Purana Qila


When the second Mughal emperor Humayun decided to make a city of his own he decided on the site of the ancient city of Indraprastha. Humayun was quite a scholar with a fine grasp on such matters and so it is certain that the site was chosen deliberately. When his Sher Shah Suri overthrew him, he destroyed most of Dinpanah (refuge of the faithful) as the city of Humayun was called to make way for his own Dilli Sher Shahi or Shergarh. Incidentally, Humayun was probably the only emperor in history who built a city in Delhi and did not give it his own name – this was typical of Humayun's rather sophisticated and dreamy character.

In plan the Old fort, now simply called Purana Qila by Delhites, is irregularly orbital. The walls of the immense Qila tower down on the road that takes one to Pragati Maidan from the height of 18m, and run on for about 2km. It has three main gates – the Humayun darwaza, Talaqi darwaza and Bara darwaza (which one uses to enter the fort today). The double-storeyed gates are quite huge and are built with red sandstone. of all the gates entry was forbidden from Talaqi (forbidden) darwaza, the northern gate.

Golconda Fort


The Golconda Fort is located about 11 Kms away, on the Western outskirts of Hyderabad city. It is located on a granite hill having a height of 120m.
Before the advent of Hyderabad, Deccan was ruled from Golconda fort. It was earlier established by the Kakatiya's in the 13th century and the existing structure was constructed by the Qutub Shahi kings. It was renovated by the first three Qutub Shahi kings, over a span of 62 years.

Golconda is also known as Shepherd's Hill" or "Golla Konda", in Telugu. According to a legend, a shepherd boy found an idol on the rocky hill called 'Mangalavaram'. This news reached the Kakatiya king, who was then ruling Golconda. He ordered the construction of a mud fort around the holy spot. Later, the fort was expanded by the Qutub Shahi kings into a huge structure made of granite.

The fort of Golconda is known for its magical acoustic system. The highest point of the fort is the 'Bala Hissar', which is located a kilometer away. The palaces, factories, water supply system and the famous 'Rahban' cannon, within the fort are some of the major attractions.

Gwalior fort

Gwalior fort


Pearls in the necklace of the castles of Hind, this sprawling fort is the witness to glorious battles and the rule of the Maharajas of Gwalior.




The fort is located at Gopalchal and has earned the reputation of North and Central India's most impregnable fort. It is one of the most invincible forts of India and has an impressive citadel. It was constructed on the hill of sandstone and it towers 10 km from the plain. This fascinating fort is one of its kind and you should make sure that you view the best of Gwalior fort.

Junagarh Fort

Situated adjacent to the public park, its turrets pointing skywards, Junagarh fort is a magnificent sight to behold. It was constructed between 1589 and 1594 by Raja Rai Singh, a general in the army of the Mughal emperor Akbar. It was in 1585 that an old extant Mughal farman (decree) refers to Rai Singh of Bikaner, upon whom Akbar conferred the district of Bhatner. It was the next year that Rai Singh ordered work on the ‘great jewel of Bikaner’, the Junagarh fort. Work finally began in 1589 when the king sent instructions to that effect from his camp at Burhanpur to his minister Karam Chand. Finished five years later, its battlements jutted out proudly, although they were untested.

The fort is beautifully embellished with Rajput paintings, mirror-work, and lacquer-work. Lines of windows and balconies impart a harmonious domestic character to the austere strength of the structure. You need to take a recce of the fort and feel the atmosphere to get an idea of the indolent lifestyle of the Rajput royalty, in medieval times.The regalia and opulence of the palaces will take your breath away.