Ghiyas ud-Din Tughlaq, was the ruler of Delhi Sultanate in India during 1320-25. The Khilji dynasty, with strong rulers like Alauddin Khilji (1296–1316), ended in 1320. The last ruler of the dynasty was Qutb-ud-din Mubarak Shah Khilji (1316-20). Ghiyas ud-Din Tughlaq became the ruler in the year 1320 and founded the Tughlaq dynasty which ruled…
Siri Fort Alauddin Khilji was the second ruler of the Khilji dynasty in the Delhi Sultanate. Alauddin Khilji ruled during the years, 1290-1316. Alauddin Khilji constructed the Siri Fort during 1297-1307. The city of Siri evolved around the fort. The water for the city was supplied from the Hauz Khas. The objective of the fort…
Lal Kot and Qila Rai Pithora constitute the first city of Delhi. Lal Kot was founded by Anangpal Tomar I in the 8th century AD. Anangpal Tomar II ruled in the mid-eleventh century and build the Lal Kot (literally, the Red Fort). The Chauhan kings of Ajmer gained control of Lal Kot sometime in the…
Dadi-Poti Tombs Located opposite to the Aurobindo Place market on the Hauz Khas Village Road in New Delhi, these tombs are known as the Dadi-Poti (grandmother-granddaughter) tombs. The bigger tomb is known as the Dadi Tomb and the smaller one is the Poti Tomb. Unfortunately, it is not known who is buried in these tombs….
The National Capital Territory of Delhi is a union territory in India. Delhi contains New Delhi, which is the capital city of India. Delhi has lots of tourist places like historical monuments, landscapes, parks and an expansive zoo with diverse wildlife. The top tourist places in Delhi are as follows. Qutub Minar The Qutub Minar…
Mehrauli Archaeological Park is a heritage park covering an area of about 200 acres located close to the Qutub Complex in New Delhi. The park has been developed around historical monuments dating back to almost a millennium. Parts of the park had been covered by thick forests for over a century. As a part of…
Lodi Gardens is a historic park spread over 90 acres in the heart of New Delhi. Lodi Gardens has historical monuments built during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Then there is a great park with spread out lawns, trees, plants and flowers. Visiting Lodhi Gardens can be a unique way of experiencing history and nature….
Qutub Minar, also written as Qutb Minar or Qutab Minar, was built during the years 1193-1386. The Qutub Complex, which has the Qutub Minar and other monuments of the same era, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Qutub Minar is a very popular tourist destination in India. Qutub Minar is 72.5 meters tall, with 239…
Safdarjung Mirza Muqim Abul Mansoor Khan (1708-54), better known by his title, Safdarjung, was the powerful governor of the province of Awadh and a key member of cabinet under the Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah (1719-48) and later prime minister under his successor, Ahmad Shah Bahadur (1748-54). It is said that by the year 1750, Safdarjung…
Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khana Mirza Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khana (1556-1627), popularly known as Rahim, was son of Bairam Khan and was one of the Navaratnas, or main ministers, in the court of the great Mughal emperor, Akbar. Abdul Rahim was a learned man with great command over Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Hindi and Sanskrit languages. Abdul Rahim is…
Humayun’s Tomb is a splendid monument. It was built by Humayun’s widow, Hamida Banu Begum during the years, 1565-72. Humayun (1508-56) was the second Mughal emperor who ruled during 1530-56. Humayun’s Tomb is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are a lot of other historical monuments in its vicinity. There is Sabz Burj right at…
Isa Khan Niyazi was a noble in the court of Sher Shah Suri. Isa Khan Tomb Enclosure is located just outside the Humayun’s Tomb. The Enclosure has his tomb and a mosque, which were built in 1547-48, during his lifetime. The entrance is through a picturesque gate, symmetrical even though in ruins. The tomb’s layout…
It is a monument that one can not miss because it is located at the busy Mathura Road crossing. Sabz Burj means Green Dome. However, the dome is predominantly blue. Actually, it was green initially, but as a part of restoration work, the dome has become blue. And, for this reason, it is also known…
The National Zoological Park, New Delhi, popularly known as the Delhi Zoo, is located on the Mathura Road, just next to the Old Fort, or Purana Qila. It was established in November 1959 after six years of work at various levels. The zoo has a forest-cum-park like environment without any kind of pollution. A visit…
KHAIR-UL-MANAZIL Khair-ul-Manazil is located just opposite to the Old Fort. Khair-ul-Manazil means the best of houses. It was built by Maham Anga, who was the wet nurse of Mughal emperor Akbar. Maham Anga is also referred as Akbar’s foster mother, as his own mother Hamida Banu Begum was mostly away with his father Humayun in…
After going through the hurly-burly of New Delhi’s busy roads, one longs for spending some time in a quiet and serene place. What does one do in such a situation? Head for a place out of Delhi for a change? Not quite. For there are places in Delhi, where once you enter, you will forget…