“Mera Sheher, Meri Kahani” that means “My city, my story”. It’s true that each city has a story, some open and some hidden stories. If I talk about stories behind monuments, it will be interesting because every brick has its own different history/story.
When you see any old building, you begin to become curious to know about its history. Some common questions come into your mind: Who is the owner of this building? Where do they live right now? What is the time period of this building? What was the use of it? Who was the architect of this building, and which art and architecture influenced it?
On World Heritage Day, as part of Youth Ki Awaazs’ special coverage “Mera Sheher, Meri Kahani” I want to talk about my city, New Delhi, which is the capital city of India. Delhi has a very diverse history of its own. The city of Delhi was, more than seven times, ruined and resettled, and every time, had a new ruler and government that ruled over it for hundreds of years. Delhi’s old names include Indraprastha (Pandavas), Lalkot (Prithviraj Chauhan), Tughluqabad (Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq), Ferozabad (Firoz Shah Tughlaq), Shahjahanabad (Shah Jahan), and Lutyen’s Delhi.
Many huge and historical buildings were built in Delhi and many of them still exist, like the Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Qutub Minar, Humayun Tomb, Parliament House, Rashtrapati Bhawan, India Gate, Purana Quila, and the relatively recently built Akshardham temple and so on. Some of the buildings are UNESCO World Heritage Sites and maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Both organisations are responsible for the maintenance work of heritage sites.
These buildings are important sites according to our history and are a major tourist attraction. These types of buildings are the backbone of the tourism industry of any country and important for history, story, art, and culture lovers.
My favourite buildings in my city Delhi include the Jama Masjid, situated in Shahjahanabad, present-day Chandani Chowk, built by Mughal emperor Shahjahan. And, the second one is Humayun’s Tomb situated in the Nizamuddin East area, built by the order of Humayun’s first wife. The work is said to have started in 1565 and completed in 1572, during Akbar’s reign. Many royals, relatives, and officials, with Humayun and his wife, are also buried here and in structures around it.
I love so much these two buildings in Delhi. Around every historical monument, so many stories have run simultaneously. I have always gone there whenever I need some new stories and peace.