MATHURA ROAD

Old Fort

History - If the beginning of Delhi is considered in terms of the old monuments doting this city, then this Fort comes first. The Fort is situated on top of a plateau and it is believed that remnants of the ancient Indraprastha Nagar are hidden here. This has also been the seat of the legendary ruler Prithviraj Chauhan till he was defeated by Abdali in the battle of Panipat. During the medieval times, Humanyun built the Deenpanah Nagar (asylum of faith) here. This was later destroyed by the Afghan ruler Sher Shah Suri who laid the foundations for the present Fort. He had renamed it as Shergarh.

Fort - Built in red sandstone, no uniformity is seen in the architecture. Spread over an area of 2 square Kms, there are three huge entrances to it. The Fort walls are octogonal in shape. The present entrance, an imposing red sandstone gate on the western wall called the Bara Darwaja (Main Gate) is one of the three principle gates. Its double storeyed facade, surmounted by chhatris and approached by a steep ramp, still displays traces of tiles and carved foliage. The northern gate is called the Salami Darwaja or Taliqi Darwaja (Forbidden Gate) has carved reliefs and entry from it is closed. Why this gate has been kept closed is not clear. Over this gate is seen an depiction of a man fighting an animal. Across the road is the red sandstone Lal Darwaja (Red Gate) or Sher Shah Gate, one of the entrances to the township that grew around the fort. The southern gate is the Humayun Darwaja where references regarding Shershah are seen. When the Fort was inhabited, it was close to the river Yamuna. On all its sides deep canals have been built, a major portion of which is used as a lake. In those times, many small bridges linked the Fort with the mainland. Today we can enjoy boating or shikara rides in this lake.

Inside - During excavations, many things like symbols, broken vessals etc have been obtained here from which it has been estimated that this place had links with the Mahabharata period and that this was the capital of the Pandavs i.e. Indraprastha. Porcelain vessals from China, chinese writings have also been found here which throw light on the Indo chines relations in the ancient times.

Qila-e-Kuhna Masjid built by Shershah in 1541 located here is an excellent example of a pre Mughal design. The pyrayer hall of the mosque is about 51.20 meters by 14.90 meters. This is decorated with white marble and bright red sandstone with art work on them. The masjid has sections with five elegant arched niches or mehrabs, fountains with stages on the backside and minars at its corners. On a marble slab inside the mosque is an inscription which when translated reads: "as long as there are people on this earth, may this edifice be frequented and people be cheerful and happy in it." To the south of this masjid is the double storeyed building Shermandal made of red sandstones. This is octogonal in shape and decorated with marbles. It was Humayun's library. Humayun died when he fell down from the stairs of this building on 24 January 1556.

Khair-ul-Manajil Masjid built during the reign of Akbar is also located here. The entrance to this Masjid is made of red sandstones. The light and sound show held here everyday in the evening from 5-9 pm takes you back 5000 years in history.

Timings - 8 am to 6 pm