Ramjas School visits Purana Quila

Purana Qila dates back to 1500 BC,when it was the capital for the Pandavas in Mahabharata. After 3,000 long years,it was re-discovered by Humayun in 1533 AD. He established it as his Capital ‘Deen Panah’ which means ‘house to people of God’. It took him five years to built this fort. In a battle in 1540,Shershah Suri defeated Humayun and captured this place and re-named it as ‘Shergarh’. He built two monuments here,namely,Qila-e-kunha and Sher Mandal. The Qila-e-kunha was built by Shershah Suri in 1541 AD. He decorated it with red and yellow sandstone,white and black marble,stone carving and tile work. It reflects the Indo-Islamic architectural style. The entrance gate faced the west since Mecca (Muslim’s pilgrimage centre) is in West. The Qila-e-Kunha has three gates — Humayun Gate,South Gate and North Gate. It had chhatris,jharokas and cosmic signs on the entrance gates. We thank ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) for providing information about our precious and prestigious past. Visiting such historical places fosters a feeling of pride in our heart.

Mahak Goel,IX -A

The Old Fort is one of the most visited tourist places of Delhi. Old Fort is a citadel that was partly raised by Afghan ruler Sher Shah Suri and partly by Humayun . Humayun built the fort in 1535 to establish his second Mughal empire. However,in the battle in 1450 with Sher Shah Suri,Humayun was defeated. Sher Shah made a major contribution to the public works,built the Qila Kunha within the citadel in 1451 AD which is a mosque made of white marble. There are three gates to this fort. Today,the entrance is through the Bada Darwaza. The Qila Kunha is one of the finest examples of architecture from those days. The inner west walls of the mosque have five arched openings and was ornamented in white and black marble. This trip to the fort has been one of the most memorable one,and I express my heartiest thanks to the school and The Indian Express for giving me a chance to visit this historical place

Manisha bilonia,XI-SC

I was extremely excited and overwhelmed when I came to know that The Indian Express is taking the students for a heritage walk to the famous Purana Quila or Old Fort. It was a great experience to visit the historical monument of India. India is one of the few countries in the world which stands out for its ancient cultures and traditions that span centuries. The great Humayun was behind this majestic architectural masterpiece. He was the second Mughal emperor. It took almost five years to complete this massive architectural beauty.As we enter,we can see the entrance gate in the west direction facing Mecca.A lofty gate,intricate marble work and a series of domes are the features of the fort.The beauty of Quila-e-Kunaha was fascinating. Verses from Holy Quran have been carved on the walls. The fort is a real example of the great architecture that existed during the Mughal period. I am deeply indebted to my school and The Indian Express for organising this unique excursion. Delhi consists of diverse cultures of architecture,and I am very proud to be a Delhiite!

Himanshi Piplani,XI

Delhi possesses a rich and varied cultural heritage spreading over millennia of history and is dotted with a number of historical monuments of great historical importance. Remnants of the glorious past today survive as important monuments in different parts of the city. We,the students of Ramjas School-Pusa Road,got an opportunity to visit the Old Fort. A hearty thanks to The Indian Express. The grandeur of the mesmerizing Old Fort was awesome.  It dates back to the period of the Pandavas in the Mahabharata. The fort was completed by Mughal Emperor Humayun,and that is the reason for placing his tomb near Purana Qila. The fort,which was on the banks of mighty Yamuna,has a moat that lies in ruins today. The huge gates,Qila-i-Kunha mosque and Shermandal,a pleasure resort of Humayun are the surviving units. It was great to rediscover past that lies within monuments like these. Monuments and archaeological pieces serve as a testimony of man’s greatness and establish a dialogue between civilisations,showing the extent to which human beings are linked. I’d love to be a part of such visits in the future.

Gopal Gupta,XI-A

It was a pleasant day,the sun was shining brightly in the azure sky. A cool breeze was blowing,and we all were excited regarding our visit to the Purana Quila. We reached the monument by 10.30 in the morning. We entered the fort via The Humayun Gate,possibly the largest gate I have ever seen. There,we were welcomed by a group of people from The Indian Express. They briefed us on the history of the monument. The Humayun Gate faced west towards Mecca just like most of the other Mughal monuments. The fort was also named as Deen Panah by Humayun,the Mughal emperor who constructed the fort. The fort was huge from the inside. The central attraction was a large mosque named Qila-E-Kunha. It was a perfect example of traditional Mughal architecture. The masjid was indeed an epitome of design. The walls of the mosque were engraved with inscriptions. The credit for the mesmerizing design goes to ‘The Persian Pietra Dura’ style. What caught our attention next was the ‘Sher Mandal’,just in front of the mosque. It was also huge and beautiful.It was built by SherShah Suri,and was used as a personal observatory and library. It was built with red sandstone.

Sparsh Bansal,XI-A