Delhi
Delhi the city has remained the Capital
of this country or its major chunk since times immemorial. It
is now almost a big as whole the Union Territory of Delhi and
can be said to be a city state. The third largest city of the
country, Delhi is the busiest entrance and exit point, besides
being the capital of this vast piece of land known as India.
Delhi has temperature fluctuating between 5°C to 20°C
in winters and 35°C to 50°C during summers languages
spoken Hindi, Urdu. Punjabi and English and population around
1,37,82,976 million living in the area about 1500 sq. km.
Believed to have been in existence since the hoary past, traditionally
Delhi’s history is traced back to the Mahabharat Archaeologically
it was the Hindu Tomar King Anangpal, who first founded Delhi
in 1060 AD. Later the Chauhan King Prithviraj ruled here till
he was dispossessed by the foreign invaded Mohmd. Gauri, who
left his slave Chieftain Kutubuddin Aibak to rule over the region.
After the Slave Dynasty, Delhi was subsequently ruled by the
Khilji, Tughiak, Sayyad and Lodi Dynasties. Babur defeated Ibrahim
Lodi to establish the rule of the Mughals for almost 250 years.
The British reigned here from 1857 to 1947 when India received
her Independence. A variety of ancient, medieval and modern
monuments adorn the entire length and breadth of Delhi. The
prominent ones among those are being described below which have
been the cynosure of tourists.
The Red Fort
This Shahjchan’ s (the Mughal Emperor’s)
dream in red stone was completed in 1648 after nine years’
labour of the choicest architects and masons of the time. Its
octagonal ramparts are 60 feet high and 1.5 miles or 2.41 km.
around. It is a typically Indian fort symbolising the Mughal
power and splendour. It has two imposing gateways-Lahori Gate
on the western side and Delhi Gate on the eastern side. The
main entrance is through Lahori Gate. In Shahjahan’s time
this citadel was called Urdu Mualla. but later on it came to
he known as Quilla-i-Mualla or the Fort of Exalted Dignity.
The barbican over the Lahori Gate was erected during the reign
of Aurangzeb, because when the people passed that way, the King’s
throne came into view and they had to bow before it. this caused
great inconvenience to the people and courtiers, and embarrassment
to the King. From the ramparts of this same barbican the Prime
Minister of India now hoist the National Flag and address the
nation on Independence Day.
The Quila was very well-planned and was then executed with almost
perfection. It has a complex of palaces amidst well laid out
gardens and boulevards, halls of private and public audience,
prayer rooms, royal baths, fountains, stables, music gallery,
quarters for staff and servants, and a shopping arcade.
Diwan-j-Arn or the Hall of Public Audience is the Chamber where
the Emperor used to hold his court and hear public complaints.
The precious stones of the royal recess were looted by the British
soldiers, following the uprising of the nationalist forces in
1857.
Diwan-i-Khas or the Hall of Private Audience was the most luxurious
of Chambers, where the Emperor gave private and personal audience
to the favored ones. On the marble pedestal in the centre of
the hall, once stood the famous Peacock Throne (Takhte-Taus)
said to be worth 12 million pounds sterling at that time. The
Peacock Throne of solid gold, was inlaid with many precious
stones, had figures of peacocks standing behind it. Between
then stood a parrot of single emerald. In 1793, Nadir Shah seized
the Peacock Throne along with nine other throoes and carted
these off to Iran. The total value of the treasure, from the
royal sources alone was then estimated to be Rs. 70 crores.
Nadir Shah also took away the famous Koh-i-Noor diamond. On
the walls of this Chamber, a Persian couplet is inscribed that
reads:
The other monuments worth visiting in the Fort are: The Moti
Masjid or the Pearl Mosque constructed by Aurangzeb in 1659
for his personal prayers-the Rang Mahal, The Khas Mahal, The
Shahi Hamams, the Shah
Buij from where the channel of water ran through the palace
complex. Sonet Lumiere or the Sound and Light Spectacle is used
each evening to re-enact the history of the Red Fort. Conducted,
alternately in Hindi and English, the show is thrilling and
exact in telescoping the past centuries of grandeur and turmoil
that this tort witnessed mutely.
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