Qila Hi Kuhna Masjid, Mathura Road

Delhi Heritage  Trail : 13

          Qila Hi Kuhna Masjid, Purana Qila

      This Masjid situated within the complex of Purana Qila on Mathura  Road was built  by Sher Shah in 1542.  The  name of the Masjid literally means "the Mosque of the old Fort"  and it was the Congregation Mosque  of Purana Qila. The  profusely decorated Mosque  includes  Red and Yellow sandstone and use of white  Marble inlays. Intricate stone carvings are part of the Mosque facade. The  large number of Jharokhas ( cantilevered opening ) and octogenarian turrets are a distinctive features of the Mosque. The  prayer hall measures 51m  by 15m and Mosque sours to a height of  16.5 metres.

        The nearly 475 year old Mosque is situated on Mathura Road within Purana Qila complex and worth a visit.

St.James Church 1836

Delhi  Heritage Trail : 12

       St . James  Church,  Kashmere Gate

        This is perhaps the  oldest  church  in Delhi the  construction of  which started in 1826 and consecrated in 1836. The  Church  is Anglican and belongs to Church of North India.  It was built by James Skinner who founded the  Skinners  Horse in 1803 the Cavalry  regiment of East India  Company.

          James Skinner  was half Hindu  being born  to a British  and a Rajput Hindu women.  While lying wounded in a battlefield in 1800 he took a vow to build a church if he survived and hence the church was built.  He had 14 wives( how he managed them) and many children and a big  family grand and great grandsons, grand daughters whose family still visit the church.

           The Church though Anglican  is not situated in Lutyens Delhi and outside the walls of  old Shajahanabad in Kashmere  Gate. The  Steeple  of the Church  does not soar high unlike many of the churches,  has an Octogonal arcaded central dome with  stained glass windows  and looks like a neighbourhood church. The  Altar of the church is simple in design.  The  church has beautiful majestic  colonaded portico porches on its three sides. The  Church has a special Pew(Bench) for  Skinners family .

       Before it was built  the area was a Mango  Grove  belonging to  Dara Sukoh the  estranged brother of Aurangazeb.  All the members of the Skinners family  are buried in the North side of the church complex. James Skinner  died in 1841 at Hansi and is buried before the  altar of the Church.  William Fraser  Resident Commissioner of Delhi  in 1857 and scores of  English killed during Mutiny  lay buried  in the  Church complex.

        The  Church is a stones throw away from  Kashmere gate metro station.  It is an active  church  and services are held regularly.

Humayuns Tomb 1565-72

Delhi Heritage Trail : 11

       HUMAYUNS TOMB

       This World  Heritage  site  situated in the  Nizamuddin Heritage  area is one of the earliest  tomb of Moghul Emperors. Hamida  Banu Begum  the grieving  wife  of Humayun  built the  tomb during the years 1565-72.  It stands on a platform of  12000 metre square and is 47 metre in height.

        The  tomb has a mix  Persian influence in Indian  architecture  and built of rubble masonary.  The   first use of red sandstone and white marble in large  quantities is in this structure. The  dome at the  top is 6m in height. The  tomb of the emperor is situated in the  central hall of the tomb covered with white marble.

         The  tomb is called  Dormitary  of Moghul empire with  more than 100 graves of the  close family  members situated in the complex including that of Dara  Shukoh, and later Moghuls badshahs like Mohammed  Azam Shah, Jahandar Shah, Farukkh Siyar,  and Alamgir II

          During the  1857 mutiny  the  last Moghul emperor  Bahadur  Shah  Zafar II escaped from  Shajahanabad with his family  of 16 members and was captured  near  Humayuns Tomb by Captain  Hodson and taken back to  the  city where  his sons were  killed.

          The  tomb is fully  renovated and well maintained with  funds  from Aga Khan Trust. The monument is situated a stones throw away from DPS School,  Mathura  Road

Bahadur Shah Zafar II last Mughul Emperor

Delhi Heritage  Trail  : 10

      Bahadur Shah Zafar II (1775-1862)

     He was the  last Mughul Emperor to rule  Delhi. He assumed the throne at a very  late age of 62 years  in 1837 after the  demise of his father Akbar Shah. His rule and  territory  were  restricted to the areas  in and around  Delhi. He spent most of time writing poems, attending  mushairas,  and with his Begums within  Red Fort.

      When the Mutiny broke  out  in Delhi  he was made  a reluctant  leader  by the  rebels.  When the rebellion  at Delhi  was put down  he ran out of  Shajahanabad to Humans Tomb with  close family members.  He was captured there  by Major  Hodson  brought back and two of his sons and a grand son were killed  near  Khooni Darwaza  on the  way to  Red Fort. The  British  ultimately exiled him to  Rangoon fearing  he may be again a focal point for future revolt although he wanted to be exiled to Mecca.

        In Rangoon  Bahadur Shah  badly missed  Hindustan,  His favourite  Delhi Biryani,    Mangoes, Kababs and Moong kind Dal.  The  few people  around  him Spoke a different language which he cannot understand.

          He died on 7th November 1862 with his youngest wife, two sons some Begums and servants at his bedside. A grave was hurriedly dug in the  evening  and the body buried into it without any fun fare under lanterns lights.  Mud was spread over it and no  marks were left for  identifying it.   He is now being revered as a Pir in Rangoon and people visit his Mazar  for  seeking favours.

       He is the only Mughul  emperor to have been photographed.

Kos Minar, Mathura Road

Delhi Heritage Trail : 9

       Kos Minar

      Mile Pillar situated within the  premises of Delhi Zoological Park, on Mathura  Road.  These were Mile Pillars which were erected during the rule of mediavel  Afghan ruler of  Delhi Sher Shah Suri(1540-45) and later  by Mughul rulers.  They were erected  on the  main highways marking the distance. One Kos is equivalent to 3kms.

      They were solid round pillars around 30 feet in height  that stands on a masonry  platform built with bricks and plastered with lime. They were important tools of communication and travel in Mughul empire.

      Many such Kos Minars were constructed in the  highways from Agra to Ajmer via Jaipur,  Agra to Lahore/Peshawar via Delhi,  Agra to Mandu in the South and Delhi to Bengal via Kanauj in the East. Modern Indian highways have come up in  the same route marked by these Minars.

       This one of the few surviving Kos Minar is situated on Mathura Road and is well preserved.

Kutub Minar

Delhi Heritage Trail : 8

      Qutub Minar

     Qutub Minar the tallest stone tower in the  Indian subcontinent.  It is situated on the  southern suburb of  Delhi near  Mehrauli.  The  construction of the tower was started in the year 1192 by Qutbuddin  Aibak the founder  of  Slave dynasty near Quwwat ul Islam Mosque.  During his lifetime only the  first storey of the  tower was completed made of red sandstone.

       The  second,  third and fourth storey were constructed by his successor Iltumish(1211-36). It was struck by a major lightening in the  year 1368 during the period of Firuz Shah Tughlaq and the  fourth storey was damaged . It was replaced by him along with an additional  fifth  storey. Later in 1503 Sikandar Lodhi  of the  Lodhi  dynasty renovated the top stories  with  marble stones.

        The  total height of the Minar is 238 feet and there are 329 revolving steps  inside it to go to the top.  The  angular  and circular fluttings on the  lower storeys, projecting balconies and decorative inscriptions on the  walls add to its beauty.  It is said artisans  from  Samarkand and Bukhara in the  middle east Asia were brought to do the decorations.

       Another major  earthquake struck the Minar in 1803 and the  top Cupola was damaged.  The  East India  Company  Governor General  authorised Major  Robert  Smith  Garrison  Engineer stationed at Delhi to do the repair.  He replaced the top with  a Hindu style Cupola and work was completed by 1828. But it was  not  in tune with the Islamic  architecture of the Minar  and ultimately  in 1848 Lord Hardinge ordered the  removal of it and it now lies in the corner of the ground.  It used to be called Smiths folly.

      Our people are enamoured by the modern day  skyscrapers of the western hemisphere without appreciating the one in our backyard constructed 800 years back.

Mirza Ghalib

Delhi Heritage Trail : 7

        The Tomb of Mirza Ghalib at Nizammuddin.

     Mirza Ghalib  (1797-1869)  was a great poet of Persian and Urdu languages who lived in the  final era of Moghul rule in Delhi. He was born  in Agra  as Mirza Asadulla Baig Khan and started writing poetry from the age of 11. He migrated to Delhi and had his haveli at Ballimaran in Chandni  Chowk. He was a court poet of Moghul rulers.

       Ghalib married at a young  age of 13 and none of his seven children survived infancy stage.  This tinge of sadness in personal life was reflected in his poetries.  He was popular in the  Indian  subcontinent. His theme that life is  one of continuous struggle was reflected in his verses.

       He was a gifted  letter  writer and in one of his letters mentions marriage as second imprisonment after the initial confinement of life itself.  His letters paved the way for simpler usage of Urdu which was ornamental earlier.

       He took the concept of Ghazals and changed  them from expression of anguish in love  to philosophies of life. His haveli in Chandni Chowk has been converted into a  memorial.  He was given the title  Dabir-ul-Mulk by Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar in 1850. He died in 1869.