Skip to main content

Most Read Today

Discovering Putsil: The Switzerland of Odisha

New Delhi The Capital of India



India Gate, New Delhi

Akshardham, South Delhi








New Delhi: is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi.
The foundation of the city was laid on December 15, 1911, and was planned by Sir Edwin Lutyens and Sir Herbert Baker, leading 20th-century British architects. Inaugurated on February 13, 1931, by Lord Irwin, the Viceroy of India, the city is known for its wide, tree-lined boulevards and is home to numerous national institutions and landmarks.
It is situated within the metropolis of Delhi and is one of the fastest-growing cities in the world. New Delhi is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is 42.7 km2

Delhi is said to be one of the oldest existing cities in the world, along with Damascus and Varanasi. Legend estimates it to be over 5,000 years old. Over the millennia, Delhi is said to have been built and destroyed 11 times. The oldest alleged incarnation of the city shows up in the Indian mythological epic Mahabharata as Indraprastha. The earliest historically recognized version of the city is

Amar Jawan at India Gate, New Delhi
Amar Jawan at India Gate, New Delhi

Qila Rai Pithora – This dates back to the 10th century A.D. as per available historical records. Also known as Rai Pithora, this city was the capital during the reign of Prithviraj Chauhan, the local hero famous for his first defeating, before finally losing to, the marauding invaders from central Asia (Muhammad Ghori in particular). Chauhan's ancestors are said to have captured the city from the Tomar Rajputs who were credited with founding Delhi. Anangpal, a Tomar ruler possibly created the first known regular fort here called 'Lal Kot', which was taken over by Prithviraj and the city extended. Some of the ruins of the fort ramparts are still visible around Qutab Minar and Mehrauli.
Humayun Tomb

Mehrauli – Muhammad Ghori managed to defeat Prithviraj Chauhan in battle in 1192. Ghori left his slave Qutub-ud-din Aibak as his viceroy, who in turn captured Delhi the subsequent year. After Ghori's death in 1206, Aibak proclaimed himself the ruler of Delhi and founded the slave dynasty. Qutb-ud-din contributed significantly in terms of architecture by getting Mehrauli built. His most prominent contribution is the starting of Qutab Minar. This 72.5 m tall tower was built across three generations and finally completed in 1220AD. A visitor to the Qutab Minar could also see the mausoleum of Kaki, Shamsi Talao and some other mosques. The Slave dynasty ruled until 1290, among them was Razia Sultan who ruled for just three years, but became a historic figure for being the first empress in India.

Siri - Qutuddin Aibaq's 'Slave Dynasty' was followed by the line of Khilji (or Khalji) rulers. The most prominent among the six rulers was Allauddin who extended the kingdom to the south of Narmada and also established the city of 'Siri'. Among some of the remaining ruins, is part of the Siri Fort in the greater Hauz Khas area. The madrasa at Hauz Khas was constructed during Allauddin's reign and bears the stamp of West Asian architecture. Hauz Khas is more often visited today for the chic boutiques and restaurants.
Qutub Minar

Tughlakabad - Exactly as it happens during the fall of a lineage of kings, after the Khilji's there was administrative chaos for sometime as the last Khilji ruler was slain by Nasruddin Mohammed. Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq (a Turk governor) invaded Delhi in the 1320s, started the Tughlaq dynasty, and founded the city of Tughlakabad, the ruins of which still remain. His descendant Muhammad Bin Tughlaq raised the fort walls, created another city called Jahapanah (which enclosed the area between Siri and Qila Rai Pithora). Tughlakabad continued, however, to be the main capital city. Muhammad Bin Tughlaq is also known as the mad king for wanting to move the capital from Delhi to Daulatabad (now near Aurangabad in Maharashtra) and making the entire population travel, only to return in a few years because of water shortage in the new town.

FirozabadMuhammad Bin Tughlaq's son, Firoze created the next city which was called Firozabad or Firoze Shah Kotla. There still are some ruins which are visible around the cricket stadium by the same name. The city was an enclosed a large area and contained many palaces, mosques, pillared halls, and multi-floored water tank. Firoze Shah also planted a 1500-year-old Ashokan Pillar on top of the palace. This pillar was originally planted in Meerut by Samrat Ashok. Feroze Shah also repaired many of the older construction in Delhi including Ghori's tomb, Qutub Minar, Suraj Kund and Hauz Khas. He, himself, was buried inside a lofty tomb in Hauz Khas. Quite like earlier, after Feroze Shah's death, the sultanate became unstable and weak and was invaded by Taimur the Lame (from Samarkhand) who created havoc in the city by looting, killing, raping and plundering. The Sayyids and Lodhis who ruled Delhi after the Tughlaq's paid more attention to re-establishing military and political stability to the kingdom. The only relevant architecture visible from this period are the tombs at Lodhi Gardens. The last of the Lodhi's was defeated by Babur in the first battle of Panipat. Babur then proceeded to establish the Mughal dynasty.

Lotus Temple


Purana Qila
Ruins of Shergarh: 
Shergarh - Babur's son Humayun ruled the kingdom for a few years only to be defeated by Sher Shah Suri (1540), who established the new city Shergarh (on the ruins of Dinpanah, built by Humayun) towards the north and near the river. Shergarh is what you see at Purana Qila today, near the Delhi zoo. After Humayun came back to power, he completed the construction and proceeded to rule from Shergarh.
Shahjehabanad - the next of the Mughal emperors chose to move away from Delhi and established Agra as the capital of their kingdom. Shahjehan (Humayun's great-grandson) returned to Delhi and established Shahjahanabad. This included the Jama Masjid, the Red Fort and all that in enclosed within the walls of Old Delhi. This wall is still around in many parts and three of the six gates (Delhi gate, Lahori Gate, Turkman Gate, Ajmeri Gate, Kashmiri Gate, Mori Gate)to Delhi still exist. Kashmiri Gate was reconstructed and widened by the British after the 1857 revolt.

Lutyen's New Delhi
The final city as you see today expanded from what Sir Edwin Lutyens.
In spite of its rich historical heritage represented by the numerous monuments, Delhi's population is hardly aware of it and has little pride or feeling for the city's history. This is due to the simple reason that few Delhi residents actually belong to Delhi. The population of Delhi is a heterogeneous mix of people originally belonging to different parts of North India and beyond. Among the prominent North Indian communities are the Punjabis, who are the descendants of the refugees of the Indian Partition. They are easily the most affluent community. However, their dominance in recent years has been challenged by the increasing affluence of other North Indian communities. Delhi has a prominent South Indian Community, primarily in areas like RK Puram and Munirka. A Bengali Settlement, the Chittaranjan Park in south Delhi is the Mini Calcutta of Delhi.
And the biggest irony is the fact that the descendants of the builders of Delhi's many Muslim monuments no longer stay in Delhi. Most of them migrated to Pakistan during the Partition, with only a small, ever-diminishing community in Old Delhi keeping old courtly traditions alive

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Know about multifaceted Odia Playback Singer Sandeep Panda

Sandeep Panda  (born: 23rd July 1995) is a singer, music composer, lyricist & producer, Sandeep mostly works for Odia film Industry. Sandeep Panda is one of the emerging new talents from odisha. Sandeep debuted with his own composed video song "Love - A mistake" which was released on OdiaOne channel, his cover of "Kalank" song has more than a million views. Sandeep Panda Early Life Born in a modest family to father Manoj Panda and mother Padmabati Mishra in Dhenkanal, started learning Hindustani classical at the age of 8 from guru Ganesh Mishra but later moved to Bhubaneswar. Though having classical background Sandeep likes making soft romantic and rock music. Sandeep gives a lot of credit to his father because he was the one who wanted him to be a singer. He started doing shows from the early age of 10 and soon he had numerous awards in his craft. After completion of B.Tech from GIFT Engineering College, Bhubaneswar he moved to Pune. During his

Know all about Comedian Shraddha Jain

Shraddha Jain is a social media influencer and actor who is popular for her clean comedy videos. She is known as "Aiyyo Shraddha" on social media platforms, and her video on mass layoffs in the tech sector went viral. She recently met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who greeted her with "Aiyyo" and surprised her with his sweet gesture. She lives in Bengaluru and is a self-employed comedian. Comedian Shraddha Jain Viral Laid-Off Video by Shraddha Jain View this post on Instagram A post shared by Shraddha (@aiyyoshraddha) Shraddha Jain chose to become a comedian after she made her acting debut with the web series 'Pushpavalli' in 2017. She also gained popularity on social media for her comedy content, especially her video on mass layoffs in the IT sector and other videos on the routine & mundane life of IT employees. She has also appeared in a commercial ad for Myntra, a fashion company, and a Bollywood film called 'Doctor G'.

29th February - A Day in the life of India

Learn about the importance of 29th February in the history of India. Major historical events on this day, famous birthdays and death anniversaries on this day. Famous Birthdays on February 29 1984 - Adam Sinclair, Indian field hockey player 1896 - Morarji Desai, Indian civil servant and politician, 4th Prime Minister of India (d. 1995) Death Anniversaries on February 29 2012 - P. K. Narayana Panicker, Indian social leader (b. 1930)

Discover Oia - Asia's Largest Pub and Restaurant in Bangalore!

Oia, the largest pub cum restaurant in Asia, has recently opened its doors in Bangalore. This new venue is a must-visit destination for anyone looking for a great night out in the city. Here's a closer look at what Oia has to offer. Location and how to reach: Oia is on the Hennur Main Road, New Airport Rd, opposite Mantri Webcity, Visthar, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560077 in Bangalore. Oia is easily accessible by car or public transport, and there's ample parking available nearby. You can also take a cab or book a ride through ride-hailing services like Uber or Ola. Sharing the Google Map location here: Oia Bangalore Menu options: Oia offers a menu that is sure to satisfy all cravings. They serve a variety of cuisines, including Indian, Asian, and European dishes. Some of their must-try dishes include the Mezze Platter, Butter Garlic Prawns, and the Cheese Fondue. They also have an impressive selection of drinks, including a wide range of beers, wines, cocktails, and mocktails. Oia

Kow about an accomplished actor, theatre artist Dipanwit Dashmohapatra

Dipanwit Dashmohapatra (born: on 14th August 1995) is an Actor, Director and renowned theatre artist who mostly works for Odia theatre group. Dipanwit's latest Odia movie which released on November 4th 2022 is DAMaN  Dipanwit Dashmohapatra The early life of Dipanwit Dashmohapatra Dipanwit was born in the small town Soro, in Balasore, Odisha to father Jeetendra Dashmohapatra and mother Jyotsna Dashmohapatra. Dipanwit did his schooling at Ramakrishna Sikhshya Niketana, Soro & S.N High School, Soro, He did his +2 from U.N College, Soro. Dipanwit did his B.Tech in Electrical Engineering from ITER College, Bhubaneswar, affiliated with S'O'A University. Career B.Tech from ITER(S'O'A University) An active member of JEEVAN REKHA THEATRE GROUP, Bhubaneswar  The former member of Uttar Purush Theatre Group, Bhubaneswar. A former Core member of Toneelstuk: The Stage Piece (S'O'A Dramatics club) (2013-2017) Theatre artist Dipanwit Dashmohapatra

Know about Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati

Read about Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati Ji's updated story here and the controversy around Shri Ram Janmabhoomi 's inauguration or Pran Pratishthaan:  Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati: A Hindu Leader Fighting Against Religious Conversion Swamiji was born in Brahmanpur in Pratapgadh district of Uttar Pradesh. For the last few years, he has been living with Swami Swarupanand Saraswatiji Maharaj who is Shankaracharya of Jyotish pith in math. He is performing his duties towards math along with doing his study. Swamiji started doing Sadhana when he was 5 years of age. He has acquired knowledge of many Holy books and is the editor of one monthly magazine named Shri Mata. The goal of his life is nothing but to obey the orders of the holy Guru. He is constantly working towards making the river Ganga free from pollution and stopping the conversion of religion with the help of inspiration from the holy Maharaj. To date, he has liberated lakhs of people by helping them to enter

Know about Saravanan Arul, owner of Saravana Selvarathinam Stores in India

Saravanan Arul is the owner of Saravana Selvarathinam Stores in India. He is the son of late business mogul Selvarathinam who was the founder of the Saravana Selvarathinam Stores and part of the largest family-run business retail chain in India. Saravanan Arul Saravanan Arul who controls different shops of Saravana Stores is now all set to make his entry into Tamil film industry, not as a producer but as an actor, infact as a hero. Saravana Arul who uses "Selvarathinam" logo for the stores under his control has appeared in several advertisements of his own shops. Saravanan Arul's Kollywood entry is almost confirmed and he is reportedly impressed by the story narrated by director duo, JD – Jerry (Joseph D Sami and Gerald) of Whistle and Ullaasam fame. The film will co-star Geethika Tiwary as the female lead, alongside Prabhu, Vivekh, Vijayakumar, Nasser, Thambi Ramiah, Kaali Venkat, Mayilsamy, Latha, Kovai Sarala and Devi Mahesh. The makers of the movie have set