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Purana Qila (Old Fort), New Delhi |
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Nestled atop a small hillock on the bank of river Yamuna, are the magnificent ruins of Purana Quila or the Old Fort. A sprawling structure of red sandstone that stood witness to the ups and downs of Delhi's anarchy since ages. Within the crumbling walls of the Fortress are the charming mosques and buildings that tell about an era of great builders who rule over the Indian plains for years. To make the ambience of the place more romantic a spectacular light and sound show is held every sunset, which brings alive the history of the capital.
In the sixteenth century AD, Mughal Emperor Humayan erected the fort on a site believed to be the place where once Indraprastha, the capital of the great Pandavas, was located. Various accounts of the Pandavas are find mentioned in the Hindu Epic Mahabharata. Successive excavations at the site of the fort revealed pottery dating from 1000 BC. The existence of a village called Indrapat within the fort till 1913 throws immense light on the belief that the Old Fort was built on the ramparts of the erstwhile Indraprastha.
At some points the Fort walls touched the height of 18 meters and are interrupted by three magnificent gates- Humayun Darwaza, Talaqi Darwaza and Bara Darwaza. Kuhna Masjid is one of the landmark architecture inside the fort complex built by Sher Shah, who wrested the throne of Delhi from Humayun. The Masjid or Mosque is built of white marble and red sandstone.
Another intriguing structure inside the fort is the Sher Mandal, a two-storied pavilion built by Sher Shah. Humayun after recapturing the fort converted this pavilion into his library. The pavilion has steep steps that lead up to the roof, and it is this steepness that is believed to be the cause of the emperor's death at the pavilion later.
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