New Delhi (1929 A.D.) - The Legacy of Delhi Vol 9

(In this edition of Delhi-iteful Tuesdays I am bringing to you the ninth edition of this historical series The Legacy of Delhi.) 

Calcutta (Kolkata) was the capital of India until December 1911 during the British Raj. However, Delhi had served as the political and financial center of several empires of ancient and Delhi Sultanate, most notably of the Mughal Empire from 1649 to 1857. During the early 1900s, a proposal was made to the British administration to shift the capital of the British Indian Empire (as it was officially called) from Calcutta to Delhi. Unlike Calcutta, which was located on the eastern coast of India, Delhi was located in northern India and the Government of British India felt that it would be easier to administer India from Delhi rather than from Calcutta.                                                                               

India Gate or the All India Memorial (as called by the British) (at night). This memorial was constructed to honor the Indian soldiers who died fighting for the British Crown in the First World War (1914-1919)

Connaught Place at Night. It was developed as a showpiece of New Delhi (planned by Edward Lutyens) featuring a Central Business District.

Night View of the inner radial of Connaught Place

History -
                  As per a letter sent by Lord Hardinge (the then viceroy of India) to the Earl of Crewe in 1911 the britishers wanted to move out of Calcutta to Delhi because of the rising importance of legislative bodies meant that Britain needed to find a more centrally located capital.  There was also an increasing resistance to the British rule in Calcutta that was making it less than a hospitable capital city. The people's movement for Home-Rule was growing stronger and after Lord Curzon partitioned the Bengal in 1905  into two along religious lines (in an attempt to quell the movement) the nationalist sentiments of the Indians had grown manifold as well which eventually led to large protests, boycott of British goods and a spate of political assassinations. 
                

 Aerial View of the Rashtrapati Bhawan (Presidential Palace) (Architect - Sir Edward Lutyens)

(Picture sourced from Official Website of Rashtrapati Bhawan)

 Parliament of India (Architect - Sir Herbert Baker)

On December 12th 1911, a magnificient Delhi Durbar of (British) Imperial Emperor George the Fifth was organnised to announce his ascension to the throne of Britain. He accepted homage's and promises of allegiance from the local Indian rulers (vassals) and then announced his intention of building a new capital city would be made in Delhi for the British India. Moreover the British Emperor George the fifth, was simply continuing with the traditions of previous pan-India Hindu (Indraprastha), Islamic (Tughlaqabad) and Mughal (Shahjahanabad) rulers who had established their capitals over here.
                                                                                      

Architecture -
                               Much of New Delhi, planned by the leading 20th century British architects Edwin Lutyens and Sir Herbert Baker, was laid out to be the central administrative area of the city as a testament to Britain's imperial vanity. The construction of the city began after the First World War ended (1919) and was completed by 1931.

 A view of Raj Path (King's Way). The way stretches from Rashtrapati Bhawan to India Gate. The parade on Republic Day(on 26th January) takes place over here.

  Raisina Hill which hosts the Central Secretariat (North Block - Right, South Block - Left). Notice the Jaipur Column in front of the Central Dome. The Raj Path (Kings Way) starts from this point. This spot is also known as Vijay Chowk (Victory Square).

                              While planning and constructing New Delhi Edward Lutyens invented his own new style of classical architecture, which is normally known as the "Delhi Order". Unlike the more traditional British architects who came before him, he was both inspired by and incorporated various features from the local and traditional Indian Indian architecture. For example -  although the dome of the Rashtrapati Bhawan (Presidential Palace) is said to have been influenced by the Roman 'Pantheon', it indicates an influence of the famous Sanchi Stupa (Buddhist architecture).
                            The landmark buildings constructed by Lutyens in New Delhi were All India Memorial (India Gate), Viceroys House(Rashtrapati Bhawan), the Parliament(designed by Sir Herbert Baker), Central Secretariat, the Lutyens Bungalow Zone (which houses current M.P.s of India) e.t.c.

Life in New Delhi -
                                           Today the city of New Delhi has already celebrated 100 years of being a formal capital to India . The city still serves as the capital and the seat of power for the Republic of India. It has expanded and incorporated all the former cities which ever stood in its vicinity into its modern borders. People from all parts of India come to Delhi in search for work and a better life. Various studies and travel magazines have dubbed New Delhi as 'Alpha-City', 'Metropolitan City', 'Cosmopolitan City', 'Most Expensive city for Expatriates in South Asia', 'A Must visit destination in your lifetime' e.t.c. e.t.c.

 A street in Lutyens Delhi. Streets in this portion of Delhi are known for their immaculate planning.

Culmination of the Series -
                                                             While I was doing considerable research for this series, visiting all the monuments and ruins of past, and then writing about them.. I started to understand how it felt like being a citizen of each of the preceding cities of New Delhi and I could not help but compare those cities with the city of today.
                                                             As compared to the past the city is much secure thanks to the stability provided by the Britishers and the current Indian establishment. Also as compared to the past the current government of India is much more stable than the previous governments because of its democratic nature.
                                                             I realized that this piece of earth has seen everything that could be seen. From the grand processions of Emperor Shah Jahan(1650 A.D.) to the massacre of its citizens ordered by Timur lane(1398 A.D.) and Nadir Shah (1739 A.D.). From seeing moments of dominance( when Ala ud din Khilji hung heads of Mongol Soldiers from the walls of Siri in 1299 A.D.) to moments of weakness (when the Britishers sacked the city of Shahjahanabad in 1857 A.D.)
                                                            Here's to hoping that after seeing instability for over a thousand years the city of Delhi now gets to see peace and stability for the next thousand years to come. Amen. 

The No-Nonsense Travel Advice
Name of the City	New Delhi, India
Architect	Edward Lutyens (of Lutyens Delhi)
Year of Completion	1931 A.D.
How to Reach Delhi	By Air – All major airlines fly in and out of Delhi’s Indira Gandhi Intl Airport By Railways – The city is connected to all parts of India with regular trains By Road – Interstate buses to all destinations in North India ply to and from Delhi
Places to Visit	Red Fort, Humayun’s Tomb, Qutb Complex (all World Heritage Sites), Connaught Place, Purana Qila (Old Fort), Akshardham Temple, Lotus Temple, National Museum, India Gate e.t.c.
Best Mode of Local Transport	. Take the Hop-On-Hop-Off Sightseeing Bus run by Delhi Tourism to cover Delhi in a day. . If you wish to cover Delhi at your own pace then for budget travelers the best option is the Delhi Metro Rail. Take a Pre Paid Smart Card and travel around the City with ease

**

You can now join our Facebook Page (by clicking on the link) for more travel information and exclusive pictures.

Read More

Shahjahanabad (Old Delhi) (1648 A.D.) - The Legacy of Delhi Vol 8

(In this edition of Delhi-iteful Tuesdays I am bringing to you the eighth edition of this historical series The Legacy of Delhi.) 


In India whenever the words 'grand', 'historical' and 'marvelous' are mentioned about a city, the conversation is either about the city of Shahjahanabad or Hampi (capital of Vijayanagar Kingdom - 1500 A.D.) and their significant monuments. The citadel of Shahjahanabad, the Red Fort (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) is a monument which is a landmark in terms of architectural brilliance. But the city of Shahjahanabad was much more than just the Red Fort as you will get to know in this informative article. 

   1863 Map of Shah Jahanabad (Old Delhi)  

 The Red Fort (Citadel of Shahjahanabad)

           

History -

            The Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan (whose rule was the zenith of Mughal architectural brilliance) by 1637 A.D. began to realize the paucity of space in the Agra and Lahore courts to conduct royal ceremonies properly. By the year 1639 A.D. he decided to lay the foundation stone for a new capital of his kingdom which would be known as Shahjahanabad. The site of Shahjahanabad is north of earlier cities of Delhi, its southern part overlaps some of the area settled by the Tughluqs in 14th century. Delhi had always remained an important place for the Mughal kings (before Shah Jahan), who built palaces and forts here.

Physical Map of Delhi depicting the Location of Shahjahanabad (Old Delhi)

A snapshot of Chandni Chowk (taken in 1858)

Architecture -

                              The architecture of the city of Shahjahanabad is something which cannot be described in a paragraph or two. It was a detailed city (rectangular in shape) (built on the banks of River Yamuna, which has now changed course) with many architectural and visual marvels. The main palace (or citadel) in which the emperor Shah Jahan and the succesive rulers of the Mughal Dynasty lived until 1857 A.D. was known as the Lal Qila (Red Fort). It was called so because of its Red Sandstone walls (Initially the walls were being made of mud until Shah Jahan ordered them to be decorated with red sandstone). The fort covers approximately 125 acres of land.

The Diwan e Khas (Pavilion for Private Audience). The platform in the middle of the picture was where the peacock throne once stood before it was looted by Nadir Shah and taken to Iran in 1739.

 One of the pillars of the Diwan e Khas. Observe the engraved precious stones.

                              The Red Fort itself is a World Heritage Site which speaks volumes about the beauty of its buildings and pavilions. Some of the well known and most beautiful sections of the Red Fort and Shahjahanabad were the emperor's private area which housed various pavilions like the Diwan e Khas (Hall for Private Audience), Rang Mahal, Mumtaz Mahal (which has now been converted into a museum), Moti Masjid (Pearl Mosque) (it was the private mosque of Emperor Aurangzeb (Shah Jahan's successor) e.t.c.  The most enthralling part of the private quarters was the Nahr e Behisht (Stream of Paradise) which was a man made channel of water (drawn from the river Yamuna). This channel of water had flown through the middle of the main pavilions of Diwan e Khas , Rang Mahal and the emperor's private apartments. It was loaded with rose petals, incense e.t.c. so that it would not only cool the halls but also make the air rich with fragrance.
                            

 

A street of Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad)

                                   The city of Shahjahanabad as such had eight gates which were locked during night time (in the 17th, 18th and the 19th century). The city had many bazaars, some of which exist even now, for example Khari Baoli (which is today Asia's largest wholesale spice market). The area of Chandni Chowk (Moonlit Square) (which was also the main street of Shahjahanabad) had many bazaars as well. Some shops in this area are several centuries old ! Other important monuments in Shahjahanabad are Ghalib ki Haveli (the house of famous poet Mirza Ghalib), Jama Masjid (Friday Mosque) (an imposing mosque made of Red Sandstone), St James Church (First Church of Delhi), Sunehri Masjid, Gurdwara Sis Ganj e.t.c.
    

The Red Fort in 1905

Decline -
                   After the fall of the Mughal Empire post 1857 revolt, the British Empire shifted the capital of India, to a more (security-wise) stable Calcutta (Kolkata), where it remained till 1911 (when they came back to Delhi). After quelling the 1857 revolt the Britishers built a military garrison inside the Red Fort and evicted the 3000 people (approximately) who were living there at that time and destroyed many of the residential palaces.
                  To be frank the city of Shahjahanabad (now better known as Old Delhi) never actually declined. The focus simply shifted from being an administrative capital city to being an area for trade and commerce (which it remains till date), with many large wholesale markets coming up in the mid 19th century. These markets like Chawri Bazar (hardware market est 1840), Phool Mandi (Flower Market est. 1869) e.t.c. exist till date.

The No-Nonsense Travel Advice
Name of the City	Shahjahanabad (Now known as Old Delhi)
Constructed By	Emperor Shah Jahan
Year of Completion	1648 A.D.
Location	Chandni Chowk, Netaji Subhash Road, New Delhi
How to Reach	Get down at Chawri Bazaar Metro Station (on the Yellow Line) and take a Cycle Rickshaw for the Red Fort (Rs 40 for 2 people) OR else take an Auto Rickshaw from your Starting Point OR take a Hop-On-Hop-Off sightseeing bus which is run by Delhi Tourism. Fare is Rs 300 for Adults and Rs 150 for children. Checkout Delhi Tourism website for details.
Entrance Fee	. Citizens of India and visitors from Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Maldives, Afghanistan, Thailand and Myanmar - Rs. 10 per head . Visitors from other countries - Indian Rs. 250/- per head . (Free entry to children up to 15 years) . There is a separate counter for foreign nationals.

.......

You can now join our Facebook Page (by clicking on the link) for more travel information and exclusive pictures.

Read More

Dinpanah (Shergarh) (1538 A.D.) - The Legacy of Delhi Vol 7

(In this edition of Delhi-iteful Tuesdays I am bringing to you the seventh edition of this historical series The Legacy of Delhi.) 

Introduction - 
                               The location on which the city of Dinpanah was established by 'Humayun' the second emperor of the Mughal Dynasty is said to have been consistently inhabited since 1000 B.C.  So when Emperor Humayun decided to built his capital city here it was not much of a surprise despite the fact that, the locations of Dinpanah was completely different as compared to the locations of most of the capital cities of Delhi built earlier.
                              A look through the Archaeological Museum located inside the fort will reveal you how rich this place was in terms of artifacts which were discovered by archaeologists during excavations conducted by them in 1955 and again from 1969 to 1973.  

                               

 A view of the Humayun gate (or the South Gate) from inside the fort

Physical Map of Delhi depicting the location of Dinpanah (Shergarh)

History -  
              
                 The second Mughal Emperor Humayun in the year 1533 A.D. founded the city of Dinpanah (Refuge of the Pious). This he did after holding consultations with various learned men and various scholars.  The city was also located in very close proximity to the shrine of Delhi`s most revered saint, Nizam ud Din Auliya. The belief of local Hindu populace that the mythological city of Indraprastha existed on that very spot also could have contributed to the decision to build the city where it was made.
                  Today only the inner citadel of this city which is popularly known as Purana Qila stands. There were a number of villages in and around the citadel like the villages of Indrapat(located in the fort itself), Raisina and Malcha (located where Lutyens Delhi stands today) which were uprooted by the Britishers during the construction of New Delhi in 1913 A.D.           
                 When emperor Humayun lost the throne of Dinpanah (Delhi) and Sher Shah Suri took over, he brought down the portions of the city constructed by Humayun and rebuilt it himself, and re-named the city as Shergarh.

 

View of the Fort ramparts from the moat (now called the Old Fort Lake)

Architecture -

                               Its high walls of rubble masonry with a slight batter, 4 m. thick and as much as 21 m. high in places, have a battlemented parapet above the row of arrow-slits, behind which all along the circumference are built a series of chambers in a two-aisle depth. There are massive bastions on the four corners, in addition to five bastions in the western wall, and three gates, all double-storeyed, one on each side except on the east. The gates have a veneer of red and buff sandstones, with an ornamental use of white and black marble and coloured tiles. 

                              The three main gates of the fort were Bara Darwaza, (Big Gate) facing west, which is still in use today, The South Gate, popularly known as the Humayun Gate (either because it was constructed by Humayun, or because Humayun's Tomb is visible from there) and the Talaqi Gate, often known as the "forbidden gate".

                              Despite the immense exterior, few of interior structures have survived except the Qila i Kuhna Mosque and the Sher Mandal, both of which were said to be constructed Sher Shah Suri.

Decline -

                 After Emperor Akbar took over the Mughal Empire he shifted his capital 195 kms south to Agra and from there to Fatehpur Sikri. The spotlight moved away from the Old Fort gradually althught it continued to function as a military garrison for quite a while.

The No-Nonsense Travel Advice
Name of the City	Dinpanah (or Shergarh) (Today it is commonly called as Old Fort or Purana Qila)
Constructed By	Sher Shah Suri and Humayun
Year of Completion	1538 A.D.
Location	On Mathura Road (near Delhi Zoo), New Delhi
How to Reach	. The Old Fort is approximately 2 kms/1.24 miles from Pragati Maidan Metro Rail Station (on the Blue Line).  You could either walk the short distance or take an auto from there. . The correct Auto Fare is only Rs 20 (as per the government issued fare chart) so there is a good chance of either the auto driver fleecing you or not wanting to go at all.
Entrance Fee	. Citizens of India and visitors from Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Maldives, Afghanistan, Thailand and Myanmar - Rs. 5 per head . Visitors from other countries - US $ 2 or Indian Rs. 100/- per head . (Free entry to children up to 15 years) . There is an archaeological museum inside the fort as well.  The ticket price is Rs 2 for Indians.

**

You can now join our Facebook Page (by clicking on the link) for more travel information and exclusive pictures.

Read More

Tughluqabad (1323 A.D.) - The Legacy of Delhi Vol 5

(In this edition of Delhi-iteful Tuesdays I am bringing to you the fifth part of this historical series The Legacy of Delhi.) 

The city of Tughluqabad was the fourth city of Delhi. Emperor Ghiyath ud Din Tughluq (also known as Ghazi Malik) (cor. 1320-25) built this fortified city which had battered walls of grey rubble and was perched upon a desolate hill from where its position gave it a natural advantage against opposing armies. The city of Tughluqabad was raised as a military stronghold rather than an architectural marvel. The large size and the visible solidity and strength give this fort an air of stern and massive grandeur.

Physical Map of Delhi depicting the location of Tughluqabad

Legend -
                  Ghiyath ud din Tughluq (better known as General Ghazi Malik, during the rule of Khilji dynasty) was a vassal of the Khilji rulers of Delhi, India. Once while on a walk with his Khilji master Ala ud din Khilji, a lady who was passing by suggested that the king build a fort on a hillock in the southern portion of Delhi. The king jokingly told Ghazi Malik (Ghiyath ud din Tughluq) to build the fort himself when he was the king.

 The causeway leading to the South Gate (the current entrance to the fort)

The region of the city which housed the palaces

History -
                  Ghiyath ud din Tughlaq (Ghazi Malik) (1320-25) after ascending the throne selected this site as his capital for strategic reasons. He himself had fought large Mongol armies and warded off Mongol invasions and so, was aware of their strengths and weaknesses. Keeping this in mind he got constructed, during A.D. 1321-23, a massive fort for his capital city which stood high on a scarred outcrop of a rocky hill.

A view of the wall and the bastions from the top of the battlements

These high walls in this section of the city enclosed the 'Citadel'

Architecture -
                             The fort is is roughly octagonal in plan. The fortifications are 6.5 kms long and the 10 to 15 meters high rubble-built walls are provided with bastions and gates at intervals. The rampart walls are pierced with loop holes and are crowned with a line of rude battlements of solid stone which are also provided with loop holes. Presently the fort has thirteen gates (out of the 52 which were said to be there when it was built) and there are three inner gates to the citadel.

A bastion of the fort wall, as visible from the outside

The site map of Tughluqabad shown at the entrance to the fort.

Tughlaqabad was chiefly divided into three portions(See the site map above). To the east , a rectangular area with high walls and bastions served as the citadel. A wider area immediately to its west similarly bounded by rubble walls and bastions, housed the palaces. Beyond this to the north lay the city. The houses of the city are in ruins but some streets of that city are traceable even now. They ran in a grid pattern from gates on one side to those on the opposite side. Inside the citadel-enclosure is a tower known as Vijay Mandal (Victory Tower) and remains of several halls including a long underground passage. The fort also contained seven tanks amidst ruins of several large buildings. To the south of the fort outside was a large reservoir created by erecting bunds between hills.

A causeway connects the fort to the tomb of Ghiyath ud din Tughluq while a wide embankment near its south eastern corner gave access to the fortress of Adilabad. Ghiyath ud din also built a road (now known as Mehrauli Badarpur Road) which connected the new city to the Grand Trunk Road.

 The Adilabad fort (built by Ghiyath ud din's son Muhammad ) as seen from the battlements of the Tughluqabad fort

The Curse -
                         Ghiyath ud din Tughluq, who was genarally perceived as a liberal ruler, was very passionate about building this city of his, because of which, he gave a decree according to which all the labourers in Delhi had to come to work for the construction of the city. As a result the baoli(well) which was being constructed  by revered saint Hazrat Nizam ud din Auliya got stopped mid-way. The confrontation raised tensions to such a level that the saint uttered a curse saying that the city which was being built would 'either become barren or only remain occupied by herdsmen'.

Decline -
                  The son and successor of Ghiyath ud din, Muhammad bin Tughluq decided to shift the capital out of Tughluqabad to Daulatabad in Central India for he felt that he would be able to rule better from there. There was also said to be a problem of water shortage which contributed to his decision of shifting out the capital out of Tughluqabad.

People might have moved out of the fort and the place might have lost its status as a capital city but it's massive walls stand as a testament to the dream of Ghiyath ud din Tughluq (who took the advice of a common passerby seriously and built this city) and the efficiency of their architects in constructing an impenetrable fort. This city also stands testament to the curse of Hazrat Nizam ud din Auliya who cursed that this city would be abandoned (which ultimately did happen).

Important Tourist Information -

Fact - File
Name of the Destination	Tughluqabad (4th city of Delhi)
Constructed By	Emperor Ghiyath ud din Tughluq (also known as Ghazi Malik) of the Tughluq Dynasty
Completed by	1323 A.D.
Location	On the Mehrauli Badarpur Road, New Delhi
How to Reach	The fort is approximately 6 kms/3.72 miles from 'Tughluqabad' Metro Rail Station (on its Violet Line). Take an auto from there. The correct Auto Fare is Rs 45 to 51 (depending on the route you take) as per the government issued fare chart.
Entrance Fee	. For the Citizens of India and visitors from Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Maldives, Afghanistan, Thailand and Myanmar - Rs. 5 per head . Visitors from other countries - US $ 2 or Indian Rs. 100/- per head . (Free entry for children up to 15 years)

                  

**

You can now join our Facebook Page for more travel information and exclusive pictures.

Read More

Siri Fort - A Symbol of Strength and Barbarism

The Black and White Thursday photos of the week which I am posting today depicts the Siri Fort (The third of the seven cities to be built in the area of New Delhi) which was the seat of the Delhi Sultanate of Ala ud din Khilji and his Khilji dynasty. The word Siri is derived from the Hindi word Sir (Head). Read on to know how the fort earned its name 'Siri Fort'. It was built around 1303 AD keeping the strengths of the strong Mongol Army and their repeated invasions of India in mind. It was the first fort in India to be constructed entirely by Muslims. The structure of the fort was in an oval shape and was modeled over the large Turkish forts.

 Severed heads of thousands of Mongol prisoners were hung from these walls to serve a reminder to the Mongols as to what would happen to them if they invaded India again ! 
Observe the protected passageway between the walls (to the left) for movement of the soldiers during action and the gaps in the wall for archers to shoot down at the invading armies

Targhi, a Mongol ruler besieged the Siri Fort following Khilji's retreat during the Mongol invasion of India. The siege was not successful and Targhi retreated to his Kingdom in Central Asia (Afghanistan). In the next Mongol attack which Khilji repulsed with the help of his Generals Ghazi Malik and Malik Kafur the captured soldiers were brought to Siri and trampled upon by elephants and their severed heads were hung from the walls of the Siri Fort (this is the incident from where the name Siri origins)

The only other portion of the rampart of the fort which stands intact revealing the height of the walls. The Siri Fort had seven gates to enter and exit.

The strong fort got reduced to its current ruinous state because of local rulers especially Sher Shah Suri in around (1540-1545) took away building materials to built his own city nearby.

A view from atop the battlements. The ruins of the fort are spread over 1.7 square kms or 0.7 sq miles

(Black and White Thursdays are a series which is not only meant to highlight the beauty of the human civilization but also to provoke thought amongst readers.. The thought being 'WHY' is this place or monument so magnificent ? How much work might have gone into creating it ? What has that place or monument gone through in all this time ? It is somewhere in questions like these that we find the true reasons which make these destinations wonderful. As I say all the time, 'Every destination, every monument, every artifact, every stone has got a story to tell'. Whether we listen to it or not makes the difference.)

Join us on our Facebook Page  as we take a trip to beautiful and historical places around India and the world

Read More