Alai Darwaza - A Magnificent Gateway

One of the earliest gates in Delhi, built in 1311 by Alauddin Khilji is located at the Qutub complex. He wanted to built a large mosque. But Siri was not large enough for him as it already housed his palace of thousand pillars in it. For this reason he decided to enlarge the mosque at the Qutub. It is the main gateway from southern side of the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque. This is one of the first building in India to employ Indo-Islamic architecture in its construction and ornamentation. This domed gateway is one of the first of its kind and showcases the remarkable craftsmanship of the Turkish and Indian artisans who worked on it. With its pointed arches and spearhead of fringes, identified as lotus buds, exquisite inlaid marble decorations and latticed stone screens, it adds grace to the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque to which it served as an entrance.

This assimilation of exotic and indigenous architectural styles was possible due to a variety of factors: the Muslim rulers had to use, in most cases, Indian craftsmen and sculptors who were schooled in their own traditions. Though both the Indian and Islamic styles have their own distinctive features, some common characteristics made fusion and adaptation easy. Alai Darwaza still stands in full glory, in its elegance of red sandstone, inlaid white marble decorations, in its many scriptings and inscription carved on it and its latticed stone screens.

Just off Aurobindo Marg in the Hauz Khas area, stands the Chor Minar or the 'Tower of Thieves'. It was constructed under the rule of Alauddin Khilji. Legends say that it was supposed to be a 'tower of beheading', where the severed heads of thieves were displayed on spear through its 225 holes, acting as a deterrent to thieves. Near this place lived a colony of Mongols who had settled in Delhi. When the Mongols attacked Delhi, these local settlers were tempted to join their bretheren. Alauddin, the fierce and ruthless ruler, killed them on suspicion that they would destroy the safety of citizens and stuck their heads on spikes to be displayed on this tower as a warning to traitors.

The year was 1303 when Allaudin Khilji passed away and was buried at Qutub complex. This ambitious and aggressive ruler finally ended the journey of his turbulent life in a simple brick grave with no decorative marble covering or intricate ornamentations. The grave lies quietly on a small hill in a most unobtrusive corner of the Qutub complex and generally not the most sought after spot as far as the visitors are concerned.  

And Alauddin Khilji Built Siri



Siri was the second of the seven cities of medieval Delhi built around 1303 during the rule of Ala-ud-Din Khalji to defend the city from the tireless onslaughts of the Mongols, plundering the gardens and palaces in Delhi, relentlessly.

There's a popular legend explaining the name of his palace as 'Siri' which is derived from the word 'Sir' the Hindi word for head. It is believed that when the Mongols raided Delhi, Alauddin Khilji defeated them and all the generals and soldiers of the Mongol army were captured and brought to Siri where they were trampled to death by elephants. Nearly eight thousand of their heads were build into the walls of Siri Fort. Inside this fort was his supposedly magnificent palace which had a hall, that was known as the Hall of a Thousand Pillars. It had marble floors and grand decoration of stones. Now, all that we find are just ruins, which was once considered the pride of the city. Legend states that Allauddin's famous building had engaged 70,000 workers. There were seven gates for entry and exit, but at present only the south eastern gate exists.

Alauddin was a great warrior and defeated the Rajputs at Ranthambhor and Chittor in 1303. He also conquered the Deccan and annexed it to his empire. 

Legend says that he was enchanted by the beauty of Rani Padmini of Chittor and desired to bring her to his harem by force. He ordered his army to storm Chittor. But hard as they tried, the Sultan's army could not break into the fort. Then Alauddin decided to lay siege to the fort. It became a very long drawn siege and and gradually supplies within the fort started getting depleted!!

As the situation developed into a crisis, the King of Chittor, Rana Ratan Singh ordered that the Rajput soldiers would open the gates of the fort and would fight to death with the besieging troops. On hearing of such a decision, queen Padmini decided that with their men-folk going into an unequal battle with the Sultan's army in which they certainly would perish, the women of Chittor would have to commit the ritual called as 'Jauhar' to escape dishonour at the hands of the victorious enemy.

And so, they lit a huge pyre and all the women of Chittor jumped into its flames, one after another, following their queen. With all their women burnt to ashes, the men of Chittor had nothing to fear anymore. They decided to perform 'Saka'. Each soldier got dressed in saffron coloured robes and turbans, charged out of the fort and fought till death, the immensely powerful army of the Sultan.

After this monsterous victory, the jubilant troops of the Sultan entered the fort, only to find the charred bodies of the women, for whom they came all the way!! All their gallantry finally resulted in naught.

The bards of Rajasthan have immortalised this legend with poems and songs which still talk about the supreme sacrifice of the brave queen Padmini and the women of Chittor. The stories of valor of the Rajputs to defend the honor of their queen lives on forever.