The travels of Bengalis in the past
Sumana Dam
(Continued from the last part)
According to the writer Bholanauth Chunder, Delhi was born as Indraprastha around the 15th century BCE. In the Mahabharata, Yudhishthira requested five villages from Dhritarashtra, which were Panipat, Indrapat, Tilpat, Baghpat, and Sonipat. Among these, Yudhishthira established his capital in Indraprastha or Indrapat.
The Purana Qila or Lal kot, a ruined structure of Yudhishthira's capital city, showcases various palaces and houses that have been repeatedly built and destroyed over time. Today, the visible architecture at Purana Qila belongs to the Muslim era, and there are no remnants of Yudhishthira’s time. (Archaeological excavations have revealed evidence of habitation from around a thousand years BCE, including remnants from Maurya, Shunga, Kushan, Gupta, Rajput, Sultan, and Mughal periods. The historian Alexander Cunningham first referred to the fort as Yudhishthira's Indraprastha, although he noted that the existing structures were built by Muslim rulers).
Currently, the author visits notable sites within Purana Qila. The first is the Qila Kuhna Mosque, initiated by Humayun and completed by Sher Shah. It features Afghan-style elements like arches, blue tiles, and marble, but is now in ruins. Another significant site is the Sher-i-Mandal, a massive three-storied octagonal palace made of red sandstone, constructed by Sher Shah. Humayun used it as a library after reclaiming his throne, and it contained beautiful carvings, of which little remains today. It is here that Humayun fell down the stairs and lost his life.
Delhi is located about five miles from Indraprastha. The oldest architectural piece in Delhi is the Ashoka Pillar, followed by the Iron Pillar, which is 16 inches in diameter and 60 feet high. The pillar, which is 22 feet above ground, has not rusted despite its age. Inscribed in Sanskrit, it is a victory pillar of King Dhava, (wikipedia says king Chandra) a devotee of Vishnu, who conquered Sindh and ruled over the world. The script appears to be from the Gupta period, perhaps written after that era. Another inscription dates to 1109 Samvat, indicating that Anangapal ruled Delhi. According to local legend, this Iron Pillar was constructed by the Pandavas. Its deep embedding in the ground is said to be connected to the mythical serpent king Vasuki. When a later Tomara king attempted to remove the pillar, blood was said to flow from the ground, leading to the name "Delhi" (dhilli means loose, Delhi comes from dhilli). There are also tales of sage Vyasa burying the pillar in the ground, while helping a king, indicating that it was to be placed on Vasuki's head. The curious king, upon lifting it, saw blood.Rishi Vyasa informed the king that just as the rod rested loosely on the ground, your reign will also be weak or temporary, and after the nineteenth generation, Delhi will fall into the hands of the Chouhans first, and then the Turks. According to the third account, King Prithviraj Chauhan, with the help of the Brahmins, placed the iron rod on the head of the serpent king, Sheshnag, so that his empire would be eternal. Out of curiosity, he removed the rod to check if it had truly been placed on Sheshnag's head. Blood was seen at the end of the rod, and the king realized that the duration of his reign would be very short. From then on, the decline of the Hindu kingdom would begin.
Anangapal II established his rule in Delhi, constructing the Lal Kot fort around 1117 Samvat (around 160 CE).
The name Lal Kot suggests the fort was made of red stone, but the ruins appear to be of grey stone. The fort spans two and a half miles, surrounded by a moat. Three gates are still visible, though the fourth has collapsed. Inside the fort, any remnants of houses or temples have been lost, leaving only ruins. Nearby, there is still a reservoir named Ananga Tal, measuring 19 feet long, 152 feet wide, and 40 feet deep, likely excavated for water supply. During Prithviraj Chauhan's time, the city expanded outside the fort, with a protective wall extending over four miles around Lal Kot, which was then called Kila Rai Pithora.
The first Muslim mosque in India, the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, built by Qutb ud-Din, stands in the Qutb Minar complex. This mosque is 165 feet long and 31 feet wide, resting on five rows of intricately carved Hindu pillars. It is situated at one end of a courtyard measuring 145 feet by 96 feet, with the famous Iron Pillar at its center. The mosque was constructed in just three years using remnants of Hindu temples.
The Qutb Minar, at the time of the author, was the tallest man-made tower in the world, measuring 238 feet 1 inch. Its base has 24 faces with a circumference of 147 feet, becoming circular as it rises. The minaret has five stories, each featuring balconies. The lower three levels are made of red sandstone, while the upper section is of white stone. Inside, the structure is built of grey stone, with a staircase and ample light and air. Inscriptions on the minaret and its balconies contain verses from the Quran in Arabic. The inscriptions reveal that Sultan Altamash completed the construction of the minaret, with mention of Firuz Shah Tughlaq, who repaired it in 1368 after lightning damaged it. It required further repairs in 1503 by Sultan Sikandar Lodi, and again in 1803 after an earthquake, when the British government restored it. The British Government caused repair works in 1847 also.
There is debate over whether the Qutb Minar was built by Hindu kings. Hindus believe it was constructed by a king for his daughter to worship the sun and see the Yamuna. They argue that the northern entrance is typical in Hindu architecture, while Muslims commonly used eastern entrances. The bells on the balconies are also attributed to Hindu culture. However, records from Akbar's court suggest that the minaret served as the minaret for the mosque used for azan. The Arabic inscriptions praises Muhammad Ghori and credits Qutb al-Din with the construction. Notably, poet Chand Bardai, who chronicled Prithviraj Chauhan's life, makes no mention of the minaret, suggesting it was built during the Sultanate era. Nonetheless, some Hindu architectural influence can be seen in the design as the construction workers were hindu.
The author and companions also visited an unfinished minaret near the Qutb Minar, which was intended to be twice its height. According to Hindu belief, it was built for a princess to view the Ganges, but was left incomplete due to Muslim invasions. Alternatively, it is said that Alauddin Khilji commissioned it, but he fell ill and died before it was completed.
In the northwestern corner of the complex is the tomb of Sultan Altamash, beautifully crafted on the inside and well-preserved, with an open top symbolizing no barrier between heaven and earth.
They next saw the ancient well in Mehrauli, supposedly built by Anangapal II, followed by the tomb of Adam Khan, a general of Akbar.
The grandeur and beauty of the Alai Darwaza, constructed by Sultan Alauddin Khilji, impressed all. The inscription states it was built in 1310 CE. They also visited the tomb of Humayun’s religious teacher, Imam Zamin, and the tomb of Mohammad Quli Khan, which has now come to be known as Metcalfe House, named after Charles Metcalfe, the British representative in the Mughal court.
(To be continued)
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