Purana Qila
Purana Qila | |
---|---|
Location | Delhi, India |
Coordinates | 28°36′34″N 77°14′39″E / 28.60944°N 77.24417°E |
Founded | 1538 |
Founder | Humayun, Mughal Sultan; Sher Shah Suri, Surid Sultan |
Original use | Fortress |
Purana Qila (lit. 'Old Fort') is one of the oldest forts in
History
Pre-Islamic habitation and Indraprastha theory
Excavations point to traces and continued habitation from the 1000 BC, during the
Dinpanah
The origins of the Purana Qila lie in the walls of Dinpanah, the new city of Delhi was being constructed by
Purana Qila and its environs flourished as the
British Era
World War 2
During the Asia-Pacific War (1941-1945), over 2000 Japanese civilians were interned in British India, of whom around 554 were women and 224 children. Plans to intern Japanese living in British India, along with surveillance of persons of interest, were put into place from as early as July 1940, with preparations to open internment camps made from at least February 1941. After war broke out between Japan and the Allies later that year, Japanese civilians in India, along with those of other now-enemy nations, were joined in internment by civilians from various British colonial territories, including Malaya and Singapore. Two key civilian internment camps in India were Purana Qila, the Old Fort, in Delhi, and Deoli in the deserts of Rajasthan.[13]
The fate of the Japanese in India threw a shadow over the whole business, and the British believed, with some justification, that the ill-treatment of Allied prisoners of war was a reprisal for this. By December 1942, there were 2,115 Japanese internees, the vast majority from Singapore, in Purana Quila camp outside Delhi. They were housed in tents that gave little protection from the cold in winter, or from temperatures that rose to 120 degrees in summer.[clarification needed] The Japanese government protested that the food and the cooking, washing and sanitation facilities were inadequate. The British dismissed this: the Japanese were `notoriously unable to cope with extremes of heat or cold'. (`Treatment of Japanese internees in India', 1z December 1942, F09,6/ 477, PRO.)`According to Asiatic standards', officials observed, the rations were `adequate for proper nourishment'.( R. N. Gilchrist to under secretary of state, Foreign Office, 19 October 1942, ibid)
Recent years
In the 1970s, the ramparts of Purana Qila were first used as a backdrop for theatre, when three productions of the National School of Drama were staged here: Tughlaq, Andha Yug and Sultan Razia, directed by Ebrahim Alkazi. In later decades it has been the venue of various important theatre productions, cultural events, and concerts.[14] Today, it is the venue of a daily sound and light presentation after sunset, on the history of the "Seven Cities of Delhi", from Indraprastha through New Delhi.[15]
Excavations
Physical features
The walls of the fort rise to a height of 18 metres, traverse about 1.5 km, and have three arched gateways: the Bara Darwaza (Big Gate) facing west, which is still in use today; the south gate, also popularly known as the 'Humayun Gate' (probably so known because it was constructed by Humayun, or perhaps because
Qila-i-Kuhna Mosque
The single-domed
A second storey, accessed through staircases from the prayer hall, with a narrow passage running along the rectangular hall, provided space for female courtiers to pray, while the arched doorway on the left wall, framed by ornate
Sher Mandal
The Sher Mandal named for Farid (Sher Shah) who had tried to finish what was ordered by Babur but had died during the initial phase and so construction was halted until the arrival of Humayun.
This double-storeyed octagonal tower of red sandstone with steep stairs leading up to the roof was intended to be higher than its existing height. Its original builder was Babur who ordered the construction and was used as a personal observatory and library for his son Humayun, finished only after he recaptured the fort. It is also one of the first observatories of Delhi, the earliest being in Pir Ghaib at Hindu Rao at Ridge built in the 14th century by Firoz Shah Tughlaq.[clarification needed] The tower is topped by an octagonal chhatri supported by eight pillars and decorated with white marble in typical Mughal style.
Inside, there are remnants of the decorative plaster-work and traces of stone-shelving where, presumably, the emperor's books were placed.
This was also the spot where, on 24 January 1556 Humayun fell from the second floor to his death. He slipped while hastening to the evening prayers, following his hobby of astronomical star gazing at the top of this private observatory. He fell headlong down the stairs and died of his injuries two days later. Entry inside the library is now prohibited.[citation needed]
Outlying monuments
Several other monuments lie around the complex, like Kairul Manzil, mosque built by
Timings
The normal visiting hours are from 7:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M..[24]
Gallery
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Humayun Gate
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West Gate, 'Bara Darwaza', present main Entrance, with its bastion
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Lake outside Purana Qila
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Remains of large outer walls
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Qila-i-Kuhna Mosque 'Peshtak' (Entrance Arch)
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North Gate, or Talaqi Darwaza
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North Gate interior
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South Gate, as seen from adjacent Delhi Zoo
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Khairul Manzil, a mosque and later amadarsa built by Maham Anga, stands opposite Purana Qila.
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Hammam Khana (Bath House) in Purana Qila
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Reverse of the Sainya Seva Medal with depiction of Purana Qila.
Further reading
- The Seven Cities of Delhi, by Hearn, Gordon Risley. 2005. ISBN 81-7305-300-6.
- Invisible City—The Hidden Monuments of Delhi, by Rakhshanda Jalil, photographs by Prabhas Roy, Niyogi Books. 2008. ISBN 81-89738-14-3.
See also
References
- ^ "The Purana Qila, Delhi".
- ^ "Monuments of Delhi". Archaeological Survey of India. 2010. p. 12.
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty|url=
(help) - ^ ISBN 81-87358-29-7. Retrieved 11 August 2009.
- ISBN 9780226331898.
- ^ Urmila Verma. Lost Mythological Cities of India. Publications Division, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India, 2010. p. 24.
- ISBN 978-81-317-1677-9.
- ISBN 90-04-08155-0. Page 133.
- ISBN 9788131711200.
- ISBN 9781439828229.
- ^ Polk, Emily (1963). Delhi, old & new. Rand McNally. p. 76.
- ISBN 1-55238-041-6.
- ISBN 978-0-231-13846-8.
- ^ “Three Chinese Maids”, Two Internment Camps, and a War: Civilian Internment in British India in the Asia-Pacific War July 2019-Christine de Matos University of Notre Dame Australia, Australia
- ^ "A little peek into history". The Hindu. 2 May 2008. Archived from the original on 9 November 2012.
- ^ "Sound and Light Show at Purana Quila in New Delhi India". www.india9.com.
- ^ Archaeological Museum, Purana Qila (New Delhi) Archaeological Survey of India website.
- ISBN 81-87358-29-7. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
- ISBN 9788173051289.
- ISBN 0-415-06084-2. Retrieved 11 August 2009.
- ^ Qila-i Kuhna Mosque Archived 23 November 2014 at Wikiwix archnet.org.
- ISBN 81-900601-2-0. Page 162
- ISBN 3-8238-5443-7. Page 193.
- Live Mint. 1 April 2011.
- ^ "Purana Qila / Old Fort, Delhi , Delhi". 22 September 2018.
External links
Media related to Purana Qila at Wikimedia Commons