Feroz Shah Kotla Fort – Quick Guide Feroz Shah Kotla Fort – Overview Feroz Shah Kotla Fort was built by Feroz Shah Tughlaq in New Delhi. Prior to this, remains of monuments built by Mauryas are also there and one of them is Ashoka Pillar which was built during the 3rd century by Mauryan king Ashoka. This pillar was brought by Feroz Shah from Pong Ghati in Ambala and was installed in the fort. Visiting Hours Feroz Shah Kotla Fort opens for public from 10:00am to 7:00pm. It takes around two and a half hours to visit the whole fort as there are many monuments inside the fort to visit. Though the fort opens at 10:00am, the best time to visit the fort is 4:30pm onwards. Tickets The cost of the ticket for Indian people and the countries belonging to SAARC is Rs. 5. The citizens belonging to other countries have to pay a sum of Rs. 100 to buy the ticket. There is no charge for the children up to 15 years. Where to Stay? There are more than 2500 hotels in New Delhi which range from inexpensive budget hotels to expensive seven-star hotels. Tourists can also stay in tourist hostels and guest houses which provide a comfortable stay. Good service is offered in all kinds of hotels. Best Time to Visit The period between October and March is the best time to visit the fort as the weather is very pleasant. Through the month of December and January are chilly but still the tourists will enjoy their tour. In the rest of the months, the climate is very hot and humid which causes discomfort to the tourists. Feroz Shah Kotla Fort – History The location of Feroz Shah Kotla Fort is between Old Delhi and New Delhi. Feroz Shah Tughlaq ruled the city from 1351 to 1384. He got the throne from his uncle Muhammad bin Tughlaq. The fort was built by Feroz Shah Tughlaq in 1354. In the same year, he also founded a city called Ferozabad. The city extended from Pir Ghaib to Old Fort and has the population of around 1,50,000. The city and the fort was established on the banks of river Yamuna. Many other monuments were constructed in the fort like mosques, palaces, and madrasas. Gardens were also made which were very beautiful. Feroz Shah built the fort and the city because there was problem in water supply in his previous capital Tughlaqabad. Jinns in the Fort Feroz Shah Kotla fort is also known for the presence of jinns who fulfil the wishes of the people. According to Islamic mythology, Jinns are made from smokeless fire while humans are made from clay. It is believed that jinns also have the same type of government system as the humans. People write a letter and bring their photocopies which are attached to the walls of the fort. The letter should go toe the correct department in order to fulfil the wish. During the decade of 1970, a fakir named Laddoo Singh started living here which increased the letter writings to the jinns. No preference is given to anybody by the jinns. All are equal for them. A legend says that the chief of the jinns is Laat Waale Baba who lived in Minar-e-Zarin a pyramid like structure. People try to touch the railing around the pillar as they believe that their wishes will be fulfilled soon. Feroz Shah Kotla Fort – Architecture Feroz Shah Kotla fort was also called Khusk-i-Feroz which means palace of Feroz. It was built in an irregular polygon shape Yamuna river is on the east of the fort. Malik Ghazi and Abdul Hakk designed the fort. The fort is mostly ruined but is still visited by the tourists. The entrance and exit gateways have been ruined. Sultan Timur was impressed by the design of the fort. The fort was abandoned in 1490 after the defeat of Tughlaq dynasty. Though the fort is ruined but tourists can still find some of the monuments like Ashokan Pillars, Jami Masjid, Baoli etc. Ashokan Pillar The Ashokan pillar is placed to the north of the Jami Masjid. King Ashoka of Mauryan Empire built the pillar between 273 and 236 BC in Topra, Ambala. Feroz Shah Tughlaq brought the pillar from Ambala and established it into the fort. The height of the pillar was 13m. In order to install the pillar successfully, a pyramidal structure of three storey was constructed. The pyramidal structure was built by using black and white stones with a kalash on top of the pillar. The pillar was beautifully decorated and was named Minar-i-Zarin. Some inscriptions can be found in Ashokan Pillar which were written in Prakrit and Brahmi scripts. Ten Commandments of Buddha are also there which led to the spread of Buddhism during Mauryan period. The best time to see the pillar is during the day when sun’s rays directly falls on it and it shines like gold. Baoli There is a Baoli which was filled with water. The baoli is three-tiered and is connected to many pipelines. During the period of Tughlaqs, the river flowed below the ramparts. The cisterns were connected to the river which provided water to baoli through pipelines. Hawa Mahal Hawa Mahal is pyramid-shaped palace which was linked to the private rooms. The floors of the mahal are linked with private rooms through a corridor. The building has three storeys and there is a staircase at the corner which moves to the terrace of the building. Jami Masjid Jami Masjid is very close to the Ashokan Pillar and is one of the oldest mosque which is still in use today. Quartzite stone was used to build the mosque which was plastered with lime. There was a very big courtyard along with a prayer hall which was used by the royal ladies. The prayer hall has now been completely ruined. In this mosque, Emadul Mulk, a Mughal Prime Minister, killed Mughal Emperor Alamgir Sani In