Purana-Qila: Between Myth, Memory and History

Step into the layered history of Delhi through a walk around Purana-Qila, a site where mythology, memory and medieval history converge. The fort occupies an ancient mound traditionally associated with Indraprastha, the legendary city of the Mahabharata, though the identification remains a matter of historical and archaeological debate.

The walk explores how this landscape was transformed in the sixteenth century. Humayun established the city of Dinpanah on the site, which was subsequently demolished by Sher Shah Suri, who raised the present citadel.

Rather than viewing Purana-Qila as a monument belonging to a single period, the walk considers it as a palimpsest—where successive histories have been built upon and remembered through the same landscape.

We will examine the fort's massive ramparts, irregular plan, corner bastions and three principal gateways, constructed in red sandstone and crowned with elegant chhatris.

Attention will also be given to the spaces and structures within the fort, revealing how the citadel functioned as both a defensive and urban centre.

Curated by Uttar Dharohar in collaboration with Immersive Trails