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| SIGHTSEEING IN DELHI |
| The Red Fort | Puarana Qila | Qutab Minar | Iron Pillar | India Gate | Rashtrapati Bhavan | Teen Murti Bhavan | Rajghat | Santiban | Vijay Ghat |
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.
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
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
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.
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. | Tours to India | Rajasthan Tourism | Hotel Ajanta, New Delhi |
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