| NORTH
INDIA >> DEHLI |
| Edwin Lutyens, the world famous architect, would
have neverset his mind on designing New Delhi and
the famed Connaught Place shopping centre in the
heart of India’s capital, had it not been
for the glorious past that it could boast of. |
About
Dehli |
The ancient history
of Delhi manifested in the landmarks and memorials
still stands testimony to the present history. The
times when the epic Mahabharata was written refers
to Delhi as Indraprastha and was supposed to have
been founded by the Pandavas in as early as 1450
B.C. whose remains have been excavated within the
ramparts of the Old Fort (Purana Qila) .
The Gupta and the Maurya dynasties, around 320 A.D.
when India was known as the Golden Bird, were mesmerised
by the elegant vistas of Delhi and made their presence
felt for a long time while ruling from Indraprastha.
This was followed by the Muslim Kings in the latter
half of the 12th century and then by the slave Kings
and the Khaljis who ruled for over a century and
built a new capital Siri, in 1302 A.D. where today
stands the imposing Siri Fort area and the Asian
Games Village. After the Khaljis came the Tughlaks
in the early 15th century who gave an additional
impetus to the building activity in Indraprastha
with the shaping of the Tughlakabad Fort built by
Ghyias-ud-din Tughlak. This was not the end of the
new revival initiated by the Tughlaks and was followed
by the setting up of the cities of Jahanpanah( asylum
of the world) and Firozabad (Kotla Ferozeshah) by
the successors of Ghyias-ud-din.
The first Mughal conqueror and emperor , Babar,
had a liking for Agra where he set up his capital,
although his son, Humayun, returned to Delhi and
built the Purana Qila as his fort and seat of governance.
Then came the Suri dynasty wherein Sher Shah Suri
opted yet again for Dilli as the capital which he
built in 1542 A.D. And it had its epicentre as the
very same Purana Qila. For the first time then the
capital got its name Dilli, though some historians
say that the brain behind giving this name was Raja
Dillu who was supposed to have ruled in this area
as far back as 100 B.C. Although the next Mughal
emperor, Akbar, preferred to shift to Agra and Fathepur
Sikri, his son, derived an affable penchant for
Delhi and began work on building the historic Red
Fort (Lal Qila) in 1638 A.D. Much before all this
during the 11th century A.D., a Hindu King, Anangpal
is said to have built the first city, Lal Kot and
much after the Lodi dynasty was said to have been
credited with the setting up of the sixth of the
seven cities in the form of the Lodi tombs.
The seven cities, each with a unique characteristic
of its own were Lal Kot, Siri, Tughlakabad, the
ruined fortress east of the imposing Qutab Minar.
Tughlakabad was said to have become a ghost city
15 years after it was built following a supposed
curse from the Sufi saint, Azam-ud-din. The other
cities were Jahanpanah, Ferozeshah Kotla, Lodi Tombs
and the Purana Qila.
In 1911, the British asked Lutyens to give a new
meaning to city development which is reflected in
the architectural designs and sophistication that
buildings in New Delhi like Parliament House, Rashtrapati
Bhavan, India Gate, Connaught Place and various
administrative buildings like the South and North
blocks along the breathtaking view available from
Raj Path.
Modern Delhi has something for everyone and that
is amply reflected in the cosmopolitan culture that
nurtures festivals of all faiths and religions,
places of worship. You can take a stroll at your
own leisurely pace, or a jog or a run and move faster
than the common man. This is also reflected in the
market places, the dhabas and restaurants or the
gorgeous five-star hotels. Theatre, drama and entertainment
of all sorts including the best of discotheques
are all there. Delhi is one city from where you
can branch off to any corner of the country either
by a well-connected system of railways or by road
and air. The rest is for you to explore.
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