The Majestic Glory of Old Fort, D

                                        The Majestic Glory of Old Fort, Delhi

A brief and an in- depth survey of historical and archaeological significance of Purana Qila, one of the most ancient forts of Delhi

The Purana Qila (fig.1) is the earliest walled Mughal fort of Delhi, as it symbolizes the site of the fort constructed by the Pandavas in their legendary city of Indraprastha. Thereafter Humayun chose it as a site of Dinpanah (fig.2) and successive developments were made by Sher Shah Suri after he had driven his rival into exile in Persia. Although there is a lack of crucial evidence, archaeological finds have been discovered here dating back to the 3^rd century BC, and an ancient village, Inderpat (fig.2), remained here until the early 20^th century. The fort’s spectacular light and sound show Ishq-e-Dilli(fig.3), similar to real life multimedia son-et lumiere with India’s first permanent projection art installation describes the history of the fort beginning with 11^th century reign of Prithviraj Chauhan upto the several cities of Delhi till the modern times. As my family and I set out for an educational trip to this Mughal -era monument, we were welcomed by its lush green surroundings on all sides. As one enters this architectural wonder, one is immediately surrounded by the mystery, intrigue and imposing beauty of the place which has survived for almost five centuries. The fort has three main entrances, the Bada Darwaza (fig.3) which stands towards west and is used as an entrance to the fort till today. The Southern Gate is known as the Humayun Gate (fig.4) 
 and the third gate is recognized as Talaqi Gate or the forbidden gate (fig.5).

All three gates are double storied structures composed of sandstone and are enclosed by two large semicircular towers embellished with colored marble designs and blue tile work. There are also beautifully carved balconies (fig.6), chattris and pavilions at the North and South Gates of the Purana Qila which beautify its exterior walls. The whole architectural form and design of the Old Fort is a blend of Indian and Muslim architectural elements- complete with Rajputana jharokhas, Islamic crescent motifs, and magnificent minarets. Most of the older structures have been destroyed over time, but the mosque Qila-e-Kuhna (fig.7) , erected by Sher Shah Suri in 1540 is among the few buildings that have survived the ravages of time. It is made of quartzite, red sandstone and makrana marble. It is a single-aisled mosque with five entrances and horseshoe arches.  The delicately carved patterns on its walls and sides of doorways are excerpts from the Quran reflecting the bygone glory of the Mughal era. The stars and moon design typical to Persian architecture can also be found here. The interior of the mosque (fig.8) is adorned with marbles in shades of red, white, blue and green colors along with symbolic geometrical moon and stars design. Our last stop was Bada Darwaza where we took countless memorable photographs deeply impressed by the history and opulence of this grand architectural marvel and a renewed respect for symbols of Indian history and culture. Before departing we visited the ASI’s monument museum of ancient artifacts (fig.9) near Bada Darwaza.

References:

1.     www.makemytrip.com

2.     DK Eyewitness Travel Top Ten Delhi Guide

3.     Article, Recreating history, the hi-tech way by HT Correspondent