Purana Qila

Sometime even centuries old monuments do not give a sense of a tumultuous past. Often we see them as being just a part of contemporary landscapes, subsumed within the hustle and bustle of modern-day life. But the Purana Qila is one of those rare exceptions that can whisk you away to the past from the moment you pass the moat.

[Download a comic-style Pictoguide or a Timehop audio tour to Purana Qila]

The First Mughal Home

Bada Darwaza by Sumit Ray

This fort was built in 1540, by Humayun, the second Mughal emperor of India, and the first to make his home here. Yet, times were such that almost immediately he lost it to his rival Sher Shah Suri, and spent 15 long years in exile. He reclaimed it eventually and re-established the Mughal empire that would stand strong for the next 300 years. This fort lost its status as the imperial capital, but continued to be inhabited by village settlements right up to the 1947, the year of Indian Independence.

Master of all it Surveys

Qila-i-Kohna Masjid by Sumit Ray

Inside one finds a lot of empty spaces for the tides of time have eaten away at this fort and the villages would have left little permanent signs. But the high walls are haunting in their jagged presence as are the bastions that allow one to see for some miles distance. The jewel of this fort is an astonishing mosque, built by Sher Shah using red and white stone and relentlessly decorated with calligraphy carved out of them.

Many more forts were built in Delhi  afterwards, and urban centres moved away from this fort and hence it received the name of Purana Qila, or the ‘Old Fort’. Its original name was Dinpanah, or the ‘Refuge of the Faithful’. Those faithful to the city’s heritage still count this fort to be one of the most impressive to be explored.

—

Though off the beaten track, the centrally-located Purana Qila is well worth a visit at least to see the jewel like Qila-i-Kohna masjid, which is one of the most intricately decorated mosques you will see anywhere. Remember to download a Go!Places guide before you go!

Pictoguide to Purana Qila
Complete reference to Purana Qila, the Old Fort | colour photos and info blurbs in a comic-style layout | includes 3D map and bibliography | 9 page PDF download
Price: $0.99

Timehop to Purana Qila: The Return of Humayun
Avatar-style audio tour provides a dramatized account of history that perfectly blends fact and fiction | 8 tracks totalling 18 mins of audio with background music and sound effects | 3D route map | Purana Qila Pictoguide included for free | ZIP file download includes MP3 audio files and PDF Pictoguide | Easily played on any MP3 player and many cell phones / handhelds
Price: $3.99