3/5 ANKUR S. 5 years ago on Google
Three
main
gates
on
the
north,
south
and
west
are
part
of
the
fortifications
of
the
Purana
Qila,
the
sixth
city
of
Delhi,
built
by
Sher
Shah
Suri
(1538–45).
Sher
Shah
Suri
raised
his
citadel
after
demolishing
Dinpanah,
the
city
built
by
Humayun.
The
fortifications
of
the
Qila
extended
to
a
boundary
of
(2
km
(1.2
mi))
on
an
irregularly
oblong
plan.
Bastions
adorned
the
corners
and
the
western
wall.
Of
the
existing
three
gates,
the
west
gate
forms
the
entrance
to
the
Qila
and
is
called
the
Bara
Darwaza
(big
gate).
All
three
gates
are
double–storied
structures
built
with
red
sandstone
and
have
chhatris.
The
enclosure
wall
inside
has
cells
in
two–bay
depth.
The
northern
gate,
built
in
1543–44,
is
called
the
Talaqi-Darwaza
for
reasons
unknown.
On
this
gate,
in
the
front,
carved
marble
leogryphs
in
combat
with
a
man
are
seen
above
the
oriel
windows.
Built
in
random
rubble
masonry
with
dressed
stone
facing,
the
gate
has
a
tall
arch
enclosed
by
two
smaller
arched
openings.
Two
bastions
adorn
the
gate
with
high
ceiling
rooms.
On
the
second
floor
of
the
gate,
there
are
two
openings.
Exterior
surface
of
the
gate
had
coloured
tiles
and
the
inner
rooms
were
covered
with
incised
plaster
work.
The
Purana
Qila
was
stated
to
have
been
left
unfinished
by
Suri,
which
was
later
completed
by
Humayun.
The
southern
gate
is
called
the
Humayun
Darwaza;
the
reasons
attributed
for
the
name
are
that
either
Humayun
built
it
or
the
gate
overlooked
Humayun’s
tomb.
An
inscription
in
ink
on
the
gate
refers
to
Sher
Shah
with
the
date
as
950
A.H.
(1543–44).[4][9][21][22]
Sher
Shah
Gate
Sher
Shah
gate
or
Lal
Darwaza
Sher
Shah
gate
located
to
the
south
of
Khairu’l-Manazil-Masjid
is
said
to
be
an
entrance
to
the
large
city
of
Delhi
that
Sher
Shah
built
in
front
of
his
fortress
of
Purana
Qila.
The
gate,
mostly
built
with
red
sandstone
but
with
use
of
local
greyquartzite
in
its
upper
storey,
is
thus
called
the
Lal
Darwaza
(red
gate).
Arcades
were
built
from
this
gate
into
the
city,
which
were
provided
with
series
of
dwellings
with
frontage
of
a
verandah,
which
may
have
been
used
for
commercial
establishments.
Kabuli
or
Khuni–Darwaza
(explained
in
the
following
section)
is
another
gate
on
the
fringes
of
Sher
Shah’s
city.
ASI
has
undertaken
extensive
conservation
works
of
the
gate
and
its
surroundings
at
a
cost
of
Rs7.5
million
(US$150,000).[