HAUNTED HERITAGE WALK IN DELHI

• Delhi’s first ‘Haunted Heritage Walk’ to kick off from Malcha Mahal.
• Organized by Delhi Tourism department.

Among the other sites that the walk will cover include:

1. Bhooli Bhatiyari ka Mahal,
2. Feroze Shah Kotla and
3. the Tughlaqabad Fort.

Aim:

• The Tourism department is identifying “haunted” sites in the national capital to conduct heritage walks.
• A detailed plan on the hidden and unexplored historical places in the city is being prepared, he had added.
• Tourism department wants to promote the wonders of the city – its heritage, art and craft, diverse cuisine and culture through these walks.

Malcha Mahal:

• Malcha Mahal is also known as Wilayat Mahal.
• It is a Tughlak era hunting lodge in New Delhi.
• Malcha Mahal was built by Sultan Firoz Shah Tughlaq.
• It came to be known as Wilayat Mahal after the self-proclaimed “Begum Wilayat Mahal” of Awadh.
• She claimed to be a member of the Royal family of Oudh and was reportedly given the place by the Government of India in May 1985.

Bhuli Bhatiyari ka Mahal:

• Bhuli Bhatiyari ka Mahal is a ruined fort cum gateway structure that was originally built as a hunting lodge by Feroz Shah Tughlaq in the 14th century.
• The fort is infamous for its haunted stories and tales of paranormal activity.
• The monument is a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

Feroz Shah Kotla:

• Feroz Shah Kotla Fort was built by Sultan Feroz Shah Tughlaq in 1354.
• This fort was built when the ruler decided to shift his capital from Tughlaqabad to Firozabad due to the scarcity of water at the former capital.
• Hence, the fort was built on the banks of the Yamuna river to serve the purpose.
• The entrance of the fort has a gigantic iron gate with the name of the ruler
• One of the interesting features of the fort is that it houses an Ashokan Pillar, which was brought by Feroz Shah from Ambala to Delhi.
• It is 13 m high and bears the inscriptions of Ashoka’s principles.

Tughlaqabad Fort:

Tughluqabad Fort is a ruined fort in Delhi built by Ghiyasuddin Tughluq, the founder of the Tughlaq dynasty.

Tughluqabad is divided into three parts:

1. the wider city area with houses built along a rectangular grid between its gates
2. the citadel with a tower at its highest point known as Bijai-Mandal and the remains of several halls and a long underground passage
3. the adjacent palace area containing the royal residences.

SOURCE: THE HINDU, THE ECONOMIC TIMES, PIB