|
Red
Fort
The red sandstone walls of Lal Qila, the
Red Fort, extend for two km and vary in
height from 18 metres on the river side
to 33 metres on the city side. Shah
Jahan started construction of the
massive fort in 1638 and it was
completed in 1648. Before he could move
his capital from Agra to Shahjahanabad
in Delhi,he was deposed and imprisoned
in Agra Fort by his son Aurangzeb.
Lahore Gate
The Lahore gate is the main gate to the
fort, getting its name from the fact
that it faces Lahore. It leads to a
vaulted arcade, the Chatta Chowk
(Covered Bazaar). The shops cater to the
tourist trade today, but once they
stocked articles for the royal household
- silks, jewellery, gold. This arcade
was also known as the Meena Bazaar,
where ladies of the court shopped on
Thursdays. No man was allowed inside the
citadel on that day.
Coronation Durbar
This is a must for incurable Raj fans
looking for their fix of nostalgia. It's
north of Old Delhi and is best reached
by auto-rickshaw. An obelisk marks the
site where the durbars were enacted
between 1877 and 1903. It was here that
King George V was declared Emperor of
India in 1911.
Feroz Shah Kotla
The ruins of Ferozabad, the fifth city
of Delhi, erected by Feroz Shah Tughlaq
in 1354 can be found at Feroz Shah Kotla,
just off Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg between
the Old and New Delhi. A 13-metre-high
sandstone obelisk with Ashoka's edicts
(and a later inscription) can be seen in
the old fortress palace. Also to be seen
are the remains of an old mosque and a
fine well. But most of the ruins were
used in the construction of later
cities.
Purana Qila
Purana Qila is the supposed site of
Indraprastha, the original city of
Delhi. The Afghan ruler, Sher Shah, who
briefly interrupted the Mughal Empire by
defeating Humayun, completed the fort
during his reign from 1538-45, before
Humayun regained control of India. The
fort, located south-east of the India
Gate and north of Humayun's Tomb and the
Nizamuddin railway station, has massive
walls and three large gateways. There is
a small octagonal red sandstone tower,
the Sher Mandal, inside the fort near
the South gate. It was later used by
Humayun as a library. While descending
the stairs of this tower one day in
1556, he slipped, fell and received
injuries from which he later died. The
Qila-i-Kuhran Mosque, or Mosque of Sher
Shah, lies just beyond it and unlike the
fort itself, is in a fairly reasonable
condition. There's a small
archaeological museum just inside the
main gate. There are good views of New
Delhi from atop the gate.
Humayun's Tomb
The tomb is an early example of Mughal
architecture. Humayun's senior wife Haji
Begum had it built in the mid-16th
century. This earlier tomb is thus of
great interest for its relation to the
later Taj. The squat building, graced by
high arched entrances topped by a
bulbous dome is surrounded by formal
gardens.This style of architecture was
refined over the years,ultimately
rersultingin the magnificence of the Taj
Mahal in Agra. Haji Begum too is buried
in the tomb. The garden has other tombs
including that of Humayun's barber and
the Tomb of Isa Khan. The latter is a
good example of Lodi architecture. Entry
is free on Friday. On other days, there
is a small entry fee. There is an
excellent view of the surrounding
country from the terraces of the tomb.
Nizam-ud-din Shrine
The shrine of the Muslim Sufi saint,
Nizamuddin Chishti, who died in 1325
aged 92, is across the road from
Humayun's tomb. With its large tank, it
is one of several interesting tombs
here. Other tombs include the later
grave of Jahanara, the daughter of Shan
Jahan, who stayed with her father during
his imprisonment by Aurangzeb in Agra's
Red Fort. Amir Khusru, a renowned Urdu
poet, also has his tomb here as does
Atgah Khan, a favourite of Humayun and
his son Akbar. It's worth visiting the
shrine at around sunset on Thursdays, as
it is a popular time for worship, and
qawwali singers start performing after
the evening prayers.
Safdar Jang Tomb
The Safdarjang Tomb was built in 1753-54
by the Nawab of Avadh for his father,
Safdarjang, and is one of the last
examples of Mughal architecture before
the final remnants of the great empire
collapsed. The tomb stands on a high
terrace in an extensive garden. Entry is
free on Friday. On other days a small
entry fee is charged. This tomb is
adjacent to the small Safdarjung
airport.
Tughlaqabad
The walled city and fort of Tughlaqabad
with its 13 gateways lies east of the
Qutab Minar.The third city of Delhi, it
was built by Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq.Its
construction involved a legendary
quarrel with the saint Nizamuddin, when
the Tughlaq ruler took away the workers
the latter wanted for work on his
shrine.
Qutab Minar Complex
The buildings in this complex, 15km
south of Delhi, date from the onset of
Muslim rule in India. The Qutab Minar
itself is a soaring tower of victory
which was started in 1193, immediately
after the defeat of the last Hindu king
in Delhi. It is nearly 73 meters high
and tapers from a 15-metre-diameter base
to just 2.5 metres at the top. The tower
has five distinct storeys, each marked
by a projecting balcony.The first three
storeys are made of red sandstone, the
fourth and fifth of marble. Although
Qutab-ud-din began construction of the
tower, he only got to the first storey.
His successors completed it, and in
1368, Feroz Shah Tughlaq rebuilt the top
storeys and added a cupola. An
earthquake brought the cupola down in
1803 and an Englishman replaced it with
another in 1829. However, that dome was
removed some years later. Today , this
impressively ornate tower has a slight
tilt, but otherwise has worn the
centuries remarkably well. The tower is
closed to visitors.
Iron Pillar
This seven-metre-high pillar stands in
the courtyard of the mosque and has been
there since long before the mosque's
construction. A six - line Sanskrit
inscription indicates that it was
initially erected outside a Vishnu
temple, possibly in Bihar, and was
raised in memory of the Gupta king,
Chandragupta Vikramaditya, who ruled
from 375 to 413. What the inscription
does not tell is how it was made.
Scientists have never discovered how
this iron, which is of such purity that
it has not rusted after 2000 years,
could be cast with the technology of the
time. It is said that if you can
encircle the pillar with your hands
whilst standing with your back to it,
your wish will be fulfilled.
Alai Minar
The same time as Ala-ud-din made his
additions to the mosque, he also
conceived a far more ambitious
construction programme. He would build a
second tower of victory, exactly like
the Qutab Minar, except it would be
twice as high! When he died the tower
had reached 27 metres and no-one was
willing to continue his over-ambitious
project. The uncompleted tower stands to
the north of the Qutab Minar and the
mosque. |
