltumush,
added the next three
storeys.Within
the complex, is the
famous Iron Pillar
which has stood for
millennia without
rusting,
Quwwat-ul-Islam, the
first mosque built
in India, and the
Alai Darwaza, the
gateway to the
complex erected by
Alauddin Khilji. The
entry to the Minar
has been closed,
after the tower
became infamous for
the several suicides
that were committed
here.
Qutb Minar is a
successful tribute
to architecture, as
it captures one's
attention by its
sheer mass appeal.
Even on close
encounter, the
attention lingers,
owing to the
delicate and almost
ethereal carvings.
Address:
Mehrauli, Delhi-Gurgaon
Road
Timings:
6 am to 6 pm |
 Iron
Pillar
The 7.2 metre high
pillar, standing
within the Qutb
Minar complex, is a
proof of India's
advanced knowledge
of metallurgy 2000
years ago. For it
continues to stand,
even today,
rust-free. The
pillar was erected
sometime between the
4th and 5th century
AD as a
Dhavaja-stambha
(flagpole) of a
Vishnu temple.
It was erected in
memory of King
Chandragupta
Vikramamditya who
ruled from 375 to
413 AD. The Sanskrit
inscriptions on the
pillar record these
facts. Unbelievable,
considering today,
even the spoons in
our kitchens cannot
guarantee this kind
of an immortality
after centuries of
scientific progress!
Another thing one
has to do after
laying one's sight
on this pillar is,
to go and give it a
bear hug. Besides
the metallurgic
excellence, it is
believed that
hugging the pillar
will make all of
one's wishes come
true. So… go, see
and hug!
Address:
Qutb Minar Complex,
Mehrauli, Delhi-Gurgoan
Road Timings: 6 am
to 6 pm |
 India
Gate
This solemn monument
was built in memory
of the 90,000 Indian
soldiers who died in
World War I. It was
built in 1931,
designed by Lutyens,
and was originally
called the All India
War Memorial. The
names of the
soldiers are
inscribed on the
walls of the arc of
the gate. Later in
1971, an eternal
flame was lit here
in memory of the
unknown soldiers who
died in the 1971
Indo-Pakistan war.
India Gate stands at
the end of Rajpath,
and is a popular
picnic site
especially during
hot summer evenings.
At night, the Gate
is brightly lit and
the fountains near
the Gate are lit
with coloured
lights. The sight is
delightful. |
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