Purana Qila may be a regular weekend haunt for many locals but the history behind the landmark is as fascinating as it is bloody. Purana Qila, situated on the banks of Yamuna, was constructed by the Pandavas as Indraprastha 5,000 years ago, during the period of the Indus Valley civilization. It is where Humayun’s capital Din Panah was located. Later it was renovated and named Shergarh by the first Afghan emperor of India,�Sher Shah Suri.
Sher Shah Suri was India’s first medieval rockstar Emperor as who else can lay claim to successfully chase a Mughal Emperor out of the country? Such was Sher Shah Suri’s fear that when Humayun’s son Akbar was fighting Sher Shah’s later successor Hem Chandra Vikramaditya in the Second Battle of Panipat, Akbar had his back towards Kabul so that he could flee like Humayun did sixteen years before. However, the ending this time was different as shown in the opening scene of movie Jodha Akbar. Also the Legend has it that he fought a tiger with bare hands; the reason probably why he was conferred with the title of Sher Khan.
The�Purana Qila�is home to Qal’a-i-Kuhna-Masjid, which boasts of Mughal style of architecture and where I had my picture clicked.
The western end of the courtyard has a shallow tank in the middle, which originally had a fountain running in between them. The monument is replete with arches that are built in the shape of lotus cusps. It contains a series of decorative bands with inscriptions in myriad�geometric designs.
The thick ramparts crowned by merlons have three gateways provided with bastions on either side. The northern gate way, called the Talaqui darwaza or the forbidden gateway, combines the typically Islamic pointed arch with Hindu Chhatris and brackets; whereas the southern gateway called the Humayun Darwaza also had a similar plan.
I enjoyed a lot and was fascinated after visiting the heritage .
I would suggest every single one to head to this beautiful monument .
Purana Qila