On Jan 30, 2011, I had the opportunity to visit the Tughlaqabad fort in the Tughlaqabad area of Delhi. This came about when I registered for one of the heritage walks organized by IHC and the guide was journalist, Sunil Raman, who seemed quite at ease with the surroundings. It was quite a big group and most of us were interested in the historical drama of the place. The fort spreads over 6.5 kms and is in ruins. In fact, it is said that there is no historical record describibg the city within the walls as a thriving place. Early travelers have also described this place as a ruin. The founder of the Tughlaq dynasty, Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq rose from the ranks of the Khilji army and took over from his masters and constructed this fort as a protective measure from Mongols attacking from the south. Unfortunately or fortunately, no wars took place in the five years that the fort was occupied. After the death of Ghiyas-ud-din (some say he was murdered by his son, Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq), the fort was abandoned and turned into a ruin.
As we took the walk, the administrative area and the residential area could be demarcated. Interestingly, there are quite a few water reservoirs within the fort. Some excavation work conducted by ASI has left its mark. Across the Mehrauli-Badarpur road, lies the tomb of Ghiyas-ud-din. Before the road was built, the fort connected directly with the causeway over an artificial reservoir. The causeway still stands though there is no trace of water. The tomb is a beautiful sloping squarish structure with a single dome. The outer walls of the tomb are made of red sandstone. Inside are three tombs with the central one belonging to Ghiyas-ud-din. The two other are said to belong to his wife and son. Within this complex lied the tomb of Zafar Khan, a favoured general of Tughlaq. Another interesting tomb is that of Tughlaq’s dog. The entire structure is quite bereft of elaborate carvings or inscriptions.
As the fort walls and the mausoleum catch the rays of the setting sun, it is not difficult to imagine the beauty of the place with water filling the reservoir and serenity emanating from the forest area around.
