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Lal Kot |
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| The rubble-built walls of the ramparts of Lal
Kot can be seen by taking Badarpur-Qutb road, Delhi-Qutb road
or Mehrauli-Qutb road. |
| King Anangpal, the Tomar ruler built Lal Kot
as his citadel around 1050 AD when the Tomar Rajputs shifted
their base from the Suraj Kund region to this area. The original
Red Fort of Delhi, Lal Kot has an oblong plan with massive towers
and several gates with outworks. The most famous of the gates
were known as Ghazni, Sohan and Ranjit gates. The recent excavations
revealed ruins of several structures within the Lal Kot area
but still no palaces have been found. It is considered that
the temple area of the citadel was the part where Qutab Minar
and other monuments lie today. The strong stone-built walls
of the ramparts are 2.5 to 3 meters thick. Apart from 'brick
revetment' built over them, the walls had imposing 'local quartzite
blocks' and semi circular bastions at irregular intervals. |
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| However, according to some historians it is believed
that Anangpal I built Lal Kot in 731 AD and Anangpal II rebuilt
it in the late 11th century when he shifted the capital from
Kannauj to Delhi. Whatever may be the facts, the building of
Lal Kot in this part by the Tomar Rajputs brought the focus
and attention back to Delhi that had been deserted for over
a thousand years after the Pandavas left Indraprastha, the first
city of Delhi. |
| Lal Kot later became the southwestern base of
Qila Rai Pithora built by Chauhan Prithviraja III. The walls
of the Lal Kot are a part of DDA 20 acre conservation complex
at Mehrauli, today. |
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