Gateway to the past: Khooni Darwaza is a key witness to the Revolt of 1857

The gate gets its name from the killings that took place there during the Indian Rebellion of 1857.

The architecture of Khooni Darwaza is a blend of Mughal and Afghan styles. The gate is made of quartzite stone and is three-storeyed. It has three arched entrances, with the central one being the largest. The upper stories of the gate have balconies with jharokhas that provide a view of the surrounding area.

It is around 50 feet in height and has different levels, which can be accessed by three different staircases. The gate has a large courtyard in front, which historians believed was used as a public gathering space in the past. The courtyard is surrounded by a high wall, and there are several chambers and rooms inside the gate.

“Within the boundaries of the Old Fort, Sher Shah built the Quila Khuna Masjid, a gem of an example of Afghan architecture, which was repaired by Lord Curzon during his viceroyship. Sher Shah’s architecture technique is said to have been followed by Akbar when he constructed several buildings of the same style in Agra” wrote Ronald Vivian Smith in his book Delhi: Unknown Tales of a City. Smith further wrote: “Lal Darwaza, damaged by rains, was one of the gates built by Sher Shah in his new city of Delhi, besides the Kabuli Darwaza, which probably got its name because of the caravans which would pass it on their way to Kabul.”

The Lal Darwaza is now called Khooni Darwaza and is said to have got its name after Bahadur Shah Zafar’s sons and grandson were shot dead there by Lt. Hodson in 1857 when British forces had recaptured Delhi and the Last Emperor had taken refuge in Humayun’s Tomb. “Two sons of Bahadur Shah Zafar and a grandson were shot and killed by Lt Hodson. After 1857, when the rebellion was crushed, Bahadur Shah Zafar and his family had taken refuge in Humayun’s Tomb, the plan was that when things cool down they will travel from there to Allahabad by boat and from there they will go to Nepal where all rebel leaders had to meet. The only people who reached there were his cousin and his mother; all others were arrested on the way. Zafar and his family were betrayed and they were made to surrender,” said writer Sohail Hashmi.

“Bahadur Shah Zafar and his wife were taken away separately and his two sons and a grandson were dressed up as common peasants and were made to ride a bullock cart, As they were being taken to the old city of Shahjahanabad, a large number of people gathered,” he added.

There are other stories about Khooni Darwaza’s nomenclature. One of them is of criminals who would be hanged to death there and another is related to the capture and execution of Dara Shikoh by Aurangzeb, his younger brother.

During the Independence, the Khooni Darwaza saw a lot of bloodshed. It is here where thousands of refugees were mercilessly killed while they were on their way to safety in Purana Qila.