Monday, September 22, 2008

History in our midst


This weekend, the wife and I decided on impulse to soak in a bit of the culture that surrounds us, which we always overlook. So we stopped by the 700 year old Tughlaqabad fort right in the middle of the city. And were amply rewarded for our efforts. The pictures (unfortunately taken only from a camera phone) tell a much more eloquent tale:
The fort was built by Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq in AD 1321. At that time vast and powerful, it encompassed an entire city within it, including water tanks, palaces, and the commoners' dwellings. The tomb of Ghiyasuddin, his wife and son - the (in) famous Mohammed bin Tughlaq - still lie in the fort in an exquisitely beautiful marble domed mausolem that is surprisingly very well maintained. It truly is an 'oasis of peace'. Highly recommended to those in / around Delhi







4 comments:

Alam said...

You must have guessed, mostly from the causeway leading to the tomb - that the tomb , at one time, was situated in the middle of a man made lake --- i still haven't made out the logic behind odd shape of the fortress-enclosure of the tomb and the off-centre location of the tomb inside the enclosure

Alam said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
gayatri said...

Pity such a magnificant historical structure lies in a state of neglect. Thankfully, the tomb has seen some restoration work in recent times. I hope they make improvements to the fort as well rather than allow cows and cowheards a free hand there.

Asha @ FSK said...

Very very nice snaps .. esp for a camera phone! :)