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

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The Khooni Darwaza shares a neighbourhood with the Maulana Azad Medical College

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From witnessing the events of the 1857 Revolt, sharing a neighbourhood with the Maulana Azad Medical College to bearing the history of executions, the Khooni Darwaza is a key piece of the country’s history.

Situated near the Delhi Gate, Khooni Darwaza is a gate built during the reign of Sher Shah Suri in the 16th century.

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

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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.

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“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.

Vidheesha Kuntamalla

Vidheesha Kuntamalla is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in New Delhi. She is known for her investigative reporting on higher education policy, international student immigration, and academic freedom on university campuses. Her work consistently connects policy decisions with lived realities, foregrounding how administrative actions, political pressure, and global shifts affect students, faculty, and institutions. Professional Profile Core Beat Vidheesha covers education in Delhi and nationally, reporting on major public institutions including the University of Delhi (DU), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Jamia Millia Islamia, the IITs, and the IIMs. She also reports extensively on private and government schools in the National Capital Region. Prior to joining The Indian Express, she worked as a freelance journalist in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for over a year, covering politics, rural issues, women-centric issues, and social justice. Specialisation She has developed a strong niche in reporting on the Indian student diaspora, particularly the challenges faced by Indian students and H-1B holders in the United States. Her work examines how geopolitical shifts, immigration policy changes, and campus politics impact global education mobility. She has also reported widely on: * Mental health crises and student suicides at IITs * Policy responses to campus mental health * Academic freedom and institutional clampdowns at JNU, South Asian University (SAU), and Delhi University * Curriculum and syllabus changes under the National Education Policy Her recent reporting has included deeply reported human stories on policy changes during the Trump administration and their consequences for Indian students and researchers in the US. Reporting Style Vidheesha is recognised for a human-centric approach to policy reporting, combining investigative depth with intimate storytelling. Her work often highlights the anxieties of students and faculty navigating bureaucratic uncertainty, legal precarity, and institutional pressure. She regularly works with court records, internal documents, official data, and disciplinary frameworks to expose structural challenges to academic freedom. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2024 & 2025) 1. Express Investigation Series JNU’s fault lines move from campus to court: University fights students and faculty (November 2025) An Indian Express investigation found that since 2011, JNU has appeared in over 600 cases before the Delhi High Court, filed by the administration, faculty, staff, students, and contractual workers across the tenures of three Vice-Chancellors. JNU’s legal wars with students and faculty pile up under 3 V-Cs | Rs 30-lakh fines chill campus dissent (November 2025) The report traced how steep monetary penalties — now codified in the Chief Proctor’s Office Manual — are reshaping dissent and disciplinary action on campus. 2. International Education & Immigration ‘Free for a day. Then came ICE’: Acquitted after 43 years, Indian-origin man faces deportation — to a country he has never known (October 2025) H-1B $100,000 entry fee explained: Who pays, who’s exempt, and what’s still unclear? (September 2025) Khammam to Dallas, Jhansi to Seattle — audacious journeys in pursuit of the American dream after H-1B visa fee hike (September 2025) What a proposed 15% cap on foreign admissions in the US could mean for Indian students (October 2025) Anxiety on campus after Trump says visas of pro-Palestinian protesters will be cancelled (January 2025) ‘I couldn’t believe it’: F-1 status of some Indian students restored after US reverses abrupt visa terminations (April 2025) 3. Academic Freedom & Policy Exclusive: South Asian University fires professor for ‘inciting students’ during stipend protests (September 2025) Exclusive: Ministry seeks explanation from JNU V-C for skipping Centre’s meet, views absence ‘seriously’ (July 2025) SAU rows after Noam Chomsky mentions PM Modi, Lankan scholar resigns, PhD student exits SAU A series of five stories examining shrinking academic freedom at South Asian University after global scholar Noam Chomsky referenced Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an academic interaction, triggering administrative unease and renewed debate over political speech, surveillance, and institutional autonomy on Indian campuses. 4. Mental Health on Campuses In post-pandemic years, counselling rooms at IITs are busier than ever; IIT-wise data shows why (August 2025) Campus suicides: IIT-Delhi panel flags toxic competition, caste bias, burnout (April 2025) 5. Delhi Schools These Delhi government school grads are now success stories. Here’s what worked — and what didn’t (February 2025) ‘Ma’am… may I share something?’ Growing up online and alone, why Delhi’s teens are reaching out (December 2025) ... Read More

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