PURANA QILA ~ The Oldest Fort in Delhi



"It is better to see something once
than to hear about it a thousand times." - Asian proverb
Main entrance-Bara Darwaza
 I recently got a chance to visit Purana Qila (Old Fort) which is one of the oldest forts in Delhi. It was started by emperor Humayun and expanded by Sher Shah Suri in 16th century CE and is now a popular destination both for domestic and foreign tourists.The fort originally lay on the bank of river Yamuna before the river changed it's course.The founder of Suri dynasty Sher Shah Suri defeated Humayun in 1540 naming the fort Shergarh.He added several more structures in the complex during his five year reign.Purana Qila and its environs flourished as the sixth city of Delhi.

Talking about the structure,Purana Qila is a testimony to the magnificence of Mughal architecture.It has three majestic gates -Bara Darwaza(in the above picture)which is also used as entrance to the fort, another one is South Gate also known as Humayun gate(because Humayun tomb is visible from there) and the Talaaqi gate.
  



Humayun's Gate

Talaaqi Gate
The two main structures of the fort are:

Qila-I-Kuhna Mosque

Qila-I-Kuhna Mosque
The prayer hall is the most imposing part of the masjid that has five doorways with horse shoe shaped arches.It is an excellent example of pre Mughal design.Marbles in shades of red, white and slate is used for the calligraphic inscriptions.The fusion of marble and sandstone has given it a unique style.

Sher Mandal

Sher Mandal
Sher Mandal is a double storeyed octagonal shaped sandstone building.It was used as a personal observatory and library by Humayun.The structure is topped by the octagonal chattri supported by eight pillars.

Purana Qila is a masterpiece even though there are few remains left of this historic place.Since,the fort is old few development processes are taking place currently on site. One of them is the development of the lake which streches from Talaaqi Darwaza to Bara Darwaza.

Before
 
After

Renovation of lake
The national building construction corporation(NBCC) is redeveloping the 23 acre area of the 16th century citadel into a visitor friendly picnic spot.They will be creating amenity block, parking area, cafeteria and a souvenir shop.


Redevelopment Plan
To facilitate walking around the lake, broad walkaways and ramps are being laid.Benches and cabanas are also being set up so that picnickers can enjoy their visit. Now the question is, does the fort  even require such redevelopment? 
According to me lake could have been renovated as a single unit without constructing the extra units around it just to attract the tourists. As these units might affect the essence of the Old Fort. 
It is the magnificient part of the Indian history and makes you feel proud of our rich heritage.Therefore,the originality should not be taken from the monument like these.

Please feel free to correct me, if I am wrong.And in case you have better information to add, please use the comments section below.


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