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A man dressed as the Hindu god Lord Shiva, takes a break to smoke a cigarette, before performing his part in the epic drama.
"bhole baba paar karega" - that's the chant these pilgrims make when they walk for miles to reach holy shrine tarakeswar in west bengal. here they are taking a dip in holy river ganges and collecting the holy water in the pot which they would offer in the shrine of tarakeswar.
One fine day at the Arambol Beach where the mellow light brightened up a small temple of colored hues with a big Shiva trident marked up front. Jai Bhole Nath !
The wispy clouds were a sheer bonus.
Dates
Taken on November 7, 2009 at 5.12PM IST (edit)
Posted to Flickr February 8, 2013 at 11.18PM IST (edit)
Exif data
Camera Nikon D300
Exposure 0.013 sec (1/80)
Aperture f/14.0
Focal Length 24 mm
ISO Speed 200
Exposure Bias 0 EV
Flash No Flash
_DSC4454 from jpeg cu tfm sh
The Trimurti (three forms) is the so-called Trinity of the supreme God in Hinduism in which the cosmic functions of creation, maintenance, and destruction are personified as a triad of deities, typically Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver, and Shiva the destroyer/transformer, though individual denominations may vary from that particular line-up.
This is a performance depicting Shiv Tandava. Shiva Tandava Stotram is a stotra (Hindu hymn) that describes the Hindu god Shiva's power and beauty. It is traditionally attributed to Ravana, the rakshasa King of Lanka and devotee of Shiva. Both the ninth and tenth quatrains of this hymn conclude with lists of Shiva's epithets as destroyer, even the destroyer of death itself.
The ascetic Sadhus of India come in various shades of rituals and practices. Most seek salvation and oneness with Lord Shiva, who famously smoked and drank and resorted to all kind of arcane practices.
Chillum is what the Sadhu holds here in his hand. It is filled up with hash and tobacco and smoked by them as a ritual practice. The smoke is thick and copious and the high is instantaneous and calming., I am told.
The Sadhus in India have renounced their homes and families and cut off all ties with the material world. They survive on the generosity of the locals and their will power.
From the place where this Sadhu is sitting, the closest human habitation would be many miles away.
There is always an etiquette involved in smoking the chillum, the details of which may not be germane here.
Jai Bhole!
_DSC1289 nef
My friend Nicole, sharing a chillum with naga sadhu Shivraj Giri, during the Maha Kumbh mela 2010, in Haridwar.
These two have known each other for many years. Nicole first went to India overland from France in the early seventies, as they did then. She spent several years in India where she gave birth to her daughter, who's now in her thirties and has both French and Indian citizenships. Today, Nicole spends half of the year in Europe and the other half in India. She has a great knowledge and understanding of Indian culture and has many stories to tell. Being there in her company is always a privilege for me. To Shivraj Giri, there is no doubt that she is my guruji, which in a way she is, since she has and still teaches me a lot.
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02 July 2012, 11:46AM
El. 5200m
The Holy Shrikhand Mahadev. Where every step is a chant, each breath a prayer. Located on the southermost tip of Great Himalayan National Park in Kullu District. Its a perfect Himalayan setting within 1800-5200m. Its a journey of faith, where ordinary people as us may get the glimpse of "high altitude" but surely the experience isn't possible without Mahadeva's blessings. Normally the journey should take 3 days from last village Jaon, which lies 5 kms north from Bagipul on the Nirmand- Aani road. This year (2012) the Official dates of Yatra are from 15th July.
For a detailed account of the Yatra do see the Shrikhand Yatra Set on flickr www.flickr.com/photos/thehimalayanvolunteer/sets/72157625...
_AS_
© Anshul Soni, All Rights Reserved.
This image is NOT available for use on websites, blogs or any other media without the explicit written permission of the photographer.
The Shiva devotees, known Bhole Baba are interesting photo subjects in Pashupati to showcase the vibrant colors of Nepal
Praveen 'Fatma Sanatorium' mein oont aur ghoda lekar aata hai taaki sanatorium mein aaye hue bache unpar baithkar maza le .. ye inki family ka rozgaar hai .. isse inki thodi bahut aamdani ho jaati hai .. bache bahut bhole aur cute hai .. inke saath baatchit karke aur connect karke mujhe aur mere family ko bahut acha laga .. God bless these kids always.
"Linga" redirects here. For other uses, see Linga (disambiguation).
"Shivling" redirects here. For the mountain, see Shivling (Garhwal Himalaya).
Traditional flower offering to a lingam in Varanasi
The lingam (also, linga, ling, Shiva linga, Shiv ling, Sanskrit लिङ्गं, liṅgaṃ, meaning "mark", "sign", "inference" or[1][2]) is a representation of the Hindu deity Shiva used for worship in temples.[3] In traditional Indian society, the linga is rather seen as a symbol of the energy and potentiality of the God.[4][4][5][6][7]
The lingam is often represented alongside the yoni, a symbol of the goddess or of Shakti, female creative energy.[8] The union of lingam and yoni represents the "indivisible two-in-oneness of male and female, the passive space and active time from which all life originates".[9]
Origin[edit]
Lingobhava Shiva: God Shiva appears as in an infinite Linga fire-pillar, as Vishnu as Varaha tries to find the bottom of the Linga while Brahma tries to find its top. This infinite pillar conveys the infinite nature of Shiva.[12]
Anthropologist Christopher John Fuller conveys that although most sculpted images (murtis) are anthropomorphic, the aniconic Shiva Linga is an important exception.[18] Some believe that linga-worship was a feature of indigenous Indian religion.[19]
There is a hymn in the Atharvaveda which praises a pillar (Sanskrit: stambha), and this is one possible origin of linga-worship.[19] Some associate Shiva-Linga with this Yupa-Stambha, the sacrificial post. In that hymn a description is found of the beginningless and endless Stambha or Skambha and it is shown that the said Skambha is put in place of the eternal Brahman. As afterwards the Yajna (sacrificial) fire, its smoke, ashes and flames, the soma plant and the ox that used to carry on its back the wood for the Vedic sacrifice gave place to the conceptions of the brightness of Shiva's body, his tawny matted-hair, his blue throat and the riding on the bull of the Shiva. The Yupa-Skambha gave place in time to the Shiva-Linga.[14][15] In the Linga Purana the same hymn is expanded in the shape of stories, meant to establish the glory of the great Stambha and the supreme nature of Mahâdeva (the Great God, Shiva).[15]
Streets of varanasi 2014
Varanasi (Hindustani pronunciation: [ʋaːˈraːɳəsi] ( listen)), also known as Benares, Banaras (Banāras [bəˈnaːrəs] ( listen)) or Kashi (Kāśī [ˈkaːʃi] ( listen)), is an Indian city on the banks of the Ganga in Uttar Pradesh, 320 kilometres (200 mi) south-east of the state capital, Lucknow. It is the holiest of the seven sacred cities (Sapta Puri) in Hinduism, Ravidassia religion and Jainism, and played an important role in the development of Buddhism. Some Hindus believe that death at Varanasi brings salvation. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Varanasi is also known as the favourite city of the Hindu deity Lord Shiva as it has been mentioned in the Rigveda that this city in older times was known as Kashi or "Shiv ki Nagri".
The Kashi Naresh (Maharaja of Kashi) is the chief cultural patron of Varanasi, and an essential part of all religious celebrations. The culture of Varanasi is closely associated with the Ganges. The city has been a cultural centre of North India for several thousand years, and has a history that is older than most of the major world religions. The Benares Gharana form of Hindustani classical music was developed in Varanasi, and many prominent Indian philosophers, poets, writers, and musicians live or have lived in Varanasi. Gautama Buddha gave his first sermon at Sarnath, located near Varanasi.
Varanasi is the spiritual capital of India. It is often referred to as "the holy city of India", "the religious capital of India", "the city of shiva", and "the city of learning". Scholarly books have been written in the city, including the Ramcharitmanas of Tulsidas. Today, there is a temple of his namesake in the city, the Tulsi Manas Mandir. The current temples and religious institutions in the city are dated to the 18th century. One of the largest residential universities of Asia the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) is located here.
This is a 80 feet Idol of Lord Shiva situated in Bijapur, Karnataka, You can see this statue from the highway itself, Its exactly on the opposite side of the famous GolGumbaj of Bijapur. There are also 1001 Shivlings palced near the statue .
Some of the more obscure creatures in Lovecraft's writings, Dholes are tremendous, slimy, mindless subterranean worms. They live in the darkest places beneath the earth, and are slowly devouring the planet from within. Absolutely nothing else is known about them, which adds to another detail I like in the Cthulhu Mythos - not everything is a sapient elder god-demon. Sometimes there are strange, unexplainable monsters that just exist.
The city of Varanasi has 88 ghats, which are steps that lead down to the water, and makes Varanasi the city with the most riverbanks in the world. It is also the largest seller of Banarasi silk, which is used to make the traditional Saree. .
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The Day to Night monograph releasing in late July is a cumulation of all my Day to Night works. For the next several weeks, I will be sharing images and details from the book, taking you through a world-wide journey and my experiences from each shoot.
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BHOLE KI NAGRI 🔱 .
Har Har Mahadev.
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More info:- www.pilgrimagetour.in/varanasi-tour-packages/
The Gates of Delhi were built in Delhi, India, under dynastic rulers in the period that could be dated from the 8th century to the 20th century. They are
- the gates of the ancient city of Lal Kot or Qila Rai Pithora, also called the first city of Delhi (period 731-1311) in Mehrauli – Qutb Complex;
- the gates in the second city of Siri Fort (1304);
- the gates in the third city Tughlaqabad (1321–23);
- the gates in the fourth city of Jahanpanah’s of (mid-14th century);
- the gates in the fifth city of Feruzabad (1354);
- the sixth city of Dilli Sher Shahi's (Shergarh) gates (1534), near Purana Qila;
- the gates built in the seventh city Shahjahanabad of (mid 17th century); and
- the gates in the eighth modern city New Delhi of British Raj (1931s) in Lutyens' Delhi of the British rule.
In 1611, the European merchant William Finch had described Delhi as the city of seven castles (forts) and 52 gates. More gates were built after that period during the Mughal rule and during the British rule. Currently, only 13 gates exist in good condition, while all others are in ruins or have been demolished. Like all gates denote, the direction of the destination station is the starting name of the gate.
GATES IN THE FIRST CITY
In the first city of Delhi, 13 gates were built in the 11th century citadel of Lal Kot, with the extended Qila Rai Pithora, which was ruled by the Slave Dynasty from 1192 with the establishment of the Qutb complex. These were located in the rubble built ramparts of Lal Kot (5–6 m thickness) of which only a few remain, either in ruins or under renovation. These are the Chaumukha, Sohan, Ranjit, Fateh, Hauz Rani, Barka, Badaun and Budayuni gates. Of these, the Chaumukha, Ranjit, Sohan and Fateh darwazas have been listed by the INTACH as heritage monuments. The ruins of Hauz Rani and Barka are seen around the remains between giant gaps in the long stretches of the Lal Kot wall, surrounded by a wide moat on the outside. Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has proposed to conserve all the identified gates.
The Chaumukha Darwaza (Chaumukha in Hindi language means four faces) is inferred as the gate way of Lal Kot since it aligns with Lal Kot walls. It is near the Qutb Complex and has been categorized as Grade B in archaeological value. It has been conserved by the ASI. The gate’s architectural style is traced to the Tuglaq period in view of its massive thickness. It has a “horned" outwork with paved stones in an engraved grid pattern that indicates that it was designed for defense purposes. The purpose for which it was built has not been discerned. Hence, it has also been conjectured that it could have been built by Thomas Metcalfe as one of his follies, close to his original 'Dilkusha' mansion (now seen in ruins) to enhance the elegance of his retreat.
The Ranjit gate towards the north wall of Lal Kot is in ruins. It was once considered as a grand gate through which the Turks had entered the city. Hence, it was subsequently fortified to prevent any further foreign incursions. At present, only part of the gate is seen and is yet to be listed as a heritage monument.
The Fateh Gate close to Fateh Burj has convoluted features and is about 24 m in diameter. The Sohan Gate guarded by a large bastion called the Sohan Burj was stated to be the location of a Sun temple.
Hauz Rani and Budayuni Gates, which were reportedly once prominent gates, are now traced in ruins. An interesting anecdote of history of the Budayuni gate, considered then as the principal gate of the city by Ibn Battuta (the chronicler of the period, mentions it as the main gate to the city), is that Allauddin Khilji had resolved to shun drinking of alcohol by emptying his wine caskets and breaking his rich Chinaware at this gate. The gate was also known for punishment meted out to the guilty. They were tortured and beheaded in public view at this gate. A strict watch was maintained at this gate to detect and prevent incursions by Mongolians.
Alauddin Khilji had planned, as part of his ambitious architectural achievements, to build four darwazas (gates) but he could build only one during his lifetime, namely the Alai Darwaza (1311). This gate is seen at the southern end of the Qutb complex of the enlarged Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque, built entirely on the principles of Islamic architecture. The gate made of rectangular bands of red sandstone and white marble has inscriptions of verses from Koran and Hadis in elaborate carvings on its windows. It is a square building 17.2 m square) with dome with horse shoe pointed shaped arches on three sides and with a semicircular arch on the northern side. The underside of the arches have fringed lotus bud embellishments.
Historian Fanshawe writing euphorically on the beauty of the gate has extolled:
"The Alai Darwaza is not only the most beautiful structure at the Kutub, but is one of the most striking specimens of external polychromatic decoration not merely in India, but in the whole world, while the carving of interior may challenge comparison with any work of the kind. Both exterior and interior merit detailed and leisurely examination. The effect of the graceful pointed arches in the three external sides of the gate, and in the corner recesses is extremely pleasing, and the view from the exterior through the southern archway to the round-headed arch of the north side, and the court beyond, is very striking. The decoration of the north arch is curious and unique. The effect of exterior suffers, from a distant point of view, from the absence of a parapet above the walls; this was unfortunately removed by Captain Smith, as it was greatly ruined. The gate was finished five years before the emperor died, and is specially mentioned by the chronicler of his reign."'
Shahjahanabad was built by Shah Jahan in year 1639. It Has 14 gates, west of Red Fort. Delhi has been capital of India for more than 1000 years. New Delhi became the capital of India in 1912.
GATES IN THE SECOND CITY
The second medieval city of Siri Fort was built during the rule of Ala-ud-Din Khalji of the Delhi Sultanate with the major objective of protecting the city from the onslaught of the Mongols. The city, when built with an oval plan, was best described as presenting an embodiment of richness with palaces and other structures and had seven gates for entry and exit. But, at present, only the Southeastern gate exists, also in ruins (pictured). The destruction of the fort and its gates are attributed more to the local rulers of subsequent dynasties who removed the stones, bricks and other artifacts of the fort for their own buildings and palaces.
GATES IN THE THIRD CITY
Tughlaqabad, the third city of medieval Delhi, built by Ghazi Malik well known as Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq who established the Tughlaq Dynasty in 1321 after ousting the Khiljis, was enclosed within a fort of massive proportions completed in a short span of four years. The fort has inclined walls with triple storied citadels, enormous towers, mosques and halls. The city when built is stated to have had 52 gates but only 13 remain today, mostly in ruins. Of the remaining gates, the main entry gate to the fort was built in typical Pathan style, which is described as made of red sand stone with sloping face and jambs which merge well with the towers of the fort. But the fort was abandoned soon after Ghiyasuddin’s death for two reasons namely, water shortage and the fool hardy decision of his successor Sultan, the Muhammad bin Tughlaq who forcibly shifted his capital to the new city of Daulatabad in the Deccan and returned to found the fourth city of Jahanpanah.
GATES IN THE FOURTH CITY
Muhammad bin Tughluq, first built Adilabad, then Nai-ka-Kot, towards the south of Tughlaqabad. These were two small fortresses. But he soon abandoned them. He built a new city by enclosing the areas lying between the cities of Siri, Tughlaqabad and Lal Kot. The city was named as Jahanpanah, asylum of the world, in 1334. The city had 13 gates. The ruins of gigantic ramparts of his two fortresses and some portions of the Jahanpanah walls have survived the ravages of time but are seen now only in total ruins. The watchtower Bijai Mandal still stands in ruins in the city of Jahanpanah. But no fort gates are traced.
GATES IN THE FITH CITY
Firuz Shah Tughlaq built a new capital city on the banks of the Yamuna River in 1351 and called it Firuzabad. The architecture of the fort was fairly simple and straightforward. The city had three palaces and a citadel known as Feroz Shah Kotla. The king's as well as his wife's quarters were situated along the riverfront. The structures within the enclosure walls of the fort were barracks, armories, servant's rooms, halls for audience, an imposing mosque as well as public and private baths and a stepped well or baoli. An Ashokan pillar brought from Topara, Ambala was mounted on top of a pyramidal three-tiered construction. No gates of this period exist.
GATES IN THE SIXTH CITY
Three main gates on the north, south and west are part of the fortifications of the Purana Qila, the sixth city of Delhi, built by Sher Shah Suri (1538–45). Sher Shah Suri raised his citadel after demolishing Dinpanah, the city built by Humayun. The fortifications of the Qila extended to a boundary of 2 km on an irregularly oblong plan. Bastions adorned the corners and the western wall. Of the existing three gates, the west gate forms the entrance to the Qila and is called the Bara Darwaza (big gate). All three gates are double–storied structures built with red sandstone and have chhatris. The enclosure wall inside has cells in two–bay depth. The northern gate, built in 1543–44, is called the Talaqi-Darwaza for reasons unknown. On this gate, in the front, carved marble leogryphs in combat with a man are seen above the oriel windows. Built in random rubble masonry with dressed stone facing, the gate has a tall arch enclosed by two smaller arched openings. Two bastions adorn the gate with high ceiling rooms. On the second floor of the gate, there are two openings. Exterior surface of the gate had coloured tiles and the inner rooms were covered with incised plaster work. The Purana Qila was stated to have been left unfinished by Suri, which was later completed by Humayun. The southern gate is called the Humayun Darwaza; the reasons attributed for the name are that either Humayun built it or the gate overlooked Humayun’s tomb. An inscription in ink on the gate refers to Sher Shah with the date as 950 A.H. (1543–44).
SHER SHAH GATE
Sher Shah gate located to the south of Khairu’l-Manazil-Masjid is said to be an entrance to the large city of Delhi that Sher Shah built in front of his fortress of Purana Qila. The gate, mostly built with red sandstone but with use of local grey quartzite in its upper storey, is thus called the Lal Darwaza (red gate). Arcades were built from this gate into the city, which were provided with series of dwellings with frontage of a verandah, which may have been used for commercial establishments. Kabuli or Khuni–Darwaza (explained in the following section) is another gate on the fringes of Sher Shah’s city. ASI has undertaken extensive conservation works of the gate and its surroundings at a cost of Rs7.5 million (US$150,000).
GATES IN THE SEVENTH CITY
Shahjahanabad, the seventh city of Delhi, was built by Shah Jahan in 1649 like a fortress encircled by strong and high red–brick walls with 14 entry gates to the city, in addition to 16 wicket gates called windows (khirkis in Urdu language). A number of bastions built of stone were added by the British, in addition to repairing the earlier fort, to make the fort more secure. The gates were designed and built for the people to have access and the royal procession to enter or exit, when going out in diverse directions. Out of the 14 gates, five gates have survived, namely, the Kashmiri Gate on the north, the Ajmeri Gate on the south-west, the Delhi Gate on the south-east, Turkman Gate on the south and the Nigambodh Gate on the north-east, all of which express vividly the splendor of the city. All the gates are located within a radius of 5–6 km in the present day Old Delhi. The Lahori gate on the Northeast, in the old city, was demolished (some remnant walls are seen at the crossing as may be seen in picture) and the area converted into the present day Lahori Bazar. The gates have a square plan with high arched openings, except for low height of the Nigambodh gate, and two openings - one for entry and another for exit - of the Kashmiri gate. The names of all the gates, which existed during Shahajahan’s time are the Dilli Darwaza (also known as Delhi Gate), Kabuli Darwaza, Raj Ghat Darwaza, Khizri Darwaza, Nigambodh Darwaza, Kela ke Ghat ka Darwaza, Lal Darwaza, Kashmiri Darwaza, Badar Darwaza, Patthar Khati Darwaza, Lahori Darwaza, Ajmeri Darwaza and Turkuman Darwaza.
The names of the wicket gates or windows (now none exist) through which people entered and exited from the old fort city were:
Zeenatul Masajid Khirkee
Nawab Ahmad Bakhsh ki Khirkee
Nawab Ghaziuddin ki Khirkee
Musamman Burj ki Khirkee
Muslim Garh ki Khirkee
Naseer Ganj ki Khirkee
Nai Khirkee
Shah Ganj Khirkee
Ajmeri Darwaza ki Khirkee
Sayyad Bhole ki Khirkee
Buland Bagh ki Khirkee
Farash Khana ki Khirkee
Ameer Khan ki Khirkee
Khalil Khan ki Khirkee
Bahadur Ali Khan ki Khirkee
Nigambodh ki Khirkee.
KASHMIRI GATE
Kashmiri Gate is one of the original 14 gates built into the wall to the north of the city. It was built by the British in 1835 by Major Robert Smith. Local people also call it Truckman gate. It has a square plan. There are two openings of the gate: one for entry and another for exit (pictured). During 1835, the British enlarged and straightened it into a two-way gate as defensive measure against enemy attacks. In the present city setting, the gate is close to the Inter State Bus Terminals. It is now preserved as monument on the road to the Old Secretariat and the Delhi University. It was named as Kashmiri Gate since it was used by the emperors to go through on their visits to Kashmir and North India. It was also the historic venue of the intense fighting which took place in 1857, between the British army and the Indian freedom fighters. The fortifications were used to fire cannons at the British army encamped at Ludlow Castle. The freedom fighters gathered at a place close to the St. James Church to discuss war strategy. British troops fought fiercely at this gate and re-captured the city from mutinous Indian soldiers. During the war, the gate was badly damaged by the British to get control over Delhi. Subsequently, area surrounding the Kashmiri Gate became the commercial hub of Delhi, when the Civil Lines were developed by the British.
DELHI GATE
The Delhi Gate (Coordinates 28.641196N 77.240511E) is the southern gate in the historic walled city of (Old) Delhi, or Shahjahanabad. The gate links the New Delhi city with the old walled city of Delhi. It stands in the middle of the road, at the end of Netaji Subhash Chandra Road (or Netaji Subhash Marg), at the edge of the Daryaganj. Other Delhi Gate of Delhi, is also situated in Najafgarh.
AJMERI GATE
Ajmeri Gate, built in 1644, to the south–west of Shahjahanabad with a square plan, has high arched openings. The Sepoy Mutiny or the first war of Indian independence in 1857 was fought at this venue also. The road, through this gate, leads to the city of Ajmer in Rajasthan, and hence its name. A lovely park surrounds the gate. The madrasa (Islamic school of learning) built by Nawab Ghaziuddin Bahadur father of the first Nizam of Hyderabad in 1811, west of the college lies the tomb of the founder and a mosque In the following years, it converted to Delhi college and was one of the constituent colleges of the Delhi University. The College has shifted to a new building now and the Anglo Arabic Senior Secondary School runs in the old building. Nearby outside a ditch, once lied remains of the underground apartments of Safdarjung, which at one point were one of the important sights of Delhi. At present, the old walls of the fort have been demolished and replaced by commercial buildings and residential complexes, but the gate on the west exists.
TURKMAN GATE
Turkman Gate, located to the southern edge of Shahajahanabad (Coordinates: 28.642231N 77.232591E), is named after the Sufi Saint Hazrat Shah Turkman Bayabani. His tomb dated to 1240, before building of Shahjahanabad, is located to the east of the gate. It is approached from the Jawahar Lal Nehru Road, the old Circular Road, in the vicinity of the Ramlila grounds. It has a square plan with high arched openings. The tomb of Razia Sultan and Kali Masjid or Kalan Masjid are located in close proximity of the gate. The gate was the scene of Turkman gate demolition and rioting in 1976.
LAHORI GATE - OLD DELHI
The Lahori gate of the Old Delhi city (Coordinates: 28.657110N 77.218831E), now only a bazaar square with small remnants at one end, used to lead east along the Chandni Chowk to the Lahore gate of the Red Fort. Inside the Lahori gate is the grain market. Outside the gate stands a mosque built by Sirhindi Begum, wife of Shah Jahan, whom he married after the death Arjumand Banu Begum, Mumtaz Mahal. This Lahori Gate was also one of the last points captured during the siege of 1857.
LAHORE GATE - RED FORT
The Lahore gate is the main gate to the Red Fort named after its orientation towards Lahore, Pakistan.
DELHI GATE - RED FORT
The southern public entrance to the Red Fort.
NIGAMBODH GATE
It was built on the north eastern side of the Shahajahanabad. It is located on the Ring Road near the Yamuna Bazaar. It derives its name Nigambodh Ghat from the burial ground here. The etymology of Nigambodh is derived from Sanskrit words ‘Nigam’ which means the “Ved” and ‘bodh’ means “knowledge”, meaning realization of knowledge. According to a folk legend, Lord Brahma (the creator) took a bath in the Yamuna River at this ghat to recover his lost memory and by this act Brahma not only got back his memory but also remembered the place he had kept his sacred books. In the past, the gate was closer to the ghat and nearer to the Salimgarh Fort.
KABULI GATE
Kabuli Gate or Khooni Darwaza (Coordinates: 28.635974N 77.241042E), literally translated means “Bloody Gate”, a “morbid sounding name”. It is an impressive double-storied structure. Its construction is credited to Sher Shah Suri's reign from 1540–1545 (though the fort walls of the Suri period have not been seen to extend to this gate). It was built largely with grey stone but red stones were also used in the frames of its windows. Though not within the walls of the Shahajahan's fort, it is located on the Mathura road opposite to the Ferozshah Kotla near Maulana Azad Medical College . At this gate, on September 21, 1857, during the Indian Rebellion, three sons of the last Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, were executed by the British Officer, Captain William Hudson.
BAHADUR SHAHI GATE
Salimgarh Fort, which is now part of Red fort complex, was constructed on an island of the Yamuna River in 1546. But a gate called the Bahadur Shahi Gate for entry into the Fort from the northern side was constructed only in 1854–55 by Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mogul ruler of India. The gate was built in brick masonry with moderate use of red sandstone. The fort was used during the Uprising in 1857 and also as prison, which housed Zebunnisa, daughter of Aurangzeb; the British imprisoned the freedom fighters of Indian National Army. The layout of the Red Fort was organized to retain and integrate this site with the Salimgarh Fort through the Bahadur Shah Gate.
GATES IN THE EIGHTH CITY
Delhi became the capital of British India after the seat of power was shifted from Calcutta in 1911. With this shift, the new city of New Delhi was established and the sixth city of Shahajahanabad to its north became the Old Delhi. Based on the designs of Edwin Lutyens, New Delhi was built over 20 years. One of the important landmarks built during this period was the India Gate. Built in 1921, it is officially known as All India War Memorial (an arch) to the Indian soldiers killed in the World War I, the Northwest frontier operations of the same time and the 1919 Afghan fiasco. The gate has an impressive stone arch of 42 m height; the names of over 90,000 soldiers are engraved on it. The base of the gate is built in red Bharatpur stone and displays a shallow domed bowl. The past tradition was to fill this bowl with oil and light it as a lamp on anniversaries but is no more practiced, instead an eternal flame burns below the arch. The eternal flame was added in the 1970s in the arch of the Gate to honour the Unknown Soldier. It is flanked by two uniformed soldiers. The place takes a carnival atmosphere in the evenings when it is well lighted and visitors flock to the gate. Seen behind the India Gate is an impressive Chhatri, which displayed the statue of King George V till 1968. This statue has been shifted to the Coronation Park, Delhi, which was the site of the declaration of the new capital of Delhi. The Chhatri is now devoid of any statue since there is a protracted discussion on which National leader's statue should be installed there. There is an impressive set of a large central steel gates flanked by asymmetrically designed smaller gates that provides entry into the Rashtrapati Bhavan (President's palace). A commemorative column called the Jaipur Column with a "distinctly peculiar crown: a glass star springing out of bronze lotus blossom", is located midway between the entry gates and the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
WIKIPEDIA
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Prince Salim falls in love with a dancer, Anarkali, but Emperor Akbar is against the match. The otherwise humane ruler's justice is tested by their love.
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Goya kee meri dooniya lutane ko hai taiyar
movie anarkali
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The Gates of Delhi were built in Delhi, India, under dynastic rulers in the period that could be dated from the 8th century to the 20th century. They are
- the gates of the ancient city of Lal Kot or Qila Rai Pithora, also called the first city of Delhi (period 731-1311) in Mehrauli – Qutb Complex;
- the gates in the second city of Siri Fort (1304);
- the gates in the third city Tughlaqabad (1321–23);
- the gates in the fourth city of Jahanpanah’s of (mid-14th century);
- the gates in the fifth city of Feruzabad (1354);
- the sixth city of Dilli Sher Shahi's (Shergarh) gates (1534), near Purana Qila;
- the gates built in the seventh city Shahjahanabad of (mid 17th century); and
- the gates in the eighth modern city New Delhi of British Raj (1931s) in Lutyens' Delhi of the British rule.
In 1611, the European merchant William Finch had described Delhi as the city of seven castles (forts) and 52 gates. More gates were built after that period during the Mughal rule and during the British rule. Currently, only 13 gates exist in good condition, while all others are in ruins or have been demolished. Like all gates denote, the direction of the destination station is the starting name of the gate.
GATES IN THE FIRST CITY
In the first city of Delhi, 13 gates were built in the 11th century citadel of Lal Kot, with the extended Qila Rai Pithora, which was ruled by the Slave Dynasty from 1192 with the establishment of the Qutb complex. These were located in the rubble built ramparts of Lal Kot (5–6 m thickness) of which only a few remain, either in ruins or under renovation. These are the Chaumukha, Sohan, Ranjit, Fateh, Hauz Rani, Barka, Badaun and Budayuni gates. Of these, the Chaumukha, Ranjit, Sohan and Fateh darwazas have been listed by the INTACH as heritage monuments. The ruins of Hauz Rani and Barka are seen around the remains between giant gaps in the long stretches of the Lal Kot wall, surrounded by a wide moat on the outside. Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has proposed to conserve all the identified gates.
The Chaumukha Darwaza (Chaumukha in Hindi language means four faces) is inferred as the gate way of Lal Kot since it aligns with Lal Kot walls. It is near the Qutb Complex and has been categorized as Grade B in archaeological value. It has been conserved by the ASI. The gate’s architectural style is traced to the Tuglaq period in view of its massive thickness. It has a “horned" outwork with paved stones in an engraved grid pattern that indicates that it was designed for defense purposes. The purpose for which it was built has not been discerned. Hence, it has also been conjectured that it could have been built by Thomas Metcalfe as one of his follies, close to his original 'Dilkusha' mansion (now seen in ruins) to enhance the elegance of his retreat.
The Ranjit gate towards the north wall of Lal Kot is in ruins. It was once considered as a grand gate through which the Turks had entered the city. Hence, it was subsequently fortified to prevent any further foreign incursions. At present, only part of the gate is seen and is yet to be listed as a heritage monument.
The Fateh Gate close to Fateh Burj has convoluted features and is about 24 m in diameter. The Sohan Gate guarded by a large bastion called the Sohan Burj was stated to be the location of a Sun temple.
Hauz Rani and Budayuni Gates, which were reportedly once prominent gates, are now traced in ruins. An interesting anecdote of history of the Budayuni gate, considered then as the principal gate of the city by Ibn Battuta (the chronicler of the period, mentions it as the main gate to the city), is that Allauddin Khilji had resolved to shun drinking of alcohol by emptying his wine caskets and breaking his rich Chinaware at this gate. The gate was also known for punishment meted out to the guilty. They were tortured and beheaded in public view at this gate. A strict watch was maintained at this gate to detect and prevent incursions by Mongolians.
Alauddin Khilji had planned, as part of his ambitious architectural achievements, to build four darwazas (gates) but he could build only one during his lifetime, namely the Alai Darwaza (1311). This gate is seen at the southern end of the Qutb complex of the enlarged Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque, built entirely on the principles of Islamic architecture. The gate made of rectangular bands of red sandstone and white marble has inscriptions of verses from Koran and Hadis in elaborate carvings on its windows. It is a square building 17.2 m square) with dome with horse shoe pointed shaped arches on three sides and with a semicircular arch on the northern side. The underside of the arches have fringed lotus bud embellishments.
Historian Fanshawe writing euphorically on the beauty of the gate has extolled:
"The Alai Darwaza is not only the most beautiful structure at the Kutub, but is one of the most striking specimens of external polychromatic decoration not merely in India, but in the whole world, while the carving of interior may challenge comparison with any work of the kind. Both exterior and interior merit detailed and leisurely examination. The effect of the graceful pointed arches in the three external sides of the gate, and in the corner recesses is extremely pleasing, and the view from the exterior through the southern archway to the round-headed arch of the north side, and the court beyond, is very striking. The decoration of the north arch is curious and unique. The effect of exterior suffers, from a distant point of view, from the absence of a parapet above the walls; this was unfortunately removed by Captain Smith, as it was greatly ruined. The gate was finished five years before the emperor died, and is specially mentioned by the chronicler of his reign."'
Shahjahanabad was built by Shah Jahan in year 1639. It Has 14 gates, west of Red Fort. Delhi has been capital of India for more than 1000 years. New Delhi became the capital of India in 1912.
GATES IN THE SECOND CITY
The second medieval city of Siri Fort was built during the rule of Ala-ud-Din Khalji of the Delhi Sultanate with the major objective of protecting the city from the onslaught of the Mongols. The city, when built with an oval plan, was best described as presenting an embodiment of richness with palaces and other structures and had seven gates for entry and exit. But, at present, only the Southeastern gate exists, also in ruins (pictured). The destruction of the fort and its gates are attributed more to the local rulers of subsequent dynasties who removed the stones, bricks and other artifacts of the fort for their own buildings and palaces.
GATES IN THE THIRD CITY
Tughlaqabad, the third city of medieval Delhi, built by Ghazi Malik well known as Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq who established the Tughlaq Dynasty in 1321 after ousting the Khiljis, was enclosed within a fort of massive proportions completed in a short span of four years. The fort has inclined walls with triple storied citadels, enormous towers, mosques and halls. The city when built is stated to have had 52 gates but only 13 remain today, mostly in ruins. Of the remaining gates, the main entry gate to the fort was built in typical Pathan style, which is described as made of red sand stone with sloping face and jambs which merge well with the towers of the fort. But the fort was abandoned soon after Ghiyasuddin’s death for two reasons namely, water shortage and the fool hardy decision of his successor Sultan, the Muhammad bin Tughlaq who forcibly shifted his capital to the new city of Daulatabad in the Deccan and returned to found the fourth city of Jahanpanah.
GATES IN THE FOURTH CITY
Muhammad bin Tughluq, first built Adilabad, then Nai-ka-Kot, towards the south of Tughlaqabad. These were two small fortresses. But he soon abandoned them. He built a new city by enclosing the areas lying between the cities of Siri, Tughlaqabad and Lal Kot. The city was named as Jahanpanah, asylum of the world, in 1334. The city had 13 gates. The ruins of gigantic ramparts of his two fortresses and some portions of the Jahanpanah walls have survived the ravages of time but are seen now only in total ruins. The watchtower Bijai Mandal still stands in ruins in the city of Jahanpanah. But no fort gates are traced.
GATES IN THE FITH CITY
Firuz Shah Tughlaq built a new capital city on the banks of the Yamuna River in 1351 and called it Firuzabad. The architecture of the fort was fairly simple and straightforward. The city had three palaces and a citadel known as Feroz Shah Kotla. The king's as well as his wife's quarters were situated along the riverfront. The structures within the enclosure walls of the fort were barracks, armories, servant's rooms, halls for audience, an imposing mosque as well as public and private baths and a stepped well or baoli. An Ashokan pillar brought from Topara, Ambala was mounted on top of a pyramidal three-tiered construction. No gates of this period exist.
GATES IN THE SIXTH CITY
Three main gates on the north, south and west are part of the fortifications of the Purana Qila, the sixth city of Delhi, built by Sher Shah Suri (1538–45). Sher Shah Suri raised his citadel after demolishing Dinpanah, the city built by Humayun. The fortifications of the Qila extended to a boundary of 2 km on an irregularly oblong plan. Bastions adorned the corners and the western wall. Of the existing three gates, the west gate forms the entrance to the Qila and is called the Bara Darwaza (big gate). All three gates are double–storied structures built with red sandstone and have chhatris. The enclosure wall inside has cells in two–bay depth. The northern gate, built in 1543–44, is called the Talaqi-Darwaza for reasons unknown. On this gate, in the front, carved marble leogryphs in combat with a man are seen above the oriel windows. Built in random rubble masonry with dressed stone facing, the gate has a tall arch enclosed by two smaller arched openings. Two bastions adorn the gate with high ceiling rooms. On the second floor of the gate, there are two openings. Exterior surface of the gate had coloured tiles and the inner rooms were covered with incised plaster work. The Purana Qila was stated to have been left unfinished by Suri, which was later completed by Humayun. The southern gate is called the Humayun Darwaza; the reasons attributed for the name are that either Humayun built it or the gate overlooked Humayun’s tomb. An inscription in ink on the gate refers to Sher Shah with the date as 950 A.H. (1543–44).
SHER SHAH GATE
Sher Shah gate located to the south of Khairu’l-Manazil-Masjid is said to be an entrance to the large city of Delhi that Sher Shah built in front of his fortress of Purana Qila. The gate, mostly built with red sandstone but with use of local grey quartzite in its upper storey, is thus called the Lal Darwaza (red gate). Arcades were built from this gate into the city, which were provided with series of dwellings with frontage of a verandah, which may have been used for commercial establishments. Kabuli or Khuni–Darwaza (explained in the following section) is another gate on the fringes of Sher Shah’s city. ASI has undertaken extensive conservation works of the gate and its surroundings at a cost of Rs7.5 million (US$150,000).
GATES IN THE SEVENTH CITY
Shahjahanabad, the seventh city of Delhi, was built by Shah Jahan in 1649 like a fortress encircled by strong and high red–brick walls with 14 entry gates to the city, in addition to 16 wicket gates called windows (khirkis in Urdu language). A number of bastions built of stone were added by the British, in addition to repairing the earlier fort, to make the fort more secure. The gates were designed and built for the people to have access and the royal procession to enter or exit, when going out in diverse directions. Out of the 14 gates, five gates have survived, namely, the Kashmiri Gate on the north, the Ajmeri Gate on the south-west, the Delhi Gate on the south-east, Turkman Gate on the south and the Nigambodh Gate on the north-east, all of which express vividly the splendor of the city. All the gates are located within a radius of 5–6 km in the present day Old Delhi. The Lahori gate on the Northeast, in the old city, was demolished (some remnant walls are seen at the crossing as may be seen in picture) and the area converted into the present day Lahori Bazar. The gates have a square plan with high arched openings, except for low height of the Nigambodh gate, and two openings - one for entry and another for exit - of the Kashmiri gate. The names of all the gates, which existed during Shahajahan’s time are the Dilli Darwaza (also known as Delhi Gate), Kabuli Darwaza, Raj Ghat Darwaza, Khizri Darwaza, Nigambodh Darwaza, Kela ke Ghat ka Darwaza, Lal Darwaza, Kashmiri Darwaza, Badar Darwaza, Patthar Khati Darwaza, Lahori Darwaza, Ajmeri Darwaza and Turkuman Darwaza.
The names of the wicket gates or windows (now none exist) through which people entered and exited from the old fort city were:
Zeenatul Masajid Khirkee
Nawab Ahmad Bakhsh ki Khirkee
Nawab Ghaziuddin ki Khirkee
Musamman Burj ki Khirkee
Muslim Garh ki Khirkee
Naseer Ganj ki Khirkee
Nai Khirkee
Shah Ganj Khirkee
Ajmeri Darwaza ki Khirkee
Sayyad Bhole ki Khirkee
Buland Bagh ki Khirkee
Farash Khana ki Khirkee
Ameer Khan ki Khirkee
Khalil Khan ki Khirkee
Bahadur Ali Khan ki Khirkee
Nigambodh ki Khirkee.
KASHMIRI GATE
Kashmiri Gate is one of the original 14 gates built into the wall to the north of the city. It was built by the British in 1835 by Major Robert Smith. Local people also call it Truckman gate. It has a square plan. There are two openings of the gate: one for entry and another for exit (pictured). During 1835, the British enlarged and straightened it into a two-way gate as defensive measure against enemy attacks. In the present city setting, the gate is close to the Inter State Bus Terminals. It is now preserved as monument on the road to the Old Secretariat and the Delhi University. It was named as Kashmiri Gate since it was used by the emperors to go through on their visits to Kashmir and North India. It was also the historic venue of the intense fighting which took place in 1857, between the British army and the Indian freedom fighters. The fortifications were used to fire cannons at the British army encamped at Ludlow Castle. The freedom fighters gathered at a place close to the St. James Church to discuss war strategy. British troops fought fiercely at this gate and re-captured the city from mutinous Indian soldiers. During the war, the gate was badly damaged by the British to get control over Delhi. Subsequently, area surrounding the Kashmiri Gate became the commercial hub of Delhi, when the Civil Lines were developed by the British.
DELHI GATE
The Delhi Gate (Coordinates 28.641196N 77.240511E) is the southern gate in the historic walled city of (Old) Delhi, or Shahjahanabad. The gate links the New Delhi city with the old walled city of Delhi. It stands in the middle of the road, at the end of Netaji Subhash Chandra Road (or Netaji Subhash Marg), at the edge of the Daryaganj. Other Delhi Gate of Delhi, is also situated in Najafgarh.
AJMERI GATE
Ajmeri Gate, built in 1644, to the south–west of Shahjahanabad with a square plan, has high arched openings. The Sepoy Mutiny or the first war of Indian independence in 1857 was fought at this venue also. The road, through this gate, leads to the city of Ajmer in Rajasthan, and hence its name. A lovely park surrounds the gate. The madrasa (Islamic school of learning) built by Nawab Ghaziuddin Bahadur father of the first Nizam of Hyderabad in 1811, west of the college lies the tomb of the founder and a mosque In the following years, it converted to Delhi college and was one of the constituent colleges of the Delhi University. The College has shifted to a new building now and the Anglo Arabic Senior Secondary School runs in the old building. Nearby outside a ditch, once lied remains of the underground apartments of Safdarjung, which at one point were one of the important sights of Delhi. At present, the old walls of the fort have been demolished and replaced by commercial buildings and residential complexes, but the gate on the west exists.
TURKMAN GATE
Turkman Gate, located to the southern edge of Shahajahanabad (Coordinates: 28.642231N 77.232591E), is named after the Sufi Saint Hazrat Shah Turkman Bayabani. His tomb dated to 1240, before building of Shahjahanabad, is located to the east of the gate. It is approached from the Jawahar Lal Nehru Road, the old Circular Road, in the vicinity of the Ramlila grounds. It has a square plan with high arched openings. The tomb of Razia Sultan and Kali Masjid or Kalan Masjid are located in close proximity of the gate. The gate was the scene of Turkman gate demolition and rioting in 1976.
LAHORI GATE - OLD DELHI
The Lahori gate of the Old Delhi city (Coordinates: 28.657110N 77.218831E), now only a bazaar square with small remnants at one end, used to lead east along the Chandni Chowk to the Lahore gate of the Red Fort. Inside the Lahori gate is the grain market. Outside the gate stands a mosque built by Sirhindi Begum, wife of Shah Jahan, whom he married after the death Arjumand Banu Begum, Mumtaz Mahal. This Lahori Gate was also one of the last points captured during the siege of 1857.
LAHORE GATE - RED FORT
The Lahore gate is the main gate to the Red Fort named after its orientation towards Lahore, Pakistan.
DELHI GATE - RED FORT
The southern public entrance to the Red Fort.
NIGAMBODH GATE
It was built on the north eastern side of the Shahajahanabad. It is located on the Ring Road near the Yamuna Bazaar. It derives its name Nigambodh Ghat from the burial ground here. The etymology of Nigambodh is derived from Sanskrit words ‘Nigam’ which means the “Ved” and ‘bodh’ means “knowledge”, meaning realization of knowledge. According to a folk legend, Lord Brahma (the creator) took a bath in the Yamuna River at this ghat to recover his lost memory and by this act Brahma not only got back his memory but also remembered the place he had kept his sacred books. In the past, the gate was closer to the ghat and nearer to the Salimgarh Fort.
KABULI GATE
Kabuli Gate or Khooni Darwaza (Coordinates: 28.635974N 77.241042E), literally translated means “Bloody Gate”, a “morbid sounding name”. It is an impressive double-storied structure. Its construction is credited to Sher Shah Suri's reign from 1540–1545 (though the fort walls of the Suri period have not been seen to extend to this gate). It was built largely with grey stone but red stones were also used in the frames of its windows. Though not within the walls of the Shahajahan's fort, it is located on the Mathura road opposite to the Ferozshah Kotla near Maulana Azad Medical College . At this gate, on September 21, 1857, during the Indian Rebellion, three sons of the last Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, were executed by the British Officer, Captain William Hudson.
BAHADUR SHAHI GATE
Salimgarh Fort, which is now part of Red fort complex, was constructed on an island of the Yamuna River in 1546. But a gate called the Bahadur Shahi Gate for entry into the Fort from the northern side was constructed only in 1854–55 by Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mogul ruler of India. The gate was built in brick masonry with moderate use of red sandstone. The fort was used during the Uprising in 1857 and also as prison, which housed Zebunnisa, daughter of Aurangzeb; the British imprisoned the freedom fighters of Indian National Army. The layout of the Red Fort was organized to retain and integrate this site with the Salimgarh Fort through the Bahadur Shah Gate.
GATES IN THE EIGHTH CITY
Delhi became the capital of British India after the seat of power was shifted from Calcutta in 1911. With this shift, the new city of New Delhi was established and the sixth city of Shahajahanabad to its north became the Old Delhi. Based on the designs of Edwin Lutyens, New Delhi was built over 20 years. One of the important landmarks built during this period was the India Gate. Built in 1921, it is officially known as All India War Memorial (an arch) to the Indian soldiers killed in the World War I, the Northwest frontier operations of the same time and the 1919 Afghan fiasco. The gate has an impressive stone arch of 42 m height; the names of over 90,000 soldiers are engraved on it. The base of the gate is built in red Bharatpur stone and displays a shallow domed bowl. The past tradition was to fill this bowl with oil and light it as a lamp on anniversaries but is no more practiced, instead an eternal flame burns below the arch. The eternal flame was added in the 1970s in the arch of the Gate to honour the Unknown Soldier. It is flanked by two uniformed soldiers. The place takes a carnival atmosphere in the evenings when it is well lighted and visitors flock to the gate. Seen behind the India Gate is an impressive Chhatri, which displayed the statue of King George V till 1968. This statue has been shifted to the Coronation Park, Delhi, which was the site of the declaration of the new capital of Delhi. The Chhatri is now devoid of any statue since there is a protracted discussion on which National leader's statue should be installed there. There is an impressive set of a large central steel gates flanked by asymmetrically designed smaller gates that provides entry into the Rashtrapati Bhavan (President's palace). A commemorative column called the Jaipur Column with a "distinctly peculiar crown: a glass star springing out of bronze lotus blossom", is located midway between the entry gates and the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
WIKIPEDIA
Maha Shivratri (the 'Great Night of Shiva') is a Hindu festival celebrated every year in reverence of Lord Shiva. The Mahashivratri festival, also much popular as 'Shivratri' or 'Great Night of Lord Shiva', is observed on the 13th night/14th day in the Krishna Paksha every year on the month of Maagh according to the Hindu calendar. Alternate common spellings include Sivaratri, Shivaratri, Sivarathri, and Shivarathri. It marks the convergence of Shiva and Shakti. Maha Shivratri is celebrated on the Krishna Paksha Chaturdashi of Hindu calendar month Maagha which falls in February or March as per the Gregorian calendar. Of the twelve Shivaratris in the year, the MahaShivarathri is the most powerful[3].
The festival is principally celebrated by offerings of Bael or golden apple or Bilva/Vilvam leaves to Lord Shiva, all-day fasting and an all-night-long vigil (jagarana). All through the day, devotees chant "Om Namah Shivaya", a sacred Panchakshara mantra dedicated to Lord Shiva. In accordance with scriptural and discipleship traditions, penances are performed in order to gain boons in the practice of Yoga and meditation, in order to reach life's highest good steadily and swiftly. On this day, the planetary positions in the Northern hemisphere act as potent catalysts to help a person raise his / her spiritual energy easily. The benefits of powerful ancient Sanskrit Mantras such as Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra महामृत्युंजय मंत्र increase manifold on this night[4].
In Nepal, millions of Hindus attend Shivaratri together from different part of the world at the famous Pashupatinath Temple. Thousands of devotees also attend Mahasivaratri at the famous Shiva Shakti Peetham of Nepal.
On Mahashivratri, Nishita Kala is the ideal time to observe Shiva Pooja. Nishita Kala is the time when Lord Shiva appeared on the Earth in the form of Linga. On this day, in all Shiva temples, the most auspicious Lingodbhava puja is performed.
#ExploreKarnataka: The #MurudeshwarShivaTemple is built on the Kanduka Hill, which is surrounded by the Arabian Sea on three sides. This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and like all other major South Indian temples, a 20-storied Gopura is being constructed on the temple. It is 249 feet tall is considered the tallest Gopura in the world. 🚩🚩🙏🙏
💕💕💕💕💕
The Gates of Delhi were built in Delhi, India, under dynastic rulers in the period that could be dated from the 8th century to the 20th century. They are
- the gates of the ancient city of Lal Kot or Qila Rai Pithora, also called the first city of Delhi (period 731-1311) in Mehrauli – Qutb Complex;
- the gates in the second city of Siri Fort (1304);
- the gates in the third city Tughlaqabad (1321–23);
- the gates in the fourth city of Jahanpanah’s of (mid-14th century);
- the gates in the fifth city of Feruzabad (1354);
- the sixth city of Dilli Sher Shahi's (Shergarh) gates (1534), near Purana Qila;
- the gates built in the seventh city Shahjahanabad of (mid 17th century); and
- the gates in the eighth modern city New Delhi of British Raj (1931s) in Lutyens' Delhi of the British rule.
In 1611, the European merchant William Finch had described Delhi as the city of seven castles (forts) and 52 gates. More gates were built after that period during the Mughal rule and during the British rule. Currently, only 13 gates exist in good condition, while all others are in ruins or have been demolished. Like all gates denote, the direction of the destination station is the starting name of the gate.
GATES IN THE FIRST CITY
In the first city of Delhi, 13 gates were built in the 11th century citadel of Lal Kot, with the extended Qila Rai Pithora, which was ruled by the Slave Dynasty from 1192 with the establishment of the Qutb complex. These were located in the rubble built ramparts of Lal Kot (5–6 m thickness) of which only a few remain, either in ruins or under renovation. These are the Chaumukha, Sohan, Ranjit, Fateh, Hauz Rani, Barka, Badaun and Budayuni gates. Of these, the Chaumukha, Ranjit, Sohan and Fateh darwazas have been listed by the INTACH as heritage monuments. The ruins of Hauz Rani and Barka are seen around the remains between giant gaps in the long stretches of the Lal Kot wall, surrounded by a wide moat on the outside. Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has proposed to conserve all the identified gates.
The Chaumukha Darwaza (Chaumukha in Hindi language means four faces) is inferred as the gate way of Lal Kot since it aligns with Lal Kot walls. It is near the Qutb Complex and has been categorized as Grade B in archaeological value. It has been conserved by the ASI. The gate’s architectural style is traced to the Tuglaq period in view of its massive thickness. It has a “horned" outwork with paved stones in an engraved grid pattern that indicates that it was designed for defense purposes. The purpose for which it was built has not been discerned. Hence, it has also been conjectured that it could have been built by Thomas Metcalfe as one of his follies, close to his original 'Dilkusha' mansion (now seen in ruins) to enhance the elegance of his retreat.
The Ranjit gate towards the north wall of Lal Kot is in ruins. It was once considered as a grand gate through which the Turks had entered the city. Hence, it was subsequently fortified to prevent any further foreign incursions. At present, only part of the gate is seen and is yet to be listed as a heritage monument.
The Fateh Gate close to Fateh Burj has convoluted features and is about 24 m in diameter. The Sohan Gate guarded by a large bastion called the Sohan Burj was stated to be the location of a Sun temple.
Hauz Rani and Budayuni Gates, which were reportedly once prominent gates, are now traced in ruins. An interesting anecdote of history of the Budayuni gate, considered then as the principal gate of the city by Ibn Battuta (the chronicler of the period, mentions it as the main gate to the city), is that Allauddin Khilji had resolved to shun drinking of alcohol by emptying his wine caskets and breaking his rich Chinaware at this gate. The gate was also known for punishment meted out to the guilty. They were tortured and beheaded in public view at this gate. A strict watch was maintained at this gate to detect and prevent incursions by Mongolians.
Alauddin Khilji had planned, as part of his ambitious architectural achievements, to build four darwazas (gates) but he could build only one during his lifetime, namely the Alai Darwaza (1311). This gate is seen at the southern end of the Qutb complex of the enlarged Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque, built entirely on the principles of Islamic architecture. The gate made of rectangular bands of red sandstone and white marble has inscriptions of verses from Koran and Hadis in elaborate carvings on its windows. It is a square building 17.2 m square) with dome with horse shoe pointed shaped arches on three sides and with a semicircular arch on the northern side. The underside of the arches have fringed lotus bud embellishments.
Historian Fanshawe writing euphorically on the beauty of the gate has extolled:
"The Alai Darwaza is not only the most beautiful structure at the Kutub, but is one of the most striking specimens of external polychromatic decoration not merely in India, but in the whole world, while the carving of interior may challenge comparison with any work of the kind. Both exterior and interior merit detailed and leisurely examination. The effect of the graceful pointed arches in the three external sides of the gate, and in the corner recesses is extremely pleasing, and the view from the exterior through the southern archway to the round-headed arch of the north side, and the court beyond, is very striking. The decoration of the north arch is curious and unique. The effect of exterior suffers, from a distant point of view, from the absence of a parapet above the walls; this was unfortunately removed by Captain Smith, as it was greatly ruined. The gate was finished five years before the emperor died, and is specially mentioned by the chronicler of his reign."'
Shahjahanabad was built by Shah Jahan in year 1639. It Has 14 gates, west of Red Fort. Delhi has been capital of India for more than 1000 years. New Delhi became the capital of India in 1912.
GATES IN THE SECOND CITY
The second medieval city of Siri Fort was built during the rule of Ala-ud-Din Khalji of the Delhi Sultanate with the major objective of protecting the city from the onslaught of the Mongols. The city, when built with an oval plan, was best described as presenting an embodiment of richness with palaces and other structures and had seven gates for entry and exit. But, at present, only the Southeastern gate exists, also in ruins (pictured). The destruction of the fort and its gates are attributed more to the local rulers of subsequent dynasties who removed the stones, bricks and other artifacts of the fort for their own buildings and palaces.
GATES IN THE THIRD CITY
Tughlaqabad, the third city of medieval Delhi, built by Ghazi Malik well known as Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq who established the Tughlaq Dynasty in 1321 after ousting the Khiljis, was enclosed within a fort of massive proportions completed in a short span of four years. The fort has inclined walls with triple storied citadels, enormous towers, mosques and halls. The city when built is stated to have had 52 gates but only 13 remain today, mostly in ruins. Of the remaining gates, the main entry gate to the fort was built in typical Pathan style, which is described as made of red sand stone with sloping face and jambs which merge well with the towers of the fort. But the fort was abandoned soon after Ghiyasuddin’s death for two reasons namely, water shortage and the fool hardy decision of his successor Sultan, the Muhammad bin Tughlaq who forcibly shifted his capital to the new city of Daulatabad in the Deccan and returned to found the fourth city of Jahanpanah.
GATES IN THE FOURTH CITY
Muhammad bin Tughluq, first built Adilabad, then Nai-ka-Kot, towards the south of Tughlaqabad. These were two small fortresses. But he soon abandoned them. He built a new city by enclosing the areas lying between the cities of Siri, Tughlaqabad and Lal Kot. The city was named as Jahanpanah, asylum of the world, in 1334. The city had 13 gates. The ruins of gigantic ramparts of his two fortresses and some portions of the Jahanpanah walls have survived the ravages of time but are seen now only in total ruins. The watchtower Bijai Mandal still stands in ruins in the city of Jahanpanah. But no fort gates are traced.
GATES IN THE FITH CITY
Firuz Shah Tughlaq built a new capital city on the banks of the Yamuna River in 1351 and called it Firuzabad. The architecture of the fort was fairly simple and straightforward. The city had three palaces and a citadel known as Feroz Shah Kotla. The king's as well as his wife's quarters were situated along the riverfront. The structures within the enclosure walls of the fort were barracks, armories, servant's rooms, halls for audience, an imposing mosque as well as public and private baths and a stepped well or baoli. An Ashokan pillar brought from Topara, Ambala was mounted on top of a pyramidal three-tiered construction. No gates of this period exist.
GATES IN THE SIXTH CITY
Three main gates on the north, south and west are part of the fortifications of the Purana Qila, the sixth city of Delhi, built by Sher Shah Suri (1538–45). Sher Shah Suri raised his citadel after demolishing Dinpanah, the city built by Humayun. The fortifications of the Qila extended to a boundary of 2 km on an irregularly oblong plan. Bastions adorned the corners and the western wall. Of the existing three gates, the west gate forms the entrance to the Qila and is called the Bara Darwaza (big gate). All three gates are double–storied structures built with red sandstone and have chhatris. The enclosure wall inside has cells in two–bay depth. The northern gate, built in 1543–44, is called the Talaqi-Darwaza for reasons unknown. On this gate, in the front, carved marble leogryphs in combat with a man are seen above the oriel windows. Built in random rubble masonry with dressed stone facing, the gate has a tall arch enclosed by two smaller arched openings. Two bastions adorn the gate with high ceiling rooms. On the second floor of the gate, there are two openings. Exterior surface of the gate had coloured tiles and the inner rooms were covered with incised plaster work. The Purana Qila was stated to have been left unfinished by Suri, which was later completed by Humayun. The southern gate is called the Humayun Darwaza; the reasons attributed for the name are that either Humayun built it or the gate overlooked Humayun’s tomb. An inscription in ink on the gate refers to Sher Shah with the date as 950 A.H. (1543–44).
SHER SHAH GATE
Sher Shah gate located to the south of Khairu’l-Manazil-Masjid is said to be an entrance to the large city of Delhi that Sher Shah built in front of his fortress of Purana Qila. The gate, mostly built with red sandstone but with use of local grey quartzite in its upper storey, is thus called the Lal Darwaza (red gate). Arcades were built from this gate into the city, which were provided with series of dwellings with frontage of a verandah, which may have been used for commercial establishments. Kabuli or Khuni–Darwaza (explained in the following section) is another gate on the fringes of Sher Shah’s city. ASI has undertaken extensive conservation works of the gate and its surroundings at a cost of Rs7.5 million (US$150,000).
GATES IN THE SEVENTH CITY
Shahjahanabad, the seventh city of Delhi, was built by Shah Jahan in 1649 like a fortress encircled by strong and high red–brick walls with 14 entry gates to the city, in addition to 16 wicket gates called windows (khirkis in Urdu language). A number of bastions built of stone were added by the British, in addition to repairing the earlier fort, to make the fort more secure. The gates were designed and built for the people to have access and the royal procession to enter or exit, when going out in diverse directions. Out of the 14 gates, five gates have survived, namely, the Kashmiri Gate on the north, the Ajmeri Gate on the south-west, the Delhi Gate on the south-east, Turkman Gate on the south and the Nigambodh Gate on the north-east, all of which express vividly the splendor of the city. All the gates are located within a radius of 5–6 km in the present day Old Delhi. The Lahori gate on the Northeast, in the old city, was demolished (some remnant walls are seen at the crossing as may be seen in picture) and the area converted into the present day Lahori Bazar. The gates have a square plan with high arched openings, except for low height of the Nigambodh gate, and two openings - one for entry and another for exit - of the Kashmiri gate. The names of all the gates, which existed during Shahajahan’s time are the Dilli Darwaza (also known as Delhi Gate), Kabuli Darwaza, Raj Ghat Darwaza, Khizri Darwaza, Nigambodh Darwaza, Kela ke Ghat ka Darwaza, Lal Darwaza, Kashmiri Darwaza, Badar Darwaza, Patthar Khati Darwaza, Lahori Darwaza, Ajmeri Darwaza and Turkuman Darwaza.
The names of the wicket gates or windows (now none exist) through which people entered and exited from the old fort city were:
Zeenatul Masajid Khirkee
Nawab Ahmad Bakhsh ki Khirkee
Nawab Ghaziuddin ki Khirkee
Musamman Burj ki Khirkee
Muslim Garh ki Khirkee
Naseer Ganj ki Khirkee
Nai Khirkee
Shah Ganj Khirkee
Ajmeri Darwaza ki Khirkee
Sayyad Bhole ki Khirkee
Buland Bagh ki Khirkee
Farash Khana ki Khirkee
Ameer Khan ki Khirkee
Khalil Khan ki Khirkee
Bahadur Ali Khan ki Khirkee
Nigambodh ki Khirkee.
KASHMIRI GATE
Kashmiri Gate is one of the original 14 gates built into the wall to the north of the city. It was built by the British in 1835 by Major Robert Smith. Local people also call it Truckman gate. It has a square plan. There are two openings of the gate: one for entry and another for exit (pictured). During 1835, the British enlarged and straightened it into a two-way gate as defensive measure against enemy attacks. In the present city setting, the gate is close to the Inter State Bus Terminals. It is now preserved as monument on the road to the Old Secretariat and the Delhi University. It was named as Kashmiri Gate since it was used by the emperors to go through on their visits to Kashmir and North India. It was also the historic venue of the intense fighting which took place in 1857, between the British army and the Indian freedom fighters. The fortifications were used to fire cannons at the British army encamped at Ludlow Castle. The freedom fighters gathered at a place close to the St. James Church to discuss war strategy. British troops fought fiercely at this gate and re-captured the city from mutinous Indian soldiers. During the war, the gate was badly damaged by the British to get control over Delhi. Subsequently, area surrounding the Kashmiri Gate became the commercial hub of Delhi, when the Civil Lines were developed by the British.
DELHI GATE
The Delhi Gate (Coordinates 28.641196N 77.240511E) is the southern gate in the historic walled city of (Old) Delhi, or Shahjahanabad. The gate links the New Delhi city with the old walled city of Delhi. It stands in the middle of the road, at the end of Netaji Subhash Chandra Road (or Netaji Subhash Marg), at the edge of the Daryaganj. Other Delhi Gate of Delhi, is also situated in Najafgarh.
AJMERI GATE
Ajmeri Gate, built in 1644, to the south–west of Shahjahanabad with a square plan, has high arched openings. The Sepoy Mutiny or the first war of Indian independence in 1857 was fought at this venue also. The road, through this gate, leads to the city of Ajmer in Rajasthan, and hence its name. A lovely park surrounds the gate. The madrasa (Islamic school of learning) built by Nawab Ghaziuddin Bahadur father of the first Nizam of Hyderabad in 1811, west of the college lies the tomb of the founder and a mosque In the following years, it converted to Delhi college and was one of the constituent colleges of the Delhi University. The College has shifted to a new building now and the Anglo Arabic Senior Secondary School runs in the old building. Nearby outside a ditch, once lied remains of the underground apartments of Safdarjung, which at one point were one of the important sights of Delhi. At present, the old walls of the fort have been demolished and replaced by commercial buildings and residential complexes, but the gate on the west exists.
TURKMAN GATE
Turkman Gate, located to the southern edge of Shahajahanabad (Coordinates: 28.642231N 77.232591E), is named after the Sufi Saint Hazrat Shah Turkman Bayabani. His tomb dated to 1240, before building of Shahjahanabad, is located to the east of the gate. It is approached from the Jawahar Lal Nehru Road, the old Circular Road, in the vicinity of the Ramlila grounds. It has a square plan with high arched openings. The tomb of Razia Sultan and Kali Masjid or Kalan Masjid are located in close proximity of the gate. The gate was the scene of Turkman gate demolition and rioting in 1976.
LAHORI GATE - OLD DELHI
The Lahori gate of the Old Delhi city (Coordinates: 28.657110N 77.218831E), now only a bazaar square with small remnants at one end, used to lead east along the Chandni Chowk to the Lahore gate of the Red Fort. Inside the Lahori gate is the grain market. Outside the gate stands a mosque built by Sirhindi Begum, wife of Shah Jahan, whom he married after the death Arjumand Banu Begum, Mumtaz Mahal. This Lahori Gate was also one of the last points captured during the siege of 1857.
LAHORE GATE - RED FORT
The Lahore gate is the main gate to the Red Fort named after its orientation towards Lahore, Pakistan.
DELHI GATE - RED FORT
The southern public entrance to the Red Fort.
NIGAMBODH GATE
It was built on the north eastern side of the Shahajahanabad. It is located on the Ring Road near the Yamuna Bazaar. It derives its name Nigambodh Ghat from the burial ground here. The etymology of Nigambodh is derived from Sanskrit words ‘Nigam’ which means the “Ved” and ‘bodh’ means “knowledge”, meaning realization of knowledge. According to a folk legend, Lord Brahma (the creator) took a bath in the Yamuna River at this ghat to recover his lost memory and by this act Brahma not only got back his memory but also remembered the place he had kept his sacred books. In the past, the gate was closer to the ghat and nearer to the Salimgarh Fort.
KABULI GATE
Kabuli Gate or Khooni Darwaza (Coordinates: 28.635974N 77.241042E), literally translated means “Bloody Gate”, a “morbid sounding name”. It is an impressive double-storied structure. Its construction is credited to Sher Shah Suri's reign from 1540–1545 (though the fort walls of the Suri period have not been seen to extend to this gate). It was built largely with grey stone but red stones were also used in the frames of its windows. Though not within the walls of the Shahajahan's fort, it is located on the Mathura road opposite to the Ferozshah Kotla near Maulana Azad Medical College . At this gate, on September 21, 1857, during the Indian Rebellion, three sons of the last Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, were executed by the British Officer, Captain William Hudson.
BAHADUR SHAHI GATE
Salimgarh Fort, which is now part of Red fort complex, was constructed on an island of the Yamuna River in 1546. But a gate called the Bahadur Shahi Gate for entry into the Fort from the northern side was constructed only in 1854–55 by Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mogul ruler of India. The gate was built in brick masonry with moderate use of red sandstone. The fort was used during the Uprising in 1857 and also as prison, which housed Zebunnisa, daughter of Aurangzeb; the British imprisoned the freedom fighters of Indian National Army. The layout of the Red Fort was organized to retain and integrate this site with the Salimgarh Fort through the Bahadur Shah Gate.
GATES IN THE EIGHTH CITY
Delhi became the capital of British India after the seat of power was shifted from Calcutta in 1911. With this shift, the new city of New Delhi was established and the sixth city of Shahajahanabad to its north became the Old Delhi. Based on the designs of Edwin Lutyens, New Delhi was built over 20 years. One of the important landmarks built during this period was the India Gate. Built in 1921, it is officially known as All India War Memorial (an arch) to the Indian soldiers killed in the World War I, the Northwest frontier operations of the same time and the 1919 Afghan fiasco. The gate has an impressive stone arch of 42 m height; the names of over 90,000 soldiers are engraved on it. The base of the gate is built in red Bharatpur stone and displays a shallow domed bowl. The past tradition was to fill this bowl with oil and light it as a lamp on anniversaries but is no more practiced, instead an eternal flame burns below the arch. The eternal flame was added in the 1970s in the arch of the Gate to honour the Unknown Soldier. It is flanked by two uniformed soldiers. The place takes a carnival atmosphere in the evenings when it is well lighted and visitors flock to the gate. Seen behind the India Gate is an impressive Chhatri, which displayed the statue of King George V till 1968. This statue has been shifted to the Coronation Park, Delhi, which was the site of the declaration of the new capital of Delhi. The Chhatri is now devoid of any statue since there is a protracted discussion on which National leader's statue should be installed there. There is an impressive set of a large central steel gates flanked by asymmetrically designed smaller gates that provides entry into the Rashtrapati Bhavan (President's palace). A commemorative column called the Jaipur Column with a "distinctly peculiar crown: a glass star springing out of bronze lotus blossom", is located midway between the entry gates and the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
WIKIPEDIA
The Gates of Delhi were built in Delhi, India, under dynastic rulers in the period that could be dated from the 8th century to the 20th century. They are
- the gates of the ancient city of Lal Kot or Qila Rai Pithora, also called the first city of Delhi (period 731-1311) in Mehrauli – Qutb Complex;
- the gates in the second city of Siri Fort (1304);
- the gates in the third city Tughlaqabad (1321–23);
- the gates in the fourth city of Jahanpanah’s of (mid-14th century);
- the gates in the fifth city of Feruzabad (1354);
- the sixth city of Dilli Sher Shahi's (Shergarh) gates (1534), near Purana Qila;
- the gates built in the seventh city Shahjahanabad of (mid 17th century); and
- the gates in the eighth modern city New Delhi of British Raj (1931s) in Lutyens' Delhi of the British rule.
In 1611, the European merchant William Finch had described Delhi as the city of seven castles (forts) and 52 gates. More gates were built after that period during the Mughal rule and during the British rule. Currently, only 13 gates exist in good condition, while all others are in ruins or have been demolished. Like all gates denote, the direction of the destination station is the starting name of the gate.
GATES IN THE FIRST CITY
In the first city of Delhi, 13 gates were built in the 11th century citadel of Lal Kot, with the extended Qila Rai Pithora, which was ruled by the Slave Dynasty from 1192 with the establishment of the Qutb complex. These were located in the rubble built ramparts of Lal Kot (5–6 m thickness) of which only a few remain, either in ruins or under renovation. These are the Chaumukha, Sohan, Ranjit, Fateh, Hauz Rani, Barka, Badaun and Budayuni gates. Of these, the Chaumukha, Ranjit, Sohan and Fateh darwazas have been listed by the INTACH as heritage monuments. The ruins of Hauz Rani and Barka are seen around the remains between giant gaps in the long stretches of the Lal Kot wall, surrounded by a wide moat on the outside. Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has proposed to conserve all the identified gates.
The Chaumukha Darwaza (Chaumukha in Hindi language means four faces) is inferred as the gate way of Lal Kot since it aligns with Lal Kot walls. It is near the Qutb Complex and has been categorized as Grade B in archaeological value. It has been conserved by the ASI. The gate’s architectural style is traced to the Tuglaq period in view of its massive thickness. It has a “horned" outwork with paved stones in an engraved grid pattern that indicates that it was designed for defense purposes. The purpose for which it was built has not been discerned. Hence, it has also been conjectured that it could have been built by Thomas Metcalfe as one of his follies, close to his original 'Dilkusha' mansion (now seen in ruins) to enhance the elegance of his retreat.
The Ranjit gate towards the north wall of Lal Kot is in ruins. It was once considered as a grand gate through which the Turks had entered the city. Hence, it was subsequently fortified to prevent any further foreign incursions. At present, only part of the gate is seen and is yet to be listed as a heritage monument.
The Fateh Gate close to Fateh Burj has convoluted features and is about 24 m in diameter. The Sohan Gate guarded by a large bastion called the Sohan Burj was stated to be the location of a Sun temple.
Hauz Rani and Budayuni Gates, which were reportedly once prominent gates, are now traced in ruins. An interesting anecdote of history of the Budayuni gate, considered then as the principal gate of the city by Ibn Battuta (the chronicler of the period, mentions it as the main gate to the city), is that Allauddin Khilji had resolved to shun drinking of alcohol by emptying his wine caskets and breaking his rich Chinaware at this gate. The gate was also known for punishment meted out to the guilty. They were tortured and beheaded in public view at this gate. A strict watch was maintained at this gate to detect and prevent incursions by Mongolians.
Alauddin Khilji had planned, as part of his ambitious architectural achievements, to build four darwazas (gates) but he could build only one during his lifetime, namely the Alai Darwaza (1311). This gate is seen at the southern end of the Qutb complex of the enlarged Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque, built entirely on the principles of Islamic architecture. The gate made of rectangular bands of red sandstone and white marble has inscriptions of verses from Koran and Hadis in elaborate carvings on its windows. It is a square building 17.2 m square) with dome with horse shoe pointed shaped arches on three sides and with a semicircular arch on the northern side. The underside of the arches have fringed lotus bud embellishments.
Historian Fanshawe writing euphorically on the beauty of the gate has extolled:
"The Alai Darwaza is not only the most beautiful structure at the Kutub, but is one of the most striking specimens of external polychromatic decoration not merely in India, but in the whole world, while the carving of interior may challenge comparison with any work of the kind. Both exterior and interior merit detailed and leisurely examination. The effect of the graceful pointed arches in the three external sides of the gate, and in the corner recesses is extremely pleasing, and the view from the exterior through the southern archway to the round-headed arch of the north side, and the court beyond, is very striking. The decoration of the north arch is curious and unique. The effect of exterior suffers, from a distant point of view, from the absence of a parapet above the walls; this was unfortunately removed by Captain Smith, as it was greatly ruined. The gate was finished five years before the emperor died, and is specially mentioned by the chronicler of his reign."'
Shahjahanabad was built by Shah Jahan in year 1639. It Has 14 gates, west of Red Fort. Delhi has been capital of India for more than 1000 years. New Delhi became the capital of India in 1912.
GATES IN THE SECOND CITY
The second medieval city of Siri Fort was built during the rule of Ala-ud-Din Khalji of the Delhi Sultanate with the major objective of protecting the city from the onslaught of the Mongols. The city, when built with an oval plan, was best described as presenting an embodiment of richness with palaces and other structures and had seven gates for entry and exit. But, at present, only the Southeastern gate exists, also in ruins (pictured). The destruction of the fort and its gates are attributed more to the local rulers of subsequent dynasties who removed the stones, bricks and other artifacts of the fort for their own buildings and palaces.
GATES IN THE THIRD CITY
Tughlaqabad, the third city of medieval Delhi, built by Ghazi Malik well known as Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq who established the Tughlaq Dynasty in 1321 after ousting the Khiljis, was enclosed within a fort of massive proportions completed in a short span of four years. The fort has inclined walls with triple storied citadels, enormous towers, mosques and halls. The city when built is stated to have had 52 gates but only 13 remain today, mostly in ruins. Of the remaining gates, the main entry gate to the fort was built in typical Pathan style, which is described as made of red sand stone with sloping face and jambs which merge well with the towers of the fort. But the fort was abandoned soon after Ghiyasuddin’s death for two reasons namely, water shortage and the fool hardy decision of his successor Sultan, the Muhammad bin Tughlaq who forcibly shifted his capital to the new city of Daulatabad in the Deccan and returned to found the fourth city of Jahanpanah.
GATES IN THE FOURTH CITY
Muhammad bin Tughluq, first built Adilabad, then Nai-ka-Kot, towards the south of Tughlaqabad. These were two small fortresses. But he soon abandoned them. He built a new city by enclosing the areas lying between the cities of Siri, Tughlaqabad and Lal Kot. The city was named as Jahanpanah, asylum of the world, in 1334. The city had 13 gates. The ruins of gigantic ramparts of his two fortresses and some portions of the Jahanpanah walls have survived the ravages of time but are seen now only in total ruins. The watchtower Bijai Mandal still stands in ruins in the city of Jahanpanah. But no fort gates are traced.
GATES IN THE FITH CITY
Firuz Shah Tughlaq built a new capital city on the banks of the Yamuna River in 1351 and called it Firuzabad. The architecture of the fort was fairly simple and straightforward. The city had three palaces and a citadel known as Feroz Shah Kotla. The king's as well as his wife's quarters were situated along the riverfront. The structures within the enclosure walls of the fort were barracks, armories, servant's rooms, halls for audience, an imposing mosque as well as public and private baths and a stepped well or baoli. An Ashokan pillar brought from Topara, Ambala was mounted on top of a pyramidal three-tiered construction. No gates of this period exist.
GATES IN THE SIXTH CITY
Three main gates on the north, south and west are part of the fortifications of the Purana Qila, the sixth city of Delhi, built by Sher Shah Suri (1538–45). Sher Shah Suri raised his citadel after demolishing Dinpanah, the city built by Humayun. The fortifications of the Qila extended to a boundary of 2 km on an irregularly oblong plan. Bastions adorned the corners and the western wall. Of the existing three gates, the west gate forms the entrance to the Qila and is called the Bara Darwaza (big gate). All three gates are double–storied structures built with red sandstone and have chhatris. The enclosure wall inside has cells in two–bay depth. The northern gate, built in 1543–44, is called the Talaqi-Darwaza for reasons unknown. On this gate, in the front, carved marble leogryphs in combat with a man are seen above the oriel windows. Built in random rubble masonry with dressed stone facing, the gate has a tall arch enclosed by two smaller arched openings. Two bastions adorn the gate with high ceiling rooms. On the second floor of the gate, there are two openings. Exterior surface of the gate had coloured tiles and the inner rooms were covered with incised plaster work. The Purana Qila was stated to have been left unfinished by Suri, which was later completed by Humayun. The southern gate is called the Humayun Darwaza; the reasons attributed for the name are that either Humayun built it or the gate overlooked Humayun’s tomb. An inscription in ink on the gate refers to Sher Shah with the date as 950 A.H. (1543–44).
SHER SHAH GATE
Sher Shah gate located to the south of Khairu’l-Manazil-Masjid is said to be an entrance to the large city of Delhi that Sher Shah built in front of his fortress of Purana Qila. The gate, mostly built with red sandstone but with use of local grey quartzite in its upper storey, is thus called the Lal Darwaza (red gate). Arcades were built from this gate into the city, which were provided with series of dwellings with frontage of a verandah, which may have been used for commercial establishments. Kabuli or Khuni–Darwaza (explained in the following section) is another gate on the fringes of Sher Shah’s city. ASI has undertaken extensive conservation works of the gate and its surroundings at a cost of Rs7.5 million (US$150,000).
GATES IN THE SEVENTH CITY
Shahjahanabad, the seventh city of Delhi, was built by Shah Jahan in 1649 like a fortress encircled by strong and high red–brick walls with 14 entry gates to the city, in addition to 16 wicket gates called windows (khirkis in Urdu language). A number of bastions built of stone were added by the British, in addition to repairing the earlier fort, to make the fort more secure. The gates were designed and built for the people to have access and the royal procession to enter or exit, when going out in diverse directions. Out of the 14 gates, five gates have survived, namely, the Kashmiri Gate on the north, the Ajmeri Gate on the south-west, the Delhi Gate on the south-east, Turkman Gate on the south and the Nigambodh Gate on the north-east, all of which express vividly the splendor of the city. All the gates are located within a radius of 5–6 km in the present day Old Delhi. The Lahori gate on the Northeast, in the old city, was demolished (some remnant walls are seen at the crossing as may be seen in picture) and the area converted into the present day Lahori Bazar. The gates have a square plan with high arched openings, except for low height of the Nigambodh gate, and two openings - one for entry and another for exit - of the Kashmiri gate. The names of all the gates, which existed during Shahajahan’s time are the Dilli Darwaza (also known as Delhi Gate), Kabuli Darwaza, Raj Ghat Darwaza, Khizri Darwaza, Nigambodh Darwaza, Kela ke Ghat ka Darwaza, Lal Darwaza, Kashmiri Darwaza, Badar Darwaza, Patthar Khati Darwaza, Lahori Darwaza, Ajmeri Darwaza and Turkuman Darwaza.
The names of the wicket gates or windows (now none exist) through which people entered and exited from the old fort city were:
Zeenatul Masajid Khirkee
Nawab Ahmad Bakhsh ki Khirkee
Nawab Ghaziuddin ki Khirkee
Musamman Burj ki Khirkee
Muslim Garh ki Khirkee
Naseer Ganj ki Khirkee
Nai Khirkee
Shah Ganj Khirkee
Ajmeri Darwaza ki Khirkee
Sayyad Bhole ki Khirkee
Buland Bagh ki Khirkee
Farash Khana ki Khirkee
Ameer Khan ki Khirkee
Khalil Khan ki Khirkee
Bahadur Ali Khan ki Khirkee
Nigambodh ki Khirkee.
KASHMIRI GATE
Kashmiri Gate is one of the original 14 gates built into the wall to the north of the city. It was built by the British in 1835 by Major Robert Smith. Local people also call it Truckman gate. It has a square plan. There are two openings of the gate: one for entry and another for exit (pictured). During 1835, the British enlarged and straightened it into a two-way gate as defensive measure against enemy attacks. In the present city setting, the gate is close to the Inter State Bus Terminals. It is now preserved as monument on the road to the Old Secretariat and the Delhi University. It was named as Kashmiri Gate since it was used by the emperors to go through on their visits to Kashmir and North India. It was also the historic venue of the intense fighting which took place in 1857, between the British army and the Indian freedom fighters. The fortifications were used to fire cannons at the British army encamped at Ludlow Castle. The freedom fighters gathered at a place close to the St. James Church to discuss war strategy. British troops fought fiercely at this gate and re-captured the city from mutinous Indian soldiers. During the war, the gate was badly damaged by the British to get control over Delhi. Subsequently, area surrounding the Kashmiri Gate became the commercial hub of Delhi, when the Civil Lines were developed by the British.
DELHI GATE
The Delhi Gate (Coordinates 28.641196N 77.240511E) is the southern gate in the historic walled city of (Old) Delhi, or Shahjahanabad. The gate links the New Delhi city with the old walled city of Delhi. It stands in the middle of the road, at the end of Netaji Subhash Chandra Road (or Netaji Subhash Marg), at the edge of the Daryaganj. Other Delhi Gate of Delhi, is also situated in Najafgarh.
AJMERI GATE
Ajmeri Gate, built in 1644, to the south–west of Shahjahanabad with a square plan, has high arched openings. The Sepoy Mutiny or the first war of Indian independence in 1857 was fought at this venue also. The road, through this gate, leads to the city of Ajmer in Rajasthan, and hence its name. A lovely park surrounds the gate. The madrasa (Islamic school of learning) built by Nawab Ghaziuddin Bahadur father of the first Nizam of Hyderabad in 1811, west of the college lies the tomb of the founder and a mosque In the following years, it converted to Delhi college and was one of the constituent colleges of the Delhi University. The College has shifted to a new building now and the Anglo Arabic Senior Secondary School runs in the old building. Nearby outside a ditch, once lied remains of the underground apartments of Safdarjung, which at one point were one of the important sights of Delhi. At present, the old walls of the fort have been demolished and replaced by commercial buildings and residential complexes, but the gate on the west exists.
TURKMAN GATE
Turkman Gate, located to the southern edge of Shahajahanabad (Coordinates: 28.642231N 77.232591E), is named after the Sufi Saint Hazrat Shah Turkman Bayabani. His tomb dated to 1240, before building of Shahjahanabad, is located to the east of the gate. It is approached from the Jawahar Lal Nehru Road, the old Circular Road, in the vicinity of the Ramlila grounds. It has a square plan with high arched openings. The tomb of Razia Sultan and Kali Masjid or Kalan Masjid are located in close proximity of the gate. The gate was the scene of Turkman gate demolition and rioting in 1976.
LAHORI GATE - OLD DELHI
The Lahori gate of the Old Delhi city (Coordinates: 28.657110N 77.218831E), now only a bazaar square with small remnants at one end, used to lead east along the Chandni Chowk to the Lahore gate of the Red Fort. Inside the Lahori gate is the grain market. Outside the gate stands a mosque built by Sirhindi Begum, wife of Shah Jahan, whom he married after the death Arjumand Banu Begum, Mumtaz Mahal. This Lahori Gate was also one of the last points captured during the siege of 1857.
LAHORE GATE - RED FORT
The Lahore gate is the main gate to the Red Fort named after its orientation towards Lahore, Pakistan.
DELHI GATE - RED FORT
The southern public entrance to the Red Fort.
NIGAMBODH GATE
It was built on the north eastern side of the Shahajahanabad. It is located on the Ring Road near the Yamuna Bazaar. It derives its name Nigambodh Ghat from the burial ground here. The etymology of Nigambodh is derived from Sanskrit words ‘Nigam’ which means the “Ved” and ‘bodh’ means “knowledge”, meaning realization of knowledge. According to a folk legend, Lord Brahma (the creator) took a bath in the Yamuna River at this ghat to recover his lost memory and by this act Brahma not only got back his memory but also remembered the place he had kept his sacred books. In the past, the gate was closer to the ghat and nearer to the Salimgarh Fort.
KABULI GATE
Kabuli Gate or Khooni Darwaza (Coordinates: 28.635974N 77.241042E), literally translated means “Bloody Gate”, a “morbid sounding name”. It is an impressive double-storied structure. Its construction is credited to Sher Shah Suri's reign from 1540–1545 (though the fort walls of the Suri period have not been seen to extend to this gate). It was built largely with grey stone but red stones were also used in the frames of its windows. Though not within the walls of the Shahajahan's fort, it is located on the Mathura road opposite to the Ferozshah Kotla near Maulana Azad Medical College . At this gate, on September 21, 1857, during the Indian Rebellion, three sons of the last Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, were executed by the British Officer, Captain William Hudson.
BAHADUR SHAHI GATE
Salimgarh Fort, which is now part of Red fort complex, was constructed on an island of the Yamuna River in 1546. But a gate called the Bahadur Shahi Gate for entry into the Fort from the northern side was constructed only in 1854–55 by Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mogul ruler of India. The gate was built in brick masonry with moderate use of red sandstone. The fort was used during the Uprising in 1857 and also as prison, which housed Zebunnisa, daughter of Aurangzeb; the British imprisoned the freedom fighters of Indian National Army. The layout of the Red Fort was organized to retain and integrate this site with the Salimgarh Fort through the Bahadur Shah Gate.
GATES IN THE EIGHTH CITY
Delhi became the capital of British India after the seat of power was shifted from Calcutta in 1911. With this shift, the new city of New Delhi was established and the sixth city of Shahajahanabad to its north became the Old Delhi. Based on the designs of Edwin Lutyens, New Delhi was built over 20 years. One of the important landmarks built during this period was the India Gate. Built in 1921, it is officially known as All India War Memorial (an arch) to the Indian soldiers killed in the World War I, the Northwest frontier operations of the same time and the 1919 Afghan fiasco. The gate has an impressive stone arch of 42 m height; the names of over 90,000 soldiers are engraved on it. The base of the gate is built in red Bharatpur stone and displays a shallow domed bowl. The past tradition was to fill this bowl with oil and light it as a lamp on anniversaries but is no more practiced, instead an eternal flame burns below the arch. The eternal flame was added in the 1970s in the arch of the Gate to honour the Unknown Soldier. It is flanked by two uniformed soldiers. The place takes a carnival atmosphere in the evenings when it is well lighted and visitors flock to the gate. Seen behind the India Gate is an impressive Chhatri, which displayed the statue of King George V till 1968. This statue has been shifted to the Coronation Park, Delhi, which was the site of the declaration of the new capital of Delhi. The Chhatri is now devoid of any statue since there is a protracted discussion on which National leader's statue should be installed there. There is an impressive set of a large central steel gates flanked by asymmetrically designed smaller gates that provides entry into the Rashtrapati Bhavan (President's palace). A commemorative column called the Jaipur Column with a "distinctly peculiar crown: a glass star springing out of bronze lotus blossom", is located midway between the entry gates and the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
WIKIPEDIA
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The Gates of Delhi were built in Delhi, India, under dynastic rulers in the period that could be dated from the 8th century to the 20th century. They are
- the gates of the ancient city of Lal Kot or Qila Rai Pithora, also called the first city of Delhi (period 731-1311) in Mehrauli – Qutb Complex;
- the gates in the second city of Siri Fort (1304);
- the gates in the third city Tughlaqabad (1321–23);
- the gates in the fourth city of Jahanpanah’s of (mid-14th century);
- the gates in the fifth city of Feruzabad (1354);
- the sixth city of Dilli Sher Shahi's (Shergarh) gates (1534), near Purana Qila;
- the gates built in the seventh city Shahjahanabad of (mid 17th century); and
- the gates in the eighth modern city New Delhi of British Raj (1931s) in Lutyens' Delhi of the British rule.
In 1611, the European merchant William Finch had described Delhi as the city of seven castles (forts) and 52 gates. More gates were built after that period during the Mughal rule and during the British rule. Currently, only 13 gates exist in good condition, while all others are in ruins or have been demolished. Like all gates denote, the direction of the destination station is the starting name of the gate.
GATES IN THE FIRST CITY
In the first city of Delhi, 13 gates were built in the 11th century citadel of Lal Kot, with the extended Qila Rai Pithora, which was ruled by the Slave Dynasty from 1192 with the establishment of the Qutb complex. These were located in the rubble built ramparts of Lal Kot (5–6 m thickness) of which only a few remain, either in ruins or under renovation. These are the Chaumukha, Sohan, Ranjit, Fateh, Hauz Rani, Barka, Badaun and Budayuni gates. Of these, the Chaumukha, Ranjit, Sohan and Fateh darwazas have been listed by the INTACH as heritage monuments. The ruins of Hauz Rani and Barka are seen around the remains between giant gaps in the long stretches of the Lal Kot wall, surrounded by a wide moat on the outside. Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has proposed to conserve all the identified gates.
The Chaumukha Darwaza (Chaumukha in Hindi language means four faces) is inferred as the gate way of Lal Kot since it aligns with Lal Kot walls. It is near the Qutb Complex and has been categorized as Grade B in archaeological value. It has been conserved by the ASI. The gate’s architectural style is traced to the Tuglaq period in view of its massive thickness. It has a “horned" outwork with paved stones in an engraved grid pattern that indicates that it was designed for defense purposes. The purpose for which it was built has not been discerned. Hence, it has also been conjectured that it could have been built by Thomas Metcalfe as one of his follies, close to his original 'Dilkusha' mansion (now seen in ruins) to enhance the elegance of his retreat.
The Ranjit gate towards the north wall of Lal Kot is in ruins. It was once considered as a grand gate through which the Turks had entered the city. Hence, it was subsequently fortified to prevent any further foreign incursions. At present, only part of the gate is seen and is yet to be listed as a heritage monument.
The Fateh Gate close to Fateh Burj has convoluted features and is about 24 m in diameter. The Sohan Gate guarded by a large bastion called the Sohan Burj was stated to be the location of a Sun temple.
Hauz Rani and Budayuni Gates, which were reportedly once prominent gates, are now traced in ruins. An interesting anecdote of history of the Budayuni gate, considered then as the principal gate of the city by Ibn Battuta (the chronicler of the period, mentions it as the main gate to the city), is that Allauddin Khilji had resolved to shun drinking of alcohol by emptying his wine caskets and breaking his rich Chinaware at this gate. The gate was also known for punishment meted out to the guilty. They were tortured and beheaded in public view at this gate. A strict watch was maintained at this gate to detect and prevent incursions by Mongolians.
Alauddin Khilji had planned, as part of his ambitious architectural achievements, to build four darwazas (gates) but he could build only one during his lifetime, namely the Alai Darwaza (1311). This gate is seen at the southern end of the Qutb complex of the enlarged Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque, built entirely on the principles of Islamic architecture. The gate made of rectangular bands of red sandstone and white marble has inscriptions of verses from Koran and Hadis in elaborate carvings on its windows. It is a square building 17.2 m square) with dome with horse shoe pointed shaped arches on three sides and with a semicircular arch on the northern side. The underside of the arches have fringed lotus bud embellishments.
Historian Fanshawe writing euphorically on the beauty of the gate has extolled:
"The Alai Darwaza is not only the most beautiful structure at the Kutub, but is one of the most striking specimens of external polychromatic decoration not merely in India, but in the whole world, while the carving of interior may challenge comparison with any work of the kind. Both exterior and interior merit detailed and leisurely examination. The effect of the graceful pointed arches in the three external sides of the gate, and in the corner recesses is extremely pleasing, and the view from the exterior through the southern archway to the round-headed arch of the north side, and the court beyond, is very striking. The decoration of the north arch is curious and unique. The effect of exterior suffers, from a distant point of view, from the absence of a parapet above the walls; this was unfortunately removed by Captain Smith, as it was greatly ruined. The gate was finished five years before the emperor died, and is specially mentioned by the chronicler of his reign."'
Shahjahanabad was built by Shah Jahan in year 1639. It Has 14 gates, west of Red Fort. Delhi has been capital of India for more than 1000 years. New Delhi became the capital of India in 1912.
GATES IN THE SECOND CITY
The second medieval city of Siri Fort was built during the rule of Ala-ud-Din Khalji of the Delhi Sultanate with the major objective of protecting the city from the onslaught of the Mongols. The city, when built with an oval plan, was best described as presenting an embodiment of richness with palaces and other structures and had seven gates for entry and exit. But, at present, only the Southeastern gate exists, also in ruins (pictured). The destruction of the fort and its gates are attributed more to the local rulers of subsequent dynasties who removed the stones, bricks and other artifacts of the fort for their own buildings and palaces.
GATES IN THE THIRD CITY
Tughlaqabad, the third city of medieval Delhi, built by Ghazi Malik well known as Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq who established the Tughlaq Dynasty in 1321 after ousting the Khiljis, was enclosed within a fort of massive proportions completed in a short span of four years. The fort has inclined walls with triple storied citadels, enormous towers, mosques and halls. The city when built is stated to have had 52 gates but only 13 remain today, mostly in ruins. Of the remaining gates, the main entry gate to the fort was built in typical Pathan style, which is described as made of red sand stone with sloping face and jambs which merge well with the towers of the fort. But the fort was abandoned soon after Ghiyasuddin’s death for two reasons namely, water shortage and the fool hardy decision of his successor Sultan, the Muhammad bin Tughlaq who forcibly shifted his capital to the new city of Daulatabad in the Deccan and returned to found the fourth city of Jahanpanah.
GATES IN THE FOURTH CITY
Muhammad bin Tughluq, first built Adilabad, then Nai-ka-Kot, towards the south of Tughlaqabad. These were two small fortresses. But he soon abandoned them. He built a new city by enclosing the areas lying between the cities of Siri, Tughlaqabad and Lal Kot. The city was named as Jahanpanah, asylum of the world, in 1334. The city had 13 gates. The ruins of gigantic ramparts of his two fortresses and some portions of the Jahanpanah walls have survived the ravages of time but are seen now only in total ruins. The watchtower Bijai Mandal still stands in ruins in the city of Jahanpanah. But no fort gates are traced.
GATES IN THE FITH CITY
Firuz Shah Tughlaq built a new capital city on the banks of the Yamuna River in 1351 and called it Firuzabad. The architecture of the fort was fairly simple and straightforward. The city had three palaces and a citadel known as Feroz Shah Kotla. The king's as well as his wife's quarters were situated along the riverfront. The structures within the enclosure walls of the fort were barracks, armories, servant's rooms, halls for audience, an imposing mosque as well as public and private baths and a stepped well or baoli. An Ashokan pillar brought from Topara, Ambala was mounted on top of a pyramidal three-tiered construction. No gates of this period exist.
GATES IN THE SIXTH CITY
Three main gates on the north, south and west are part of the fortifications of the Purana Qila, the sixth city of Delhi, built by Sher Shah Suri (1538–45). Sher Shah Suri raised his citadel after demolishing Dinpanah, the city built by Humayun. The fortifications of the Qila extended to a boundary of 2 km on an irregularly oblong plan. Bastions adorned the corners and the western wall. Of the existing three gates, the west gate forms the entrance to the Qila and is called the Bara Darwaza (big gate). All three gates are double–storied structures built with red sandstone and have chhatris. The enclosure wall inside has cells in two–bay depth. The northern gate, built in 1543–44, is called the Talaqi-Darwaza for reasons unknown. On this gate, in the front, carved marble leogryphs in combat with a man are seen above the oriel windows. Built in random rubble masonry with dressed stone facing, the gate has a tall arch enclosed by two smaller arched openings. Two bastions adorn the gate with high ceiling rooms. On the second floor of the gate, there are two openings. Exterior surface of the gate had coloured tiles and the inner rooms were covered with incised plaster work. The Purana Qila was stated to have been left unfinished by Suri, which was later completed by Humayun. The southern gate is called the Humayun Darwaza; the reasons attributed for the name are that either Humayun built it or the gate overlooked Humayun’s tomb. An inscription in ink on the gate refers to Sher Shah with the date as 950 A.H. (1543–44).
SHER SHAH GATE
Sher Shah gate located to the south of Khairu’l-Manazil-Masjid is said to be an entrance to the large city of Delhi that Sher Shah built in front of his fortress of Purana Qila. The gate, mostly built with red sandstone but with use of local grey quartzite in its upper storey, is thus called the Lal Darwaza (red gate). Arcades were built from this gate into the city, which were provided with series of dwellings with frontage of a verandah, which may have been used for commercial establishments. Kabuli or Khuni–Darwaza (explained in the following section) is another gate on the fringes of Sher Shah’s city. ASI has undertaken extensive conservation works of the gate and its surroundings at a cost of Rs7.5 million (US$150,000).
GATES IN THE SEVENTH CITY
Shahjahanabad, the seventh city of Delhi, was built by Shah Jahan in 1649 like a fortress encircled by strong and high red–brick walls with 14 entry gates to the city, in addition to 16 wicket gates called windows (khirkis in Urdu language). A number of bastions built of stone were added by the British, in addition to repairing the earlier fort, to make the fort more secure. The gates were designed and built for the people to have access and the royal procession to enter or exit, when going out in diverse directions. Out of the 14 gates, five gates have survived, namely, the Kashmiri Gate on the north, the Ajmeri Gate on the south-west, the Delhi Gate on the south-east, Turkman Gate on the south and the Nigambodh Gate on the north-east, all of which express vividly the splendor of the city. All the gates are located within a radius of 5–6 km in the present day Old Delhi. The Lahori gate on the Northeast, in the old city, was demolished (some remnant walls are seen at the crossing as may be seen in picture) and the area converted into the present day Lahori Bazar. The gates have a square plan with high arched openings, except for low height of the Nigambodh gate, and two openings - one for entry and another for exit - of the Kashmiri gate. The names of all the gates, which existed during Shahajahan’s time are the Dilli Darwaza (also known as Delhi Gate), Kabuli Darwaza, Raj Ghat Darwaza, Khizri Darwaza, Nigambodh Darwaza, Kela ke Ghat ka Darwaza, Lal Darwaza, Kashmiri Darwaza, Badar Darwaza, Patthar Khati Darwaza, Lahori Darwaza, Ajmeri Darwaza and Turkuman Darwaza.
The names of the wicket gates or windows (now none exist) through which people entered and exited from the old fort city were:
Zeenatul Masajid Khirkee
Nawab Ahmad Bakhsh ki Khirkee
Nawab Ghaziuddin ki Khirkee
Musamman Burj ki Khirkee
Muslim Garh ki Khirkee
Naseer Ganj ki Khirkee
Nai Khirkee
Shah Ganj Khirkee
Ajmeri Darwaza ki Khirkee
Sayyad Bhole ki Khirkee
Buland Bagh ki Khirkee
Farash Khana ki Khirkee
Ameer Khan ki Khirkee
Khalil Khan ki Khirkee
Bahadur Ali Khan ki Khirkee
Nigambodh ki Khirkee.
KASHMIRI GATE
Kashmiri Gate is one of the original 14 gates built into the wall to the north of the city. It was built by the British in 1835 by Major Robert Smith. Local people also call it Truckman gate. It has a square plan. There are two openings of the gate: one for entry and another for exit (pictured). During 1835, the British enlarged and straightened it into a two-way gate as defensive measure against enemy attacks. In the present city setting, the gate is close to the Inter State Bus Terminals. It is now preserved as monument on the road to the Old Secretariat and the Delhi University. It was named as Kashmiri Gate since it was used by the emperors to go through on their visits to Kashmir and North India. It was also the historic venue of the intense fighting which took place in 1857, between the British army and the Indian freedom fighters. The fortifications were used to fire cannons at the British army encamped at Ludlow Castle. The freedom fighters gathered at a place close to the St. James Church to discuss war strategy. British troops fought fiercely at this gate and re-captured the city from mutinous Indian soldiers. During the war, the gate was badly damaged by the British to get control over Delhi. Subsequently, area surrounding the Kashmiri Gate became the commercial hub of Delhi, when the Civil Lines were developed by the British.
DELHI GATE
The Delhi Gate (Coordinates 28.641196N 77.240511E) is the southern gate in the historic walled city of (Old) Delhi, or Shahjahanabad. The gate links the New Delhi city with the old walled city of Delhi. It stands in the middle of the road, at the end of Netaji Subhash Chandra Road (or Netaji Subhash Marg), at the edge of the Daryaganj. Other Delhi Gate of Delhi, is also situated in Najafgarh.
AJMERI GATE
Ajmeri Gate, built in 1644, to the south–west of Shahjahanabad with a square plan, has high arched openings. The Sepoy Mutiny or the first war of Indian independence in 1857 was fought at this venue also. The road, through this gate, leads to the city of Ajmer in Rajasthan, and hence its name. A lovely park surrounds the gate. The madrasa (Islamic school of learning) built by Nawab Ghaziuddin Bahadur father of the first Nizam of Hyderabad in 1811, west of the college lies the tomb of the founder and a mosque In the following years, it converted to Delhi college and was one of the constituent colleges of the Delhi University. The College has shifted to a new building now and the Anglo Arabic Senior Secondary School runs in the old building. Nearby outside a ditch, once lied remains of the underground apartments of Safdarjung, which at one point were one of the important sights of Delhi. At present, the old walls of the fort have been demolished and replaced by commercial buildings and residential complexes, but the gate on the west exists.
TURKMAN GATE
Turkman Gate, located to the southern edge of Shahajahanabad (Coordinates: 28.642231N 77.232591E), is named after the Sufi Saint Hazrat Shah Turkman Bayabani. His tomb dated to 1240, before building of Shahjahanabad, is located to the east of the gate. It is approached from the Jawahar Lal Nehru Road, the old Circular Road, in the vicinity of the Ramlila grounds. It has a square plan with high arched openings. The tomb of Razia Sultan and Kali Masjid or Kalan Masjid are located in close proximity of the gate. The gate was the scene of Turkman gate demolition and rioting in 1976.
LAHORI GATE - OLD DELHI
The Lahori gate of the Old Delhi city (Coordinates: 28.657110N 77.218831E), now only a bazaar square with small remnants at one end, used to lead east along the Chandni Chowk to the Lahore gate of the Red Fort. Inside the Lahori gate is the grain market. Outside the gate stands a mosque built by Sirhindi Begum, wife of Shah Jahan, whom he married after the death Arjumand Banu Begum, Mumtaz Mahal. This Lahori Gate was also one of the last points captured during the siege of 1857.
LAHORE GATE - RED FORT
The Lahore gate is the main gate to the Red Fort named after its orientation towards Lahore, Pakistan.
DELHI GATE - RED FORT
The southern public entrance to the Red Fort.
NIGAMBODH GATE
It was built on the north eastern side of the Shahajahanabad. It is located on the Ring Road near the Yamuna Bazaar. It derives its name Nigambodh Ghat from the burial ground here. The etymology of Nigambodh is derived from Sanskrit words ‘Nigam’ which means the “Ved” and ‘bodh’ means “knowledge”, meaning realization of knowledge. According to a folk legend, Lord Brahma (the creator) took a bath in the Yamuna River at this ghat to recover his lost memory and by this act Brahma not only got back his memory but also remembered the place he had kept his sacred books. In the past, the gate was closer to the ghat and nearer to the Salimgarh Fort.
KABULI GATE
Kabuli Gate or Khooni Darwaza (Coordinates: 28.635974N 77.241042E), literally translated means “Bloody Gate”, a “morbid sounding name”. It is an impressive double-storied structure. Its construction is credited to Sher Shah Suri's reign from 1540–1545 (though the fort walls of the Suri period have not been seen to extend to this gate). It was built largely with grey stone but red stones were also used in the frames of its windows. Though not within the walls of the Shahajahan's fort, it is located on the Mathura road opposite to the Ferozshah Kotla near Maulana Azad Medical College . At this gate, on September 21, 1857, during the Indian Rebellion, three sons of the last Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, were executed by the British Officer, Captain William Hudson.
BAHADUR SHAHI GATE
Salimgarh Fort, which is now part of Red fort complex, was constructed on an island of the Yamuna River in 1546. But a gate called the Bahadur Shahi Gate for entry into the Fort from the northern side was constructed only in 1854–55 by Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mogul ruler of India. The gate was built in brick masonry with moderate use of red sandstone. The fort was used during the Uprising in 1857 and also as prison, which housed Zebunnisa, daughter of Aurangzeb; the British imprisoned the freedom fighters of Indian National Army. The layout of the Red Fort was organized to retain and integrate this site with the Salimgarh Fort through the Bahadur Shah Gate.
GATES IN THE EIGHTH CITY
Delhi became the capital of British India after the seat of power was shifted from Calcutta in 1911. With this shift, the new city of New Delhi was established and the sixth city of Shahajahanabad to its north became the Old Delhi. Based on the designs of Edwin Lutyens, New Delhi was built over 20 years. One of the important landmarks built during this period was the India Gate. Built in 1921, it is officially known as All India War Memorial (an arch) to the Indian soldiers killed in the World War I, the Northwest frontier operations of the same time and the 1919 Afghan fiasco. The gate has an impressive stone arch of 42 m height; the names of over 90,000 soldiers are engraved on it. The base of the gate is built in red Bharatpur stone and displays a shallow domed bowl. The past tradition was to fill this bowl with oil and light it as a lamp on anniversaries but is no more practiced, instead an eternal flame burns below the arch. The eternal flame was added in the 1970s in the arch of the Gate to honour the Unknown Soldier. It is flanked by two uniformed soldiers. The place takes a carnival atmosphere in the evenings when it is well lighted and visitors flock to the gate. Seen behind the India Gate is an impressive Chhatri, which displayed the statue of King George V till 1968. This statue has been shifted to the Coronation Park, Delhi, which was the site of the declaration of the new capital of Delhi. The Chhatri is now devoid of any statue since there is a protracted discussion on which National leader's statue should be installed there. There is an impressive set of a large central steel gates flanked by asymmetrically designed smaller gates that provides entry into the Rashtrapati Bhavan (President's palace). A commemorative column called the Jaipur Column with a "distinctly peculiar crown: a glass star springing out of bronze lotus blossom", is located midway between the entry gates and the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
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The last half of '66, just out of high school, time to set out in the world, to seek my fortune. I ended up working the railroad by day, teaching guitar by night.
It wasn't to last long, Vietnam was raging, and anybody not in school soon found themselves wearing green (instead of railroad blue) real soon. Besides, (though I didn't know it at the time), the ill-fated Casey Jones was an ancestor from the Welsh branch of the family tree--so railroading was a career field was probably best abandoned after that summer.
I gathered a few skills that helped me endure the military time that was inevitably to come (type 60 wpm, shoot a camera, drive truck, answer a phone with a suitably homogenized midwest/California accent)--and headed down the road on Life's Journey.
Looking back at my past self, what magical words of advice would I share? "Facebook"? "Craigslist, Microsoft, digital photography?" (This was a time when "Honda" meant 50cc minibikes.) No, even if I could do it, there would be no projecting the future into that past. "I am from the future and here to tell you, jump into computers and meld CB radio to your typewriter (already an IBM Selectric)--move to Palo Alto, and look for these guys, Gates & Allen, and tell them you want to clean their garage for free?" Hah. Leave the poor kid alone, he'll find his own way.
It's what I try to remind myself with my own kids now. Stay in the present. Every moment gets shattered and battered by the past and future--instead, trust the moment! There will always be enough money, perhaps not as much as you might like, but enough. Enough food, enough whatever, as long as you enjoy the present, and learn from the dog. Stay awake, live like your grandparents, and Be "Bhole Baba" (easily pleased).