We'll be going ashore here for several hours to visit the Red Fort, or Lal Qila, which is named for the red sandstone from which it is built. Because I have excellent connections, I have been able to arrange a tour of the private enclave of the Lord of the World himself, including the beautiful gardens and Shah Jahan's office quarters. Please do not stare overtly at the women of his family. Your curiousity will be taken amiss. After our tour of the royal compound, you will be given several hours to explore the Chandni Chowk, a covered arcade of shops in which you'll be sure to find those souvenirs you'll be wanting to take home with you.

Ah, I see you all have taken advantage of the fine shopping. We'll be traveling back about one hundred years now, to Dinpanah and Purana Qila. Dipanah, or Refuge of the Faithful, was built by Babar's son Humayun when he moved the capital back to Delhi from Agra. He began a fort there but was ousted from power by the Afghan Sher Shah. Sher Shah renamed the citadel Purana Qila, now known as the Old Fort, and added a number of buildings to the fortified complex. In 1541 Sher Shah erected the grand mosque of Qila-I-Kuhna Masjid which he built of white marble and red sandstone. Sher Shah began construction of an octagonal tower with steep steps leading to its roof but he died before it was completed. When Humayun retook Delhi in 1555, he used the Sher Mandal as an observatory and library. As goddess of learning and education, this is one of my favorite spots.

At our next stop in Firozabad, we will be visiting the fort which Firoz Shah of the Tughluqs built in 1354. Within the high walls of the fort you will be able to see the barracks and armories, audience halls, mosques, a pigeon tower, a well and a water tank, and visit the public baths, though not the private baths. If you are so inclined, you can make use of the time to refresh yourselves. We won't be able to enter the royal quarters which lie along the riverfront, but we will be able to climb up to see the Ashokan pillar that Firoz Shah found and had erected atop his palace.

Is everyone back aboard now? You all smell look much better after your time in the baths.

Coming up on your left is Jahanpanah, the Asylum of the World, so named by its founder, Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq. We will be taking a short tour of his grand palace, known for its 1000 pillars. Unfortunately, Muhammad tried to expand his empire southward and moved his capital to Daulatabad in the Deccan, forcibly moving most of Delhi's inhabitants along with him. A lack of water in his new city and the stagnation of his military campaign forced the king to return to Delhi after only two years. So many people died during these relocations that the population of Delhi was greatly reduced for many years.

Some of you have asked about my instrument. It's a veena. Shall I play for you? Perhaps you will join me in singing as well.

People! Please look to your right! We will not be stopping at Tughlaqabad, as there is nothing much to see past what you can see from the River of Time. Over four years beginning in 1321, Ghiyas-ud-Din Tughluq built a new fort city into the rocky ridge to the south. The massive outer walls were built into a half hexagonal shape and topped by high battlements. The fort was further protected by deep trenches on the three sides not protected by the land itself. A highway led into Tughlaqabad, with the palace situated immediately to the left of the entrance and audience halls and other public buildings on the right. The streets beyond the public buildings were laid out in a grid where houses, mosques and markets were located. Tughlaqabad lacked a dependable source of water and was abandoned within five years.

Hey! You there! Please don't be feeding Ishvara! She'll get too fat to work! But I'm sure you've heard of her uncanny ability to distinguish milk from water. I will be happy to demonstrate when we reach our next stop. She'll be needing a bit of sustenance after her long swim.

Coming up ahead now are the ruins of the city of Siri, built by Ala-ud-din Khilji in 1311. His fort is supposed to have the heads of infidels buried under its foundations. Thick stone walls enclosed his palace which was built by Saljuqians from the region of present day Iran who were in India to escape from the Mongol invasions in their own land. In order to ensure his water supply, Ala-ud-din built a huge reservoir in the present day Hauz Khas district. No, you don't get to go try to dig up those heads. Shame on you for even thinking of disturbing whatever peace they may have found over the centuries!

Attention travelers! We will be disembarking at Lal Kot in one-half hour! Please listen while I tell you about it. Lal Kot was another fort of red sandstone, was built by Anangpal I of the Rajput Tomars in 731. It was subsequently destroyed but was rebuilt by Anangpal II around 1030, when he moved his capital from Kannauj. When Prithviraj of the Chauhan Rajputs defeated the Tomars in twelfth century, he enlarged the old city of Lal Kot, adding ramparts and a moat, and renamed the fort Qila Rai Pithora after himself.

The Qila Rai Pithora was oblong with seven gates. At least twenty-seven Hindu and Jain temples were built inside the walls of the fortress. Anangpal II hung a bell outside of his palace for any of his subjects to ring, day or night, when his judgement was needed. He also erected an iron pillar dedicated to Vishnu in the center of the city which has not yet rusted, an example of the existing knowledge of metalworking. The most important temple, of course, is the one dedicated to me. I'm sure you will all want to stop by the Saraswati Temple and leave an offering.

We have now traveled the River of Time back to the very beginnings of Delhi, and will be arriving shortly at the legendary settlement of Indraprastha. Built by the Pandavas around 1450 BCE, it was a most magnificent city for its time. It is mentioned in the Mahabharata, one of our ancient holy epics.

I shall be taking my leave of you in Indraprastha. My husband Brahma is meeting me there and I'm sure you ladies know how cranky men can get when they have waited too long. But do not worry. Ishvara will take you safely back to New Delhi and drop you off at Varaha's Chai and Curry House when you have finished exploring. I hope you have enjoyed our tour of all the Delhis and that you will visit Delhi again soon!



sources:
Keay, John. India: A History. New York: Grove Press, 2000.
Forts of Delhi
Wikipedia - History of Delhi
Seven Cities of Delhi
History of Delhi

images:
Red Fort by Siddharta Govindaraj
Purana Qila by tkennedy
Both are under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5.