Purana Qila

About Purana Qila:

• Location:
  • It is located in the South Eastern part of the present city of New Delhi.
  • It is one of the oldest forts in Delhi and built on the banks of river Yamuna.
• It is also known as Qila-e-Kohna (meaning `old fort’).
• The present citadel at Purana Qila was believed to have been built under Humayun and Sher Shah Suri (‘The Lion King’). Excavations point to traces from the3rd century BC, the pre-Mauryan period.
• The Qila was inspired by Jama Masjid, which was established 15 years before the reconstruction of Qila.
• Architecture:
  • It is roughly rectangular in shape having a circuit of nearly two kilometers.
  • The Purana Qila has three gates: Bara Darwaza or the Big Gate facing west, the Humayun Gate facing south and the Talaqui darwaza or the forbidden gateway facing the northern side.
• These gates combine the typically Islamic pointed arch with Hindu Chhatris and brackets.
• All of the gates are double-storeyed and consistof huge semi-circular bastions flanking either of their sides.
• The Bada Darwaza acts as the main point of entry.
  • It was surrounded by a wide moat.
  • The walls themselves are as high as 20 m in places and approximately 4m thick.
  • A prominent structure of the Purana Qila is the Qila-e-Kuhna mosque built by Sher Shah in 1542 CE.

Q1: What is ‘'Adopt a Heritage' scheme?

Adopt a Heritage is an initiative of the Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and the Archaeological Survey of India. It was launched in September 2017 on World Tourism Day. Under it, the government invites entities, including public sector companies, private sector firms, as well as individuals, to develop selected monuments and heritage and tourist sites across India. The project aims to encourage these entities to become ‘Monument Mitras’ and take up the responsibility of developing and upgrading the basic and advanced tourist amenities at these sites.

Source: Searching for Indraprastha: Can excavations at Purana Qila find its Mahabharata link?