Various rulers have built as many as 9 forts in Delhi over the centuries. Some forts are in tip-top condition while a few are in complete ruins.
- Red Fort or Lal Qila
- Salimgarh Fort
- Old Fort or Indraprastha
- Siri Fort
- Qila Rai Pithora or Quila Lal Kot
- Tughlaqabad Fort
- Adilabad Fort
- Feroz Shah Kotla Fort
- Nai ka Kot
New Delhi has been ruled by various rulers for at least the past 4000 years and the last known recorded history is that of the Hindu Rajputs calked Tomars who ruled in the 9th century AD.
During that time Delhi was the focal point of the power struggle in northern India and the exact place where the Rajputs had their fort is the Quila Rai Pithora near the Garden of 5 Senses.
A Turk by the name of Alauddin Khilji eventually took over the rule of Delhi in the 12th century and built the Siri Fort.
During the construction of the fort Alauddin severed 8000 heads of the captured enemy which served as the origin of the name Siri meaning ‘a head’ in the Turkic language. The Turks took great pride in beheading the enemies and building skull towers and the name Siri Fort is a testimony.
They even took the effort to depict this in an artistic style in their richly decorated books. Her for example is a page from the book Akbarnama by the Mughal king of Delhi Akbar the Great.
When I visited here yesterday I found that only a few segments of the walls of the fort and its bastions were remaining.
This was because a century after Alauddin died, another invading Afghan warrior called Sher Shah Suri dismantled the Siri Fort and took the stone and rubble to build his own fort in Delhi that is now called the Purana Quila or Old Fort.
The area is now a vast open space full of lush green lawns.
Without losing time I discovered that walking briskly over these lawns bare-footed was the best pocket-friendly way to keep my mind cheerful and also remain physically fit.
Entry and Ticket
Entry to the fort is free.
How To Reach
I would have loved to reach there on my bike but it is now more than 20 years old and vehicles older than 15 years are not allowed on Delhi roads anymore.
So I took a metro from IFFCOChowk in Gurugram on the Yellow Line and deboarded at Hauz Khas in Delhi and took an AutoRickshaw for INR 40 to reach the Siri fort.
Accessibility Features
The Siri Fort ruins are fully accessible right from the entrance through its various parts and can easily accommodate a wheelchair to be able to enjoy the views from the outside and also move around it.
The fort complex also has tactile maps to enable the visually impaired to touch-sense and read the fort map.
Ramp Access.
A wheelchair-accessible Entrance.
A wheelchair-accessible Parking.
A wheelchair-accessible Restroom/Toilet.
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